SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF MTA’s 2025-26 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
Fixing the Chapter 70 inflation glitch to ensure that funding keeps pace with real costs, fully funding the Special Education Circuit Breaker program, which supports districts that educate children with profound needs, increasing support for rural school districts, addressing skyrocketing transportation expenses and supporting investments to ensure the well-being of students and educators.
Reuniting a coalition of education allies to address inflation, special education costs, and transportation expenses that strain even affluent districts. The coalition is composed of unions, school committees, superintendents and grassroots allies.
Winning high-quality, debt-free public higher education. Having achieved a longstanding goal of free community college, focusing our efforts to expand that victory for students to four-year public colleges and universities and raising the pay of staff and faculty. Advocating for fair pay and benefits for adjunct faculty and investing state funds in building green campuses.
Advocating for legislation that protects the will of Massachusetts voters responsible for the YES on 2 victory, including making MassCore a required program of study for high school students and establishing a commission to study and make recommendations on more holistic and accurate methods of assessing students.
Continuing advocacy to make legal public educators’ right to strike if they have not been able to reach a contract after six months of negotiations.
Seeking a minimum $70,000 salary for all Massachusetts teachers and a $55,000 statewide minimum for Education Support Professionals. Include educators under the state’s Paid Family and Medical Leave law, with the state paying the employer’s share of the cost.
Ensuring a dignified retirement for educators, including raising the base on which the annual state pension COLA is calculated. It has not been increased in a decade.
Allowing teachers hired before July 1, 2001, who did not provide a written election to participate in RetirementPlus, to have a second chance to do so.
For more information, visit massteacher.org/legislation.
