About us
Standing Together With Educators: Parents Supporting a Fair Contract is a movement led by parents supporting the Newton Teachers Association as they negotiate a new contract. The contract that is being offered by the School Committee is not competitive with our neighboring districts, and it does not include the resources our educators need to provide our children an excellent educational experience- both academically and socially.
This movement is being spearheaded by the Parent/Educator Collaborative (PEC).
Why we are doing this
The original members of the PEC shared a concern over a lack of transparency from our city leaders. This lack of transparency coupled with a “stay in your lane” culture among many members of city leadership, had created fertile ground for hostility, division and lack of trust among and between NPS stakeholders. Of particular concern to this group was the rhetoric of our city's leadership about educators. At the time that this group was founded, NPS educators expressed feeling undervalued, and targeted by anti-teacher commentary on social media and other platforms.
Through open conversation and the development of respectful relationships and partnerships, we continue to work hard to confront and attempt to heal some of the divisions that have grown in our community.
National context
Our country is facing a staggering teacher shortage. Educators are leaving the profession at an alarming rate, and the number of people entering teacher preparation programs has dropped precipitously. Newton is not immune to this problem. Like most school districts around the country, NPS has been struggling to fill positions at every level. There were an alarming number of teachers who left their positions at the end of last school year, and some even left during the year, which is something that was incredibly rare before the pandemic. Because of this, it is of utmost importance to attract and retain teachers with a contract that offers a competitive salary and supportive working conditions.