Hundreds of public school teachers, students and supporters joined organized labor leaders on the Boston Common Thursday to demand that lawmakers on Beacon Hill provide more funding for local schools.
Standing on stage, with the State House dome in the background, Boston NAACP president Tanisha Sullivan said school funding is a racial justice issue because the current formula gives wealthy white communities more from the state than communities of color.
“Working class families are the backbone of our economy. They are the engine that keeps this commonwealth running … and the children growing up in those families deserve the same access and support as children from more wealthy families,” Sullivan said.
Teachers unions support an overhaul of the formula used to fund local district schools that would address increased health care costs, English language learners, special education and the racial achievement gap, which would costs billions to fully fund.