About 500 Marblehead High School students staged a walkout Thursday afternoon in solidarity with teachers who are fighting for a new contract. The union, Marblehead Education Association, has called an emergency, all-member meeting for Friday. The School Committee is also meeting Friday, at 5:30 p.m.
Students in Gloucester also walked out for their teachers Thursday, and hours later the Gloucester union voted to go on strike. Beverly teachers also voted Thursday afternoon to strike. The MEA (which is a member with Gloucester and Beverly of the Massachusuetts Teachers Association) did not return requests for comment about whether it plans to strike.
Thursday at 12:45 p.m., MHS students, many wearing red and carrying signs, circled the building for 15 minutes before returning to class.
“The whole point of the walkout was to show our teachers that the students have their backs,” said MHS senior class president Jared Kaplowitch. “We aimed to show the community that we care and our voices as students matter. I think they felt supported and they got to see that their students actually care and want to be there for them.”
MHS senior Gavin Lepler added, “It’s best for us to get more awareness about what is going on so we can get the whole community involved. I think our teachers work super hard, and they deserve fair contracts. They really care about us, and I think they should get the contract they deserve.”
Junior Mackenzie Weed said students will continue to advocate for their teachers.
“Our teachers give us everything at MHS. They are literally the heart and soul of our education system,” she said.
School Committee Chair Jenn Schaeffner told the Current she supports the students’ right to walk out for their teachers. The teens alerted MHS Principal Michele Carlson in advance of the protest.
“We appreciate that they did this in an orderly fashion,” Schaeffner said. “They followed the parameters that the administration put out for them.”
Marblehead teachers have been working without a new contract since Aug 31.
The MEA and School Committee bargaining subcommittee have met at least 16 times since March without significant progress towards a new deal. The two sides are about $4.6 million apart on wages over the next four years.
Schaeffner said earlier that interim Superintendent John Robidoux is planning on making school lunches available to students if there is a strike.
“Communication regarding any work stoppage will be forthcoming when we have any specific information to share,” Robidoux wrote in a Thursday email to the Current.
Beverly’s School Committee emailed parents Thursday saying its members have voted to allow students to particiipate in athletics, band and fieldtrips, with conditions. It’s not clear whether that would be allowed in Marblehead.
This is a developing story. Stay with the Current for new details.
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.
