We Won!!!

Gov. Baker signs the Student Opportunity Act into law (November 26, 2019)

As Governor Baker approached the table in the gymnasium at English High school in Boston yesterday to sign the Student Opportunity Act into law, the crowd of students and organizers spontaneously broke out chanting “Sign That Bill!” It was a perfect ending to a grassroots campaign — even in the final moments, our coalition of educators, students, parents, and community allies was not content to sit back and watch. We made sure that bill got signed!

It was a long, hard road to get here, but after two years of rallies, play date protests, community meetings, visits to legislators across the state, thousands of phone calls and emails bombarding the Statehouse, and days and nights spent scheming about how to move this campaign forward, WE DID IT! 

The Student Opportunity Act, based on the Promise Act introduced last year by Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, will change the lives of generations of students by ensuring that $1.5 billion in additional funding will go toward making sure that our public schools can provide the resources they need to learn. They will have books, art supplies, more teachers and counselors, and safe school buildings that aren’t crumbling around them.

And they will have those things because of YOU. If you are reading this message, the chances are that you have pitched in your time and energy to keep the education justice movement going in Massachusetts. Whether it was a 5-minute call to your state rep, a 5-hour hearing at the Statehouse, or a 5 dollar donation to Jobs with Justice, you made this happen. We made this happen together.

Of course, the struggle for justice is never over — we have to continue to fight to make sure that the influx of money to our schools gets spent in a way that supports our communities and our children’s futures. Jobs with Justice will be there for that fight, as we always are, but for today, let’s take a moment to pause, reflect, and celebrate our collective power.

THANK YOU!

With Love & Solidarity,

The Jobs with Justice Team

PS — Of course, if you want to make sure our movement is strong going into the next fight, you can always make a contribution to sustain our work here.