North Shore Teacher Strikes: 'All Of This Is Hurting Our Kids'

BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey urged striking teachers in Marblehead and Beverly to "get back to school" while details of new contracts are being worked out as the impasses in the two districts became the longest strikes in state history on Tuesday.

Healey met with representatives from teachers' unions supporting the Beverly and Marblehead educators, and professed her support for the work the teachers do, but said in a statement following the meeting: "My focus is on the hundreds of students and their families who have not had school for over two weeks."

"It is unacceptable and all of this is hurting our kids," she said. "Our young people need to be back in school — it's time to get this done."

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Past and present teacher union representatives went to the State House on Tuesday to press Gov. Healey to support the union efforts and "stand up for working people."

"Governor Healey campaigned as a strong supporter of public education, organized labor, and working people," said the union coalition, including members from Newton, Brookline, Malden, Cambridge, Quincy and Worcester. "Yet, she is now falling short in her commitment to these values, complicit in the ongoing dismantling of both public education and organized labor in Massachusetts.

"We cannot remain silent while the school committees in Beverly and Marblehead disregard the needs of both educators and students by refusing to engage in good faith with the collective bargaining process. As working people and educators, we can no longer, in good conscience, stand by while our students receive less than they deserve and educators are continuously disrespected as professionals."

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But unions did not gain the full support of the governor's office to press the Beverly and Marblehead School Committees to meet educator demands that they may have been hoping for, as Healey said: "Teachers should get back into school while the final details are worked out."

Beverly Teachers Association co-President Andrea Sherman said that teachers would not leave the picket lines until a new contract is reached that addresses what she and union leaders have repeatedly called the "crisis in Beverly Public Schools."

"They are waiting to force us back to broken schools with no contract," Sherman said.

The Beverly School Committee said on Monday it would suspend negotiations with the BTA pending the findings of a state-mandated "fact-finder." BTA co-President Julia Brotherton said the union would not participate in that process because it was, she said, "inefficient" and "ineffective" and could keep schools closed for up to two more weeks.

"The Committee will resume talks with (BTA leaders) as soon as its members return to work." Beverly School Committee Chair Rachael Abell said on Monday.

The Beverly strike became the longest in state history on Tuesday with the 12 missed days (not counting the Veterans Day holiday) passing Newton's 11-day strike last winter. Marblehead's strike was on its 11th day on Tuesday.

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The Marblehead Education Association said on Monday night it presented a new counterproposal to the School Committee as it sought a return-to-work agreement that would protect union leaders and members from retaliation when they do come back to the classrooms.

The MEA slammed the School Committee for not responding to the offers Monday night, but did not indicate a willingness to return to school before a contract is settled.

Marblehead School Committee members Jennifer Schaeffner and Sarah Fox said on Tuesday that the union had rejected the town's "best" and "final" offer.

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Beverly and Marblehead teachers and students face a daunting slog of a schedule when they do return to fulfill the state's requirement of 180 days of classroom time by June 30 to complete the school year. Marblehead Superintendent John Robidoux outlined a plan late last week that, at 10 days missed, would include the elimination of the first day of the Christmas holiday break, four days during the February and April vacations, and an extended school year until June 23.

With the strike lasting into an 11th day on Tuesday, additional time on weekends and at the end of June may not also be necessary, pending any snow days for a winter that has yet to begin.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)