MEJA Education Justice Priorities Letter to the Governor and Secretary of Education

January 27, 2025

Dear Governor Healey and Secretary Tutwiler,

This year, Massachusetts’ public education system is at a critical crossroads, filled with both opportunity and uncertainty. From fiscal headwinds at the state level to threats from the incoming Trump administration, 2025 will require bold action to protect Massachusetts students and ensure equal opportunity to high-quality public education.

As we approach the end of the Student Opportunity Act’s six-year implementation period, Massachusetts has the chance to continue advancing toward an education system that fully supports every student in our state throughout their educational journey. But the progress we’ve made towards repairing past inequities in education funding is threatened by the high inflation of the past few years, which is causing budget cuts, layoffs, and cancelled investments across the state. We need a steadfast commitment to further support and strengthen our public schools so they have the resources and support systems in place for all students to succeed and thrive, no matter their background.

As we face major threats from officials at the federal level who have no respect for democracy, now is the time to restore local democratic control over schools that have been subjected to state takeover here in Massachusetts, and to fully implement the will of the voters who passed Question 2, ending the misuse of the MCAS as a high school graduation requirement.

On behalf of tens of thousands of students, parents, caregivers, educators, and community members across the state, we ask you to prioritize the following actions, both in the FY26 budget and through legislation, during the remainder of the current legislative session:

1. Fully fund our public schools and colleges by continuing to implement the Student Opportunity Act and the Fair Share Amendment. We look forward to a FY26 budget that fully funds the Student Opportunity Act’s fifth year of implementation, keeping the law on track to be fully funded by the 2026-2027 school year. Importantly, maintaining that commitment includes fixing the Chapter 70 inflation calculation glitch that, if left unsolved, will permanently reduce school aid and prevent the Commonwealth from meeting the real-dollar targets in the Student Opportunity Act. Failing to keep up with inflation threatens to undermine all the progress Massachusetts has made in reforming our broken school funding system and improving accountability to our students and schools.

We also urge you to once again use funds from the Fair Share Amendment to make critical and significant new investments in our public schools and students. With revenue from the Fair Share Amendment exceeding initial projections, you have an opportunity to build on the incredible investments made over the last two years with new funding for additional investments in our students.

2. Invest in and expand community schools. As an evidence-based strategy for whole school transformation, Community Schools bring the full breadth of resources inside and outside the classroom to impact student and family outcomes, but they currently exist only in Boston, Lynn, Haverhill, and Lowell. We urge you to support a special commission to expand community schools, and we ask DESE to use its own administrative powers to assign Community Schools as a strategy for school improvement. We also hope to see pilot funds included in the state budget to help seed and expand community schools in additional communities.

3. End the undemocratic state takeover of public schools. The state takeover approach of public schools has failed our students and communities with no clear path out and is antithetical to democracy. Ending the current state takeovers of Lawrence, Holyoke, and Southbridge is an important step forward; however, ending the state takeover system permanently is also critical. State takeovers both disrupt learning and prevent students, parents, educators, and community members, especially parents of Black and Brown and immigrant students, from having a voice in how our schools are run. It further perpetuates systemic inequities, and it’s time to end state takeover. It’s time to fully support community voice, engagement, decision-making and true democracy.

4. Engage public education stakeholders in assessment/accountability decisions. In the wake of the decisive vote to end the MCAS graduation requirement, any further changes to our assessment and accountability systems should come from public discussions centering the knowledge and views of those who will be called upon to implement these changes and those who will be most impacted — students, parents, and educators from diverse communities as well as leaders of organizations representing historically marginalized groups.

5. Defend our students and their families from the Trump administration. President Trump and his newly minted administration are doing everything in their power to destroy public education and the vital role it plays in strengthening our communities, economy, and democracy. They’ve promised to shutter the Department of Education, overturn vital projections for LGBTQIA students, and usher in a new era of public school privatization. At the same time, immigrant students and their families are living in fear of the Trump Administration’s deportation agenda. Over the next four years, Massachusetts must be aggressive and flexible in responding to attacks on our communities.

As the birthplace of public education and the first public school, Massachusetts has a critical role in protecting and improving public education for all students and communities. Our impacted communities have the knowledge and skills to lead with you and strengthen the foundation of our democracy together. We look forward to working with you this year to ensure that all students receive the support they need to thrive.

Thank you,
Vatsady
Director, Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance (MEJA)

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The Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance - Education Fund is made up of Massachusetts students, parents, educators, school and college staff, and education advocates with a shared vision: that all students, regardless of income, race, gender, identity, religion, birthplace, or abilities, have access to high-quality, equitable, and democratically controlled public education that addresses the educational needs of the whole student and where every student thrives to reach their full potential. Learn more at massedjustice.org.