January 20, 2024 / By mobanmarket
NEWTON, MA — All aspects of the school year came to a crashing halt in Newton on Friday morning with buildings closed and all classes, as well as extracurricular activities such as sports and fine arts clubs, canceled on the first day of the teachers’ strike.
Newton teachers walked off the job on Friday morning after the Newton Teachers Association said that 98 percent of union members voted to authorize a strike late Thursday afternoon.
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The strike comes amid a five-month contract impasse with the teachers calling for a new deal with pay increases, better paid parental leave, increased mental health support for students, and guaranteed time to prepare coursework and collaborate with colleagues.
The union planned a City Hall rally Friday afternoon at 1 and issued a statement on Friday morning saying that “educators hope to be back in the classroom — with their students, where they want to be — as soon as possible,” and that the NTA and School Committee were scheduled to resume bargaining on Friday.
“Newton educators made the incredibly difficult decision to go on strike because Mayor (Ruthanne) Fuller simply was not listening to our concerns about fair pay for the educators working with Newton’s most vulnerable students and the growing mental health crisis we see in all of our schools,” the NTA said.
Meanwhile, Superintendent Anna Nolin sent a message to the school community saying that she was “heartbroken that the failure of negotiations has led to this moment.”
“This is detrimental to the health and well-being of our students and they should always be our first priority,” she said.
Nolin said that all schools will remain closed with all school-related activities, including sports games and practices, after-school care programs and community education programs, canceled for the duration of the strike.
The school days will need to be made up later in the academic year once the strike is settled, she said.
“I empathize with our families who need to find childcare and with our students for whom disruptions to learning routines, social connections, and extracurricular activities are upsetting,” Nolin said. “The School Committee has shared that they are working as quickly as possible to resolve the outstanding issues related to the contract. While they do their work at the negotiating table, we will do our work to take care of kids and families and to ensure the safety of our buildings and operations.”
She said buildings will be able to be accessed for medical or health supplies only, and that food services will offer “Grab and Go meals” similar to what was offered during the COVID-19 health crisis. The meal will include three days of breakfast and lunch.
“We all hope for a quick resolution to this conflict so that our students can return to school,” Nolin said. “We care deeply for our teacher colleagues and respect the work they do in support of your students every day. We all want the very best learning environment and educational experience for our Newton Public School students.”
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