The state’s largest teachers’ union does not plan to pursue any ballot initiatives of its own next year, but is starting to think about a potential constitutional amendment to impose a tax on the wealth of individuals who “hold tens of millions of dollars or more” in order to pay for debt-free public college.
Ahead of the Aug. 6 deadline to file paperwork for 2026 ballot questions, Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page told the News Service on Thursday that the MTA is “not on our own pursuing a ballot initiative this time.”
The union sent out a release shortly thereafter with more details, including a commitment to put $1 million from a political action committee towards supporting municipal candidates endorsed by local educator unions.
“Our members have become more politically active in their communities to ensure funding for schools is kept at levels to meet the needs of their students,” Page said in a statement. “So many critical decisions about our schools are made at the local level that it is imperative for educators to be involved in how those decisions are made. Bargaining contracts is one way of doing that; supporting candidates who value public education is another way to do that.”
The MTA in 2016 successfully defended against a ballot question that would have raised the state cap on charter school enrollment, and last year scored a ballot box win when it convinced voters to eliminate the use of the MCAS exam as a high school graduation requirement. Two years ago, the union polled its members on a series of potential ballot initiatives, including to create a “debt free college scholarship program” and to give educators the right to strike -- which is illegal in Massachusetts but has become more common in recent years.
In its announcement, the MTA said members voted explore “constitutional amendments that make access to high-quality, debt-free public higher education and early education and child care universal rights, paid for with a tax on the wealth of the richest 1%.” The union did not provide additional details of the ideas it will consider.
“Our state Constitution guarantees the right to an appropriate public education, which has been interpreted by the courts to mean kindergarten through grade 12,” Page said in the statement. “That right must be expanded to include preK and public college to be meaningful in the 21st century.”
Massachusetts recently made community college tuition- and fee-free for residents who do not already have a bachelor’s degree. Public colleges offer traditional four-year degrees whereas most community colleges offer two-year associate degrees.
