On January 26 at 10AM, supporters of the Newton Teachers Association (NTA) gathered at City Hall on the sixth day of the Teachers Strike for the Newton Students Speak Out rally, an event organized by students to openly support the NTA. Although it was promoted as a student rally, about half of the attendees were students and the other half were teachers, parents, and other adults.
In previous rallies leading up to and during the strike, supporters of all ages stood on the steps of City Hall to show their support; however, this time, exclusively students were encouraged to stand up at the front.
Organized and hosted by the group, Students For Teachers, and was supported by the Franklin Elementary PTO. The rally was led by Newton South seniors Anna Wright-Lee, Evan Ng, and Leah Vashevko, who prompted students to the microphone. Approximately 50 students from all grades ranging from 2nd to 12th signed up to participate, and 24 spoke.
Addressing the crowd, first speaker Ruby Metcalf, a senior at Newton North High School, said that students were inspired by the strike and preceding rallies to take action.
“I have witnessed teachers stand up for themselves, inspiring thousands to do the same today,” she said. “Our educators have supported us every single day for years and it’s now our time to do the same for them.”
Student-speakers like Metcalf were met with applause and chants from the crowd, including: “When we fight, we win,” which is one of many used to express support during rallies.
Focusing on the impact the issues addressed in negotiations have on students, many expressed the personal connections they have with teachers and faculty within Newton Public Schools (NPS). Poe Bruce, a Junior at Newton North, said that they had close connections with their teaching aids, and that the salaries of Unit C workers don’t reflect the work they do.
“They helped and encouraged me to grow, succeed, and thrive in every way,” they said. “So if you aren’t willing to pay all of the people who do that job more than $30,000 a year, you are not looking out for your students.”
Along with that, students of NPS with faculty parents spoke in support of their teachers and parents. Newton South High School Senior Jacob Tomaneng said that as a child of an NPS teacher, he has a connection with the demands of the profession.
“As long as I can remember, public educators care about the students, and I can recall so many making an impact in my peers’ lives. … My mother, Ms. T, normally spent hours outside of school doing just that for students; to bring education and their well being first,” he said. “It’s about time that we give our educators the contract that they deserve.”
This rally, in particular, involved some of the youngest members of the NPS community. Second grader Eli of Countryside Elementary School spoke with a parent by his side.
“I love my school and I love my teachers. I’m really sad and I want to go back to school,” he said. “Our schools deserve to have the money they need. Mayor Fuller, please fully fund the schools.”
Students also mentioned recent controversies surrounding a social media post by the Newton School Committee, in which the post was attacked by NTA supporters as factually incorrect and misleading. The post was later deleted, and Boston Bulis, a sophomore at Newton South, said that social media has demonstrated the support and interest of students.
“Just as these strikes began, the following for the NTA’s Instagram has nearly tripled,” she said. “Posts attempting to smear the idea are debunked by over four times the amount of comments, probably the primary reason they felt so threatened and took it down. Students have become more educated on this issue than ever before.”
At the end of speeches, a member of the NTA addressed the crowd and said that, contrary to previous arrangements with the Newton Police Association to escort a traffic-blocking march from City Hall to the Education Center, they were unable to do so and said that the change was due to pressures from Mayor Fuller and potential for arrest. Negative sentiment for this notion was widely shared within the crowd. (NewTV video)
However, the potential for arrest was confirmed to be untrue by Police Chief John Carmichael, who posted a statement on Facebook on January 27 that explicitly refuted these accusations and clarified the intended proceedings of the demonstration.
On 1/26/2024, I spoke to NTA Union President Mike Zilles over the phone along with my Superintendent and Lieutenant from my office. Mr. Zilles and I had a conversation regarding the NTA rally becoming mobile and the large scale assembly moving on foot from city hall to the Newton Education Center. I explained that NPD was receiving information that attendees planned on walking in the streets from point A to point B.
After this information was confirmed, I informed Mr. Zilles, clearly and unequivocally, that I would not allow people to march in the streets and advised to use the sidewalks and crosswalks to help maintain order and public safety for all. This instruction came directly from me and is completely reasonable based on the circumstances. I further advised Mr. Zilles that I could not allow people in large clusters to be in the street, endangering themselves, disrupting traffic, and jeopardizing the safety of the attendees or motorists. I thanked Mr. Zilles for helping maintain peace with the demonstrations and expressed my appreciation for the NTAs willingness to peacefully assemble during this time.
…The fact is I stated that I am responsible for the safety and security of the assembly and failing to follow the directive and maintain safety and people being endangered could have consequences. Such consequences may vary, with arrest being a very last resort in order to keep everyone safe. This instruction came directly from me as the chief.
Newton Police Dept. Facebook page
Following the Newton Students Speak Out rally, student and adult demonstrators marched to the Ed Center on the sidewalk without an escort until the final block, where they walked in the center of the street with a chain of adults holding hands in front of the parade until they reached their destination.
Bella Ishanyan is a senior at Newton South High School and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Lion’s Roar. Last summer, she was a Fig City News student intern.
