Spring Priorities

The Legislation, Policy and Political Action Division has outlined key campaign actions to advance MTA priorities in Spring 2026. Active participation from locals and chapters is essential to this effort. Board members are asked to connect with local leaders and help identify groups ready to get involved.

• Increasing state funding to address the fiscal crisis caused by inadequate state funding. Because of federal cuts to health care, food and other essential supports, this will be an extremely difficult budget year that likely will start with a budget that makes significant cuts across state government. Fighting for funding for preK-12 and higher education and building a strong, ongoing campaign infrastructure will be more important than ever, even if real progress will take more than one year.
• Defending our Question 2 victory. Even though two million voters called for the end of high-stakes testing as part of our graduation requirements, the governor and House and Senate leadership want to include standardized end-of-course assessments in new graduation requirements. We need to fight to create a graduation system based on coursework requirements and assessments by educators — including authentic assessments like capstone projects, portfolios and project-based assessments.
• Fight for a $55,000 minimum salary for ESPs and $70,000 for teachers, Paid Family Medical Leave for educators, RetirementPlus and retiree COLA. The fight over wages will focus on building public will to address these critical issues in bargaining and other efforts (including increasing state funding to support raises). The first-year cost of the wages legislation is approximately $1 billion, and over four years that cost will be shifted to local school districts. We want to use this legislation, as well as federal Education Support Professionals legislation filed by U.S. Senator Ed Markey, to draw attention to the underpayment of educators, and particularly how the compensation of so many ESPs who provide essential services to our students is far below a living wage. In addition to these proactive campaigns, we expect to need to fight against efforts to shift health care costs onto our members as premiums increase at the GIC.

Other Priority Bills Moving in the Legislature

• Adjunct Justice Bill – Reported favorably to the Senate.
• Recess – Reported favorably to the House.
• Cell Phone Ban – Approved by the Senate.
• RetirementPlus – Approved by the House.
• Higher Education Wages – Reported favorably to the Senate.
• BRIGHT Act – Approved by the House Regulating Privatization – Reported favorably to the Senate.
• The harmful curriculum mandate reading bill is heading to a conference committee.
• Protecting Library Books – Approved by the Senate.

Ways You Can Help

The Legislation, Policy and Political Action Division has developed a specific set of campaign actions to help advance these priorities, and the active involvement of members is critical. If you would like to get involved, please email [email protected] about the issues you want to help on, and someone will follow up directly.

For more information on legislation cited here, please visit massteacher.org/legislation.