GLOUCESTER – Teachers in Gloucester held a vigil to thank parents and students for the sacrifices they made during their strike.
Teachers and school committees in Gloucester, Marblehead and Beverly have not reached an agreement.
Gloucester holds a vigil for parents
The Northshore teachers strike has taken a toll on families in the three cities, who are struggling to find last-minute child care. The communities gathered for a vigil to shed light on the sacrifice made by thousands of students and their families.
Students like Gloucester third-grader Kaya Graham joined the vigil in front of Gloucester City Hall after missing seven days of school and normalcy.
“I really miss my teachers, my friends and I’m in the middle of a really fun project,” Kaya said.
Her mother, Noame Graham, is a teacher from Gloucester who organized the meeting as a gesture of gratitude to parents.
“I’m also a parent, so I realize that the search for last-minute childcare can be expensive and exhausting,” says Graham.
According to the Gloucester School Committee, the finish line was in sight, but the deal with the teachers fell apart when negotiations hit several roadblocks.
“We feel like an agreement is closer than ever before,” Kathleen Clancy, chair of the Gloucester School Committee, said in a statement.
“The biggest stakeholders here are families and recognize the incredible sacrifices they have made to make it possible for us to fight for a better education system for their children,” Graham said.
Striking teachers rally at Statehouse
Notable teachers from Marblehead, Gloucester and Beverly took their fight to the steps of the statehouse, urging lawmakers and Gov. Maura Healy to help them find a solution.
The Gloucester union said one of the biggest sticking points is raising poverty-level wages for paraprofessionals.
“We have been working on an expired contract for 509 days,” said Gloucester paraprofessional Margaret Rudolph.
Given the frustrations and divisions, Kaya wants to remind adults why her school is so important to her:
“There is always a place where you can be safe, where you can be loved and where you can get what you need,” Kaya said.
Meanwhile, teachers unions face thousands of dollars in fines if they don’t return to the classroom.
Schools think canceling the February or April holidays, or weekend school while the strikes continue. Schools in Marblehead, Beverly and Gloucester will be closed on Wednesday.
Beverly’s teachers stopped negotiations
The Beverly School Committee said it had made progress with teachers on a possible proposal. Beverly School Committee President Rachel Abell said they are waiting for a response to their counteroffer from the union.
“The School Committee has stretched the district budget to increase wage proposals several times, including twice this spring, without receiving counterproposals from the BTA. “We all agree that our teachers need and deserve a raise, but we will demand that the BTA come forward with proposals that are financially possible for our community,” Abell said in a statement.
Tammy Mutasa
