In the November 2022 Election, Massachusetts has an opportunity to ensure sustainable funding to improve our education and transportation systems.

The Fair Share Amendment, Question 1 on the ballot, if passed will change Massachusetts state constitution and would generate about $2 billion in yearly support. This funding would come from an additional tax on ultra high income households and a step towards educational, racial and social justice.

Cost should not be a barrier to higher education. We demand that Massachusetts catch up to Georgia, New York, Rhode Island and Tennessee by committing ourselves to debt-free public higher education for every person in the Commonwealth.

Our current system uses standardized exams to test, label, and punish students and educators. It shuts down the critical thinking students need to be effective participants in our economy and democracy. It harms black and brown students, students with disabilities and English learners the most. Massachusetts students need alternative routes to obtaining a high school diploma, like they do in most other states and did during the pandemic.

Children need and deserve to live in homes where parents have jobs that pay them a living wage, and are available to care for the family in times of need. We fought to pass a $15 minimum hourly wage and paid family and medical leave, and support making sure all employees in our public schools have access to these life-changing benefits.

Educators’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions. The needs and interests of students are directly undermined when educators are denied a voice in the workplace. We must uphold collective bargaining rights and retirement security for educators, and provide greater support and incentives for educator and staff diversity.

We demand policies that end the school-to-prison pipeline: a deep democratic engagement of students and families in building a positive school culture; establishing restorative justice policies to replace suspensions; and diminishing the importance of standardized tests.

Billionaires, large corporations, and their lobbyists are attacking more than just public education; they’re attacking our civil rights and the public services we depend on. Public transportation, the climate and environment, communities of color, public housing, food assistance, health care, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, and workers’ rights are all under assault. By uniting our struggles, we can fight more effectively for a just society and future.