In Massachusetts, we have long had a broadly shared vision that all children in all communities should have the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential. For far too many of our children, however, there has always been a broad gap between that vision and their lived reality.
Numerous obstacles, often rooted in structural racism, loom in the path of our young people as they strive to succeed. During the COVID-19 crisis, they have become clearer than ever. They include unhealthy school and college buildings in many of our communities, limited access to mental health supports, an inadequate higher education funding system that creates steep barriers and crushing debt for low- and moderate-income students, and working conditions for faculty and staff that often leave them without time to provide their students with the support that is vital for them to receive.
As difficult as this moment is, there is some good news. We have the resources to create a future that centers on equity and meets the needs of all of our students.
The federal government’s American Rescue Plan Act — ARPA — is providing the largest investment in education in American history, delivering more than $2 billion to public schools, colleges and universities in Massachusetts. In addition, ARPA is providing more than $5 billion to our state government and over $3 billion to local governments — money that can also be used for education and to meet the other needs of young people so that they can succeed in school and in life.
While these funds will allow us to meet urgent needs and begin to make transformative investments, they are a temporary revenue source that can’t be counted on for the long term. Fortunately, Massachusetts will have the opportunity next year to fix our tax system so that the highest-income residents will no longer pay a dramatically smaller portion of their incomes in state and local taxes than the rest of us.
If Massachusetts voters approve the Fair Share Amendment, we will have a permanent revenue source designated specifically to fund Massachusetts public schools, colleges and universities — as well as transportation — that can help us sustain the extraordinary progress that we have the opportunity to achieve.
That’s one reason MTA President Merrie Najimy describes the current moment as a unique opportunity for our state, our communities, and our public education system.
"Over the next two years, we have a once-ina-lifetime chance to create a Commonwealth where the great potential of all of our students is matched by resources that provide every young person the opportunity to flourish," she said. "Massachusetts educators are outstanding and do all in their power to provide the best education to our students. But for too long, too many of our children — and particularly young people of color and those from low-income and rural communities — have not had educational resources or opportunities equitable to those of their peers in middle-class, affluent and white communities.
"We can begin to change that," Najimy said.
"All we need is the political will."
MTA members have developed a policy agenda that calls for state funds to meet the urgent needs of students and educators. Among other things, it includes:
- Emergency financial aid for low-income students in higher education that addresses a dramatic drop in enrollments, particularly among students of color.
- Safe, green and healthy public school and college buildings.
- Pay equity and access to health care for adjunct faculty.
- Paid family and medical leave for municipal workers.
With funding generated by the Fair Share Amendment, we will be able to build on these emergency fixes and reverse decades of systemic underfunding of public higher education and early education so that we can expand on the progress we are making today in preK-12 funding as a result of the enactment of the Student Opportunity Act. One dire need is to make public higher education affordable to expand access and address the level of debt now burdening our public college students and graduates.
In addition, MTA locals throughout the state are working with community partners to advocate for distribution of federal pandemic aid for elementary and secondary schools, provided under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund. The ESSER funds could be used to make sure buildings are healthy and safe, expand access to mental health supports for students, make sure schools are able to meet the current needs of all students, and improve compensation for underpaid educators — particularly Education Support Professionals.
"Massachusetts educators are outstanding and do all in their power to provide the best education to our students. But for too long, too many of our children — and particularly young people of color and those from low-income and rural communities — have not had educational resources or opportunities equitable to those of their peers in middle-class, affluent and white communities."
— MTA President Merrie Najimy
Higher education locals are waging similar fights to ensure that federal Higher Education Emergency Relief funds are used to avoid layoffs, retain programs and services for students, provide fair compensation for college staff and faculty, and make sure that students receive all of the supports they need to stay in college and graduate during these challenging times.
Michael Curry, co-chair of the Massachusetts Health Equity Task Force, noted that systemic racism manifests itself in health outcomes, with people of color often having poorer health than white people, regardless of socioeconomic status.
"There is a clear need to address social determinants of health," Curry said. "To address health care disparities, Massachusetts needs to address social inequity."
The same is true of education. We need to provide great education in all of our schools, and we need to make sure young people in every community have access to adequate and nutritious food, quality physical and mental health care, and space to play. And parents must have good jobs, as well as income and work supports that allow them to make ends meet.
"Working with our community partners, MTA members have led and been allies in crucial efforts to fight systemic racism and advance economic and social justice in our communities," said Najimy. "Those partnerships and the energy, passion, and commitment of MTA members will allow our Commonwealth to marshal the resources we need to make the COVID-19 crisis the moment when we begin to dismantle barriers rooted in racism that hold back our students and to build systems of caring, empathy and support that reflect the work that educators do every day."
is an education research and policy specialist for the MTA Center for Education Policy and Practice. Further information on the subjects discussed in this article, including federal ARPA, HERF and ESSER resources, can be found on the MTA website, massteacher.org. A story on the Fair Share Amendment campaign begins on Page 12 of this issue of MTA Today.
