To the editor:
The Marblehead Education Association Executive Board is issuing this statement in response to recent communications and materials distributed by MTA Rank and File for Palestine, including the document titled “The Massachusetts Teachers Association Provides Educator Resources that Tell the Truth about Israel/Palestine.”
The MTA Rank and File for Palestine is an independent group of pre-K–higher education and retired MTA members. It is not part of the MTA and does not speak on behalf of MTA leadership or staff, as noted in its own disclaimer. However, the use of the MTA name and the wide distribution of these materials has created confusion among members, school communities, and the public, many of whom understandably perceive these documents as reflective of official union positions.
As educators, we believe in critical thinking, honest dialogue and the right to academic freedom. Our classrooms must be spaces where all students feel respected and safe, regardless of their background, identity or beliefs. Materials circulated in the context of union communications must reflect these values. Unfortunately, the tone and content of the recent documents raise serious concerns about balance, accuracy and inclusivity.
The materials in question position themselves as a response to supposed “disinformation campaigns,” but in doing so, they dismiss legitimate concerns raised by Jewish families, educators and community members. They promote a single political perspective, frame dissenting voices as part of a smear campaign and risk erasing the experiences of those who have felt targeted or marginalized by biased educational content.
Our concern is not with encouraging dialogue about complex world issues. Rather, it is with the use of union-affiliated platforms to advance highly partisan narratives, under the guise of academic freedom, while labeling all opposition as censorship or propaganda. This approach is divisive, inflammatory, and does not reflect the diverse perspectives within our membership or our community.
The MEA remains committed to fostering inclusive and respectful classrooms. We support thoughtful, fact-based resources that empower students to engage with global issues critically and empathetically. We urge MTA leadership to ensure that any materials circulated in connection with the union maintain high standards of integrity, balance and inclusivity.
We also believe that it is not within the MTA’s purview to develop or disseminate curriculum resources. Decisions about curriculum and instructional materials should be made collaboratively by educators and their districts, grounded in the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education standards. We urge the MTA to respect that boundary and focus its efforts on supporting educators, not directing classroom content.
Sincerely,
On behalf of the Marblehead Education Association Executive Board
Jonathan Heller, MEA co-president
Sally Shevory, MEA co-president
