As a local leader, I’m proud of our organizing in Belmont and am running for MTA president to bring that same vision statewide: listen to members, organize to achieve our goals, then mobilize. Too many local leaders feel unsupported, and too many members feel disconnected from the work and direction of our statewide union. That didn’t happen overnight. It reflects a culture that has drifted away from listening, collaboration and shared leadership. I’m running to rebuild a democratic, member-led union that organizes to win, stands shoulder to shoulder with locals and chapters, and puts educators' and students' needs first.
For 32 years, I’ve served as a special educator at Belmont High School. In my first year, I voted to go on strike. Two weeks freezing on the picket line in January taught me firsthand the power of solidarity. It also shaped my commitment to the union and leadership values rooted in courage, accountability and shared power.
Since then, I’ve served as a building representative, negotiator, local president and the Region G representative on the MTA Executive Committee. In every role, my focus has remained consistent: strengthening member voice, increasing transparency, and building power at the worksite.
Democratized Bargaining Builds Power
Impressive contract victories do not happen by accident. They happen when unions strategize and organize members to participate meaningfully in the bargaining process.
Twelve years ago in Belmont, I led a transformation to democratize our bargaining. Through worksite conversations in every building, educators identified priorities that became a member-endorsed platform guiding contract negotiations. When the school committee refused to bargain with silent representatives of our choosing, we continued to negotiate in good faith while filing and winning a charge with the Department of Labor Relations.
The Belmont decisions affirmed the right of unions across Massachusetts preK-12 and higher education to include silent representatives at the bargaining table. This strategic, member-driven approach expanded power and transparency statewide. Member-driven unionism requires transparency, courage and strategy: choosing the right path, staying in conversation, and determining how to achieve the schools and campuses that educators and students deserve.
Leadership Across Locals and Regions
As a member of the MTA Executive Committee, I have connected members across the region to share best practices and strengthen solidarity across districts. Gayle Carvalho and I share a clear vision of strong public education, a democratic and member-driven union, and a more just society. I have been honored to organize alongside her to translate our shared values into an effective strategy. We are the only candidates running who are not aligned with or beholden to a caucus, and our only commitment is to represent you!
Guided by our shared vision, I’ve organized regional collaborations, including the Greater Boston Education Action Network (GBEAN), the Boston Education Support Professionals Action Network (BESPAN), and BCLAWS, a regional bargaining council. Together, we united members to advocate for fair leave policies, racial justice, professional respect for ESPs, safe working conditions, living wages and whole-child education. Through coordinated regional organizing, we strengthened collaboration among locals and turned collective energy into stronger, transformative contracts.
Clear Vision in Challenging Times
Public education and our union are facing sustained political and economic pressure. I have spent my career organizing in moments like this, bringing members together, strengthening the union, and building the kind of internal solidarity that allows us to lead rather than react. Our strength lies in engaging members, transparent decision-making, and a culture where healthy debate strengthens our collective power. As a statewide leader, I will prioritize organizing capacity, local support, and member voice so that our union is prepared not only to defend public education, but to shape its future.
Investing in Public Education
One of my central goals as your president will be ensuring that elected officials recognize the necessity of sustained investment in public education. Students cannot succeed without adequate staffing, safe facilities, manageable class sizes/caseloads and comprehensive supports.
As workers, we must insist on fair compensation, affordable health care, secure retirements and safe classrooms and campuses. These are not luxuries; they are prerequisites for stable schools and campuses.
Educators also need the professional freedom to support the academic and emotional development of students and grow as professionals ourselves. Top-down mandates and short-term fixes undermine morale and weaken outcomes. Our members deserve trust, respect and the space to innovate in ways that reflect the needs of their students.
Fighting for Equity and Justice
Discrimination remains a pressing challenge, and I’ve organized to dismantle systems that perpetuate inequities in our society. Belmont Educators of Color and Accomplices (BECA) organize to educate ourselves about the history and impact of racism on our community, confront injustice directly, and organize to build supportive action.
As a regional leader, I’ve worked with other leaders to offer Locals Confronting Racism, conversations centered on intersectionality and action planning. Collaboration, shared leadership and listening to members’ lived experiences are essential for building equity in schools, colleges, universities and within the MTA itself.
Vision as MTA President
As MTA president, I will continue to:
- Bring members together across local, regional and chapter levels, including preK–12 and higher education.
- Strengthen bargaining power and transparency statewide.
- Expand member-driven decision-making and leadership pipelines.
- Ensure union strategy is focused on results, not politics.
- Advocate for fair contracts, strong working conditions and the schools and campuses our students deserve.
- Represent the diversity of our union by listening actively, confronting injustice and fostering greater equity across our union, schools and campuses.
I am committed to leading with responsibility, ensuring every member’s voice is heard, valued and respected because our union is strongest when we rise together.
Educators, this election will be decided by those who show up. I encourage every local and chapter to send its full delegation, participate in the debate, and engage in this democratic process. Together, we can move from words to action and from action to lasting change, building a union that is just, equitable, unstoppable and ready to fight for public education.
