MTA Global Majority / BIPOC Gubernatorial Candidates Forum
March 20, 2022
The MTA issued a statement on why it is hosting this forum, explaining that as the MTA prepares to decide who to support as a gubernatorial candidate, it would like members to be involved in this process, interviewing potential leaders and sharing stories:
“In 2022, Massachusetts voters will elect a new governor. This office plays a key role in how education policy is decided — from K-12 to higher education — as the governor appoints the Secretary of Education – currently Jim Peyser, and 10 of the 13 members of the Board of Primary and Secondary Education (BESE).BESE in turn appoints the Commissioner of the Department of Primary and Secondary Education (DESE) -currently Jeff Riley The Governor also appoints 17 members to the UMASS Board of Trustees and 10 of 13 members of the Board of Higher Education (BHE), who in turn appoint the Commissioner of Higher Education. Secretary Peyser and Commissioner Riley have long supported an anti-public education agenda, including privatizing schools, weakening educators’ voice and collective bargaining rights and handing districts over to under receivership/state control, especially in BIPOC majority districts Their leadership during the pandemic has been an abject failure as they refuse to include the knowledge and expertise of educators and their unions in all decisions related to pandemic education, health and safety.
The record of the Higher Education Council is just as catastrophic. It pretends to uphold an equity agenda, but has done nothing to work with education unions around pandemic education or to invest the necessary resources in public higher education that would provide a higher education without student debt and would ensure fair salaries, benefits and working conditions for professors and teachers. Staff.”
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