Stop Blaming Teachers

Recently, two parents filed a lawsuit against the Beverly Teachers Association (BTA), alleging that the union’s strike harmed their children’s education (see link to lawsuit below). I will not question these parents’ motives. Like many of us, they are likely frustrated, overwhelmed, and trying to make sense of a school system that feels increasingly unstable.

But let’s be absolutely clear: the BTA did not break Beverly’s schools. Years of chronic underfunding, neglect, and mismanagement did. And the blame for that falls squarely on the Mayor, School Committee leadership, and a system that has prioritized optics over action.

A Manufactured Crisis

The teachers did not walk out lightly. They did so after years of working in buildings without enough staff, with rising student needs and stagnating wages. They did so after paraprofessionals (many of whom earn less than $30,000 per year) begged the city to offer a livable wage. And they did so only after bargaining was dragged out by the School Committee for more than a year, even as the district paid over $164,000 in legal fees to delay a contract that should have been resolved months earlier.

Let’s not forget: during the height of the strike, Beverly Public Schools spent an astonishing $159,373 on a Boston PR firm, Melwood Global, to spin the city’s narrative. That includes:

• $74,582 for 12 days of “crisis communications” (Nov 8–19),
• $60,791 for another 7 days of “crisis communications” (Nov 20–26), and
• $6,000/month from August through November for general “strategic communications.”

While teachers were on the picket lines asking for fair pay, the district was writing six-figure checks for crisis PR and legal counsel. If you are looking for waste and misplaced priorities, start there.

A Decade of Neglect

Let’s also be honest about the root of the problem: a decade of fiscal austerity and denial. Beverly spends:

• $18 million less per year on public education than the state average on a per-pupil basis, and
• $36 million less per year on total city services than the state average on a per capita basis.

We are now balancing the city’s books by cutting essential services, again. The FY26 school budget eliminated 30 more positions, following 21.6 staff cuts last year. A total of -$2.67 million is reduced on a level services basis for the FY26 budget. Special education is underfunded, behavioral issues are skyrocketing, class sizes are growing, intervention support is minimal, assessment scores are abysmal, mental health professionals are in short supply, and morale is plummeting. The BTA did not create this problem. They are the ones sounding the alarm. The strike was merely a symptom of a systemic failure rooted in underfunding.

And yet, instead of owning up to these hard truths, Mayor Cahill and School Committee chair, Rachel Abell, chose to attack teachers, deflect responsibility, and spend taxpayer money to prop up their crumbling narrative.

The Lawsuit Is a Distraction

Now, a lawsuit filed against the BTA threatens to further divide the community. Not because families did not experience hardship during the strike, but because the case misplaces blame on the people trying to fix a broken system.

Of equal concern is who is behind the lawsuit. It is being led by Hughes & Suhr LLP, a Chicago-based firm known for filing lawsuits against teacher unions in Newton, Brookline, and other cities. Their legal strategy of pursuing damage claims related to strikes has drawn criticism for potentially seeking to chill collective bargaining rights under the guise of protecting families. Their approach echoes tactics used nationally to limit the influence of public-sector unions.

Co-counseling on the case is Ilya Feoktistov, a Boston attorney whose past advocacy and legal work in education and civil liberties suggests this lawsuit may reflect broader ideological priorities beyond Beverly alone.

Make no mistake: this is not just about one city. It aligns with a growing legal trend aimed at shifting leverage away from educators and organized labor. Often under the banner of protecting students, while ignoring the structural issues that forced educators to act in the first place.

What is more damaging to our children’s education? A short-term strike demanding improvements, or a long-term system that refuses to fund schools at even the state average?

Our kids deserve better than chronic understaffing, overcrowded classrooms, and delayed services. They deserve a school system that we invest in. Not one that is constantly being asked to “do more with less” until it breaks.

Real Accountability Starts at the Top

If we want to talk about accountability, start with the Mayor who:

• Refuses to explore new revenue despite Beverly’s tax rate being in the bottom 25% statewide.
• Oversees a budget process so opaque that even City Councilors have described it as “deeply flawed.”
• Spent more time managing political fallout than solving the underlying school funding crisis, choosing public relations and damage control over policy leadership.
• Hired crisis PR firms instead of crisis counselors.
• Redacted public legal invoices so heavily that the community can not tell what we paid for.
• Failed to speak up for the teachers and paraprofessionals who make our schools function every day.

Moving Forward

Beverly is now at a crossroads. The current path leads to deeper cuts, higher turnover, and declining trust. The alternative? Leadership that is honest, transparent, and willing to ask residents to invest in our shared future.

It is time to stop blaming teachers for a mess they did not create. It is time to start holding our elected officials accountable for the decisions they have made; and the consequences we are all now living with.

Let’s redirect our frustration toward fixing the real problem: a revenue system and city government that refuses to fund our public schools and essential services at the level our community deserves.

Dr. Matthew C. Ferreira

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f64H8ppFOe2ZR9sB1y3c3rIWFKti-xxl/view?usp=sharing

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this editorial are those of the author and are based on publicly available information, news reporting, and protected opinion. The purpose of this piece is to contribute to public discussion about education, labor, and governance. Any characterizations of individuals or organizations are intended as fair comment and not as statements of fact about their motives or private conduct.