Vision

Committed to building POWER for our unions and our schools, throughout MA:

Professional growth and expertise

Organizing with our students, parents, and community

Workers rights and labor solidarity

Equity, inclusion, and social justice

Respect for our profession and members

• This includes a strong presence at the State House as well as a strong presence in our local communities to fight for the schools and communities all of our educators, students and families deserve.

• A strong, state federation that is a leader when it comes to policies regarding pedagogy and practice, including not just K-12 education, but also library professionals, early ed, higher ed, and votech educators.

• A strong member-driven voice for change informed by and in partnership with stakeholder coalitions, including the MA Education Alliance. 

• A leader for state policies regarding workers rights, collective bargaining, retirement and the issues that impact our members, students and families.

• Support for our locals to strengthen their locals and help them to build power internally and externally. 

Platform

• The AFT MA should be an antiracist organization with the ability to build the power of our members to lead on education policy and advocate for quality public education and social justice in our communities.

• Our members should be among the first stakeholders at the table on all education-related issues, because we are in the classrooms and know the needs of the students we serve.

• AFT MA should be a leader in offering real solutions to our most pressing challenges.

• AFT MA members should lead in our own classrooms, problem solve at school sites, be empowered at the school level, be included in shared decision making, and take part in state and local policy advocacy.

• AFT MA should encourage a knowledgeable member base and be a professional organization that is a partner in policy and community advocacy alongside community stakeholders, families and students.

• Organizing should be done by the membership, and we need to build capacity to do so.

• Our AFT MA members should value healthy conversation and constructive debate among our members and our elected leadership, members and in larger education circles.  

• Our AFT MA leadership should support and facilitate regular internal reviews of structures, policies, and resources to determine need and effective allocation of resources.

• Our AFT MA leadership should reach out to the membership to articulate the goals and direction of the union, include members in creating priorities for the union and decide how to allocate collective resources in the most impactful way.

• AFT MA should prioritize inspiring members to get involved in union activities that are relevant to their classroom and school experiences.

• AFT MA should actively develop a pipeline of diverse and representative new leaders.

• AFT MA should explore opportunities for new membership organizing.

• AFT MA should nurture the development of a vibrant Retired Teachers Network, recognizing the important role retired educators can play, especially when  joined with the voices of those still active in schools, in supporting AFT MA priorities.

• AFT MA should have a clear progressive policy about the relationship between retired teachers and unions that includes thinking about leadership development in our unions and the importance of bringing in new voices.