Teachers' union leader asks Governor Healey to use Fair Share surplus to boost school funding

NANTUCKET — Blythe Purdon, co‑president of the Nantucket Teachers Association, used the public-comment period of the March 3 school committee hearing to urge support for a statewide push to increase school funding.

Purdon said the Massachusetts Teachers Association has formed a coalition of educators, administrators, superintendents, school committee members and town officials that is asking Governor Maura Healey to use surplus revenue from the Fair Share Amendment to increase school-district funding. She said the coalition produced a letter signed by more than 1,000 people, including the district superintendent, and offered to circulate the letter to committee members.

Purdon cited the Student Opportunity Act as an earlier state-level step and quoted American Federation of Teachers president Randy Weingarten: “a rich, robust, well resourced public education is one of the best routes out of poverty and a pathway to prosperity,” which she read to emphasize the coalition’s goals.

She told the committee she had sent the letter to members earlier in the day and invited questions or follow-up by email.

What’s next: Purdon asked that the committee consider the coalition’s request when the district and town make budget decisions and offered to provide the letter to district administrators and committee members.