MTA Board unanimously approves Fund Our Future campaign
MTA Board unanimously approves Fund Our Future campaign
The following email was sent to MTA members from MTA President Merrie Najimy and Vice President Max Page on Monday, December 10.
Greetings,
Our students can't wait!
That's the message from the MTA Board of Directors, which voted unanimously on Saturday to endorse and finance the Fund Our Future campaign. The goal is to pass legislation by May 1 to increase state funding for public education by more than $1.5 billion a year, more than $1 billion for public schools and more than $500 million for public higher education. We have assembled a powerful coalition — the same coalition that won a landslide victory over charter schools — to win this fight for our students.
Just imagine what these funds could be used for. More art and music, well-stocked libraries, mental health support, smaller class sizes in our preK-12 schools, and more education support professionals. Less debt for our college students, more full-time faculty, and fair pay for adjunct faculty members in our public colleges and universities.
The public trusts you, the educators, more than anyone else when it comes to determining what our students need and deserve. That's why we are asking all MTA members to engage in this campaign through your local associations and campus chapters. There are three main ways to be involved right away.
- Sign a petition endorsing our legislation and share it with other MTA members for them to sign. Download a fact sheet, instructions and a copy of the petition itself.
- Work with other members of your local, as well as parents and other community residents, to urge your school committee or higher education board of trustees to pass a resolution supporting the funding increase. Download a sample resolution and tips on how to get one passed.
- Work with your local or chapter and community residents to hold a member or community forum on the needs of your school district or college that could be addressed by this bill. Talk to your MTA field representative about how to organize a forum.
By speaking to friends and relatives and taking part in campaign activities, MTA members were highly instrumental in winning the 2016 No on 2 campaign against lifting the cap on charter schools. We can win this campaign as well if we put the same effort and energy into showing the state what we are for as we showed what we are against.
In solidarity,
Merrie and Max