Brookline Teachers Union To Hold Rolling Rally From Larz To BHS

BROOKLINE, MA — The Brookline Educators Union and educators from Brookline and beyond are planning to hold a car “care-a-van” rally Monday afternoon to protest the public education cuts that have affected hundreds of Brookline educators.

The district started sending layoff notices to teachers and staff earlier this month in an attempt to address a $6.3 million budget deficit for the fiscal year that starts July 1. The deficit comes amid unprecedented cuts to the local and state budgets as the coronavirus pandemic swept the country. District officials said the move to send some 350 layoff notices was preemptive and they were hoping to rehire the teachers, they had to send the pink slips because law required them to send notices by a certain time. By last week, School Committee officials said the district was already beginning to call back teachers who had previously received notice, though it's not clear how many the district will be able to recall.

The union's educators of color group planned the rally with a focus on how racial injustice is worsened by the underfunding of work done by teachers and school-based direct service providers.

“Education justice is anti-racist justice,” said the union's diversity chairperson Jason Montrose, and a leader of the African, LatinX, Asian, Native American group within the union. “In Brookline, over 350 educators got the disappointing news that they might not have jobs to come back to, and many are still facing uncertainty even after some have been recalled.”

Read more: Brookline School District Layoffs Prompt Demonstrations

Similar cuts are taking place across the state as state funds that districts depend upon have been cut as the commonwealth responds to the coronavirus pandemic. But union officials say the actions disproportionately affect educators and students of color at a time when many districts, like Brookline, are striving to achieve racial equity.

The BEU and other educator unions affiliated with the Massachusetts Teachers Association are advocating for more state and federal funding and state spending to support public schools.

"The needs that existed when the state passed the Student Opportunity Act last year still remain and are even greater as districts continue to grapple with the impact of the coronavirus crisis on public schools," according to a statement by Brookline union leaders.

The car rally is set to begin at 2:45 p.m. Monday at Larz Anderson Park. Cars will roll to Brookline High School where a rally and community speaking program organized the union's African, Latino, Asian, Native American group will begin at 4 p.m.

Read more: Brookline Furloughs Nearly 200 Employees Amid Coronavirus

• Brookline School Budget: Cuts Anticipated
• Brookline Lays Off Teachers, Staff As Town Revenue
• Brookline School District Message Regarding Layoff Notices

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).Have a press release you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how to post a press release, a column, event or opinion piece.