GREENFIELD — More than a dozen people stood on the common Friday morning while holding signs in support of more funding for education, health care, affordable housing, hunger and more.
Doug Selwyn, of Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution (FCCPR), said the group joined Raise Up, a coalition of community organizations, religious groups and labor unions committed to building an economy that works for everyone, as it is doing the same type of rallies over the next week across the state and nation.
All those in attendance held signs that read, “Invest in our recovery” and “Don’t cut public services.” Then, each person wrote their name on the sign and wrote, “I’m fighting for …” Most of the signs read “More funding for schools,” or “Education.”
Glenn Johnson, a Greenfield School Committee member, said school systems were already in horrible situations and student outcomes depended on their ZIP codes, but now the pandemic has made a bad situation worse.
“We need to revamp the public education system,” he said. “We’re looking at less funding this year, but we’re going to need extra facilities, staff and buses, and we’re going to need (personal protective equipment) if we’re going to open schools. How are we going to make school more accessible with less money? It shouldn’t be this way in this country.”
Pixie Holbrook, a retired special education teacher from Conway who taught in the Mohawk Trail and Frontier regional school districts, said that however schools end up opening in the fall, they must be ready to support students, teachers and staff members’ safety not only physically, but also emotionally.
Holbrook said schools should take children’s temperatures each morning, not parents, because schools can’t be sure that’s happening and can’t force it. She also asked how it could be guaranteed that parents are washing their children’s masks.
Keeping young children, especially, 6 feet from each other and keeping their masks on might create problems and a lot of extra work, she added, and what if a child needs help zipping their jacket or tying their shoes while social distancing is required?
“What can children do for play outside if they can’t use playground equipment, balls or be within 6 feet of each other?” she asked. And, Holbrook wants to know if teachers will be considered essential workers and will therefore receive hazard pay.
Selwyn said there are currently three pieces of legislation working their way through the state Legislature. One would increase the tax rate on corporate profits. Another would increase the tax rate for those who shift tax profits overseas. The third would increase the tax rate that investors pay on unearned income.
Greenfield resident Susan Worgaftik said the COVID-19 pandemic has unmasked many of the state’s and nation’s inequities, and now those who are richer should be paying their fair share.
“Working people are shouldering too much of the burden when it comes to taxation, among other things,” Worgaftik said. “Billionaires pay less than we do.”
A representative from the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) and state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, could not attend the rally, but sent statements read by others.
MTA Vice President Max Page wrote that he agrees wealthy investors and profitable corporations need to be taxed more so that communities can protect public schools and colleges, and Comerford said COVID-19 showed just what types of inequities are most glaring when it comes to education, health care, small businesses and more. She wrote that legislators are talking about those issues to figure out what they can do.
Rosemarie Freeland, coordinator of the Women’s Resource Center at Greenfield Community College, noted people need to know higher education is critically important to the state’s economy.
“For decades, underfunding has caused harm to GCC’s foundation,” she said. “Many of the students who attend community colleges across the state are students of color. That’s an example of institutional racism.”
While most classes will be held remotely this fall, Freeland said students will have to come to the campus for some things, like labs, and faculty and staff members will have to be on campus. She said funding is needed for making sure everyone is safe from the pandemic.
“The greatest vulnerability right now,” she said, “is unknown state appropriations while we try to prepare.”