MTA Today Past Issues

How are educators responding to rising safety concerns in schools, what resources are needed to support students’ mental health, and how are educators organizing for safer learning environments? Find out in the Winter edition of MTA Today. Plus, explore practical tools, member stories, and strategies to protect both students and educators across the Commonwealth.

Gaps in state funding, along with changing economic conditions, are dramatically changing many local school districts in Massachusetts. What's next for public education in the state? Our cover story delves deep into school funding issues and the fight for strong, well-staffed and well-funded schools.

Many Massachusetts educators say they support restrictions on student use of cell phones in schools. A bill that has passed the state Senate and is in the House would require districts to develop a “bell-to-bell” policy by the 2026-2027 school year. What do educators think about this? Our cover story includes the perspectives of educators and local leaders about what a device-free requirement could mean.

Higher education and preK-12 workers are standing up for their work, their freedom to teach and for their students to learn in the face of unprecedented actions and threats from the Trump administration. Our cover story in the spring edition of MTA Today explores how higher education members are fighting back to protect their work and their students’ learning.

Most private employees in Massachusetts are entitled, under state law, to generous paid leave. However, public educators are exempted from those rights under state law and are fighting for fairness at the local and state level. Our cover story shares about the successes and ongoing fight for what MTA President Max Page says is "a basic human right enjoyed by workers in most industrialized nations."

MTA members are working to get out the message for YES on Question 2 on the Nov. 5 statewide ballot. If passed, Question 2 will replace the high-stakes MCAS high school graduation requirement with a local district certification for student graduation standards. In our cover story, learn what MTA members are doing to replace high-stakes tests with authentic learning and assessment this November.

As summer heats up, MTA members are hitting the ground running to secure a victory for Question 2. From organizing events to mobilizing communities, this campaign sprint is all about turning support into action and making every vote count.

Public education in Massachusetts continues to offer meaningful work, but many educators are leaving mid-career due to stagnant pay, high workloads, and changing work conditions. Enrollment in teacher preparation programs has dropped dramatically, and districts are struggling to fill openings, even in traditionally well-resourced areas. MTA leaders and members emphasize the need for competitive salaries, improved benefits, better training, and stronger support for Education Support Professionals to ensure schools can attract and retain dedicated educators.

Stress, pressure, anxiety . . . all are adding up to an unfolding mental health crisis that impacts everyone in public education, including students, educators, and education support professionals. Our cover story delves into these issues, as well as some of the specific solutions proposed in a new MTA WikiWisdom report: "Classroom Solutions to the Mental Health Crisis in Our Schools."

The past several months have seen increasing momentum for the Thrive Act and the MTA’s ballot initiative to end the graduation requirement tied to MCAS. Scores of educators, students, parents and elected officials are speaking out against the high-stakes nature of the MCAS exam and the harm the graduation test does to our communities and youth. What follows is a sampling of just a few of these diverse voices, including some of the first registered voters who signed the ballot initiative and people who spoke out at the Oct. 4 hearing on the Thrive Act at the State House.