BOSTON — Holding signs at some of the busiest intersections of Boston, dozens of educators from the Boston Teachers Union rallied Thursday at 11 locations across the city, from Roxbury to East Boston, to Charlestown and Dorchester.
These teachers say they’re pushing for better contracts, which expired in August.
“It’s expensive to live in Boston, so our educators are not able to afford to live there especially our para educators, many of whom are from our community, and so they’re moving away, and so we’re losing good educators because they can’t afford to live here,” said Nora Paul-Schultz, a Boston teacher.
One of their biggest concerns is pay, especially for paraprofessionals.
“There are paraprofessionals that make less than 30,000 dollars a year and they are some of the hardest working people in the building,” said Claude James, an ABA Specialist at Fenway High School.
The union says another big issue is staffing inclusive classrooms.
“We’re the only district in the state where one teacher will be teaching a room with special ed students and general ed students by themselves and there’s not a second educator in the room with them and that’s not helping our students,” said Paul-Schultz.
Boston 25 News reached out to the mayor’s office and BPS district leaders about these contract negotiations but have not yet heard back.