Teachers held “walk-in protests” at several public schools in Boston on Thursday morning, the Boston Teachers Union said.
The rallies were held as negotiations continue for 8,000 educators after their contract expired on Aug. 31, according to the union, which is seeking higher pay for teachers and paraprofessionals and improved staffing levels.
The protests took place at Brighton High School, the Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers, the James F. Condon School, and the Hurley K-8 School, the union said.
Another protest is slated for Thursday afternoon at the Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Charlestown, according to a union spokesperson.
The union said teachers are staging the walk-ins “to ramp up public awareness of their needs and priorities.”
“The BTU is advocating that the city make key improvements for Boston educators and students, including improved pay for teachers and paraprofessionals, and ‘inclusion done right,’ which would mean ensuring a properly staffed approach to the inclusion model used in Boston Public School classrooms,” the union said.