Lou's Letter to Senator Montigny & State Representatives

Nov. 13, 2009


Dear Senator Montigny,

I am Louis St. John, president of the New Bedford Educators Association and I represent 1200 members. I am writing to urge you to reject any and all provisions in the Education Reform Act of 2009 that contain a direct assault on educators’ collective bargaining and due process rights. We support innovative solutions to meet the needs of students in chronically underperforming schools, but teachers must be considered part of any effective solution, not part of the problem.

An attack on these rights will severely damage the spirit of collaboration that has made Massachusetts schools the very best in the country. By demonizing educators who teach low-income children, provisions such as these would make it extremely hard to attract excellent teachers to work in the schools that need them the most. Highly qualified and experienced teachers are simply not going to choose to work in schools where they can be fired for no cause and where unilateral changes can be made in their working conditions over their objections.

Far from ushering in a new era of “education reform,” a bill containing these provisions would set the clock back on the tremendous progress our schools have made. Massachusetts students lead the nation as a result of the dedication and experience of the educators across the Commonwealth. There is no evidence that those educators, their unions and their contracts contribute to the problems at chronically underperforming schools. There is no justification for enacting such changes at all, let alone for ramming them through in haste on the eve of a legislative recess.

This bill, in its current form, is a direct assault on educators and their collective bargaining and due process rights. Teachers across the state consider this an extremely important vote and will be watching the results closely. Please contact me as soon as possible to let me know how you intend to vote on the bill and on any amendments that concern teacher collective bargaining and due process rights. I can be reached at 508-984-4441

Best regards,


Louis St. John, President

New Bedford Educators Association
160 William Street
New Bedford Ma 02740