Amesbury Educators, Parents, & Students Testify at School Committee Hearing; Call for Full Funding of Amesbury Public Schools! More than 250 educators, parents, and students testified at the Amesbury School Committee budget hearing last night to push for fully funded public schools in Amesbury. AFT Amesbury has advocated for district leaders to address the crises facing Amesbury Public Schools (APS) with increased investment and commitment to improving the schools.
“Amesbury has unprecedented resources at our disposal. We have unspent ESSER funds, millions of dollars in free cash, and are well below our tax levy,” said Cindy Yetman, President of AFT Amesbury. “Meanwhile, our paraprofessionals' poverty wages start at an embarrassingly low $16,000 a year, we lose teachers yearly to districts that pay a competitive wage, and our technology is failing. Our educators and staff cannot continue sacrificing while pretending nothing is wrong. Your students deserve better from the district.”
The Amesbury School Committee has proposed over a million dollars in budget cuts to APS, which could result in staffing cuts, a lack of arts and librarian support, and a decrease in student services.
“As a parent and a resident, I know Amesbury Public Schools can’t provide a world class education to our kids without seriously investing in our schools,” said Andrew Goodwin, a seventh grade teacher at Amesbury Middle School . “It is clear that underfunding our schools produces harmful results for educators, for students, and for the APS community.”
AFT Amesbury is currently negotiating their contract with the Amesbury School Committee. The union's proposal includes eliminating student user and transportation fees, competitive wages that reflect regional standards, better resources for special education students and staff, and a living wage for paraprofessionals.
“We are advocating for common good solutions that will improve the working conditions of our members and our students' learning conditions,” said Courtney Connell Lovett , a teacher at the Cashman Elementary School. “We need the School Committee to reject a budget that cuts corners and underfunds our schools. I grew up in this community and want to continue teaching here, but we are at a critical junction where we must turn this corner and fully fund APS.”
The union is calling on the Amesbury School Committee to pass a budget that meets the needs of APS. The union is calling on Mayor Kassandra Gove to use any funds at the city’s disposal to fully fund the schools to ensure safe, well-resourced, and high-quality schools for all students and staff. Members of the Amesbury community can submit written comments at schoolcommittee2@amesburyma.gov.