Massachusetts teachers unions calling for department of education board member to resign

Massachusetts teachers unions and state officials are calling for the resignation of Michael Moriarty, a Department of Elementary and Secondary Education board member, following “inflammatory” comments he made during a recent meeting.

“It is impossible for the people of Lawrence, Holyoke or any Massachusetts Gateway City where families struggle for a share of the American dream to have confidence in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education while Michael Moriarty sits on the board,” read a statement from American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts President Beth Kontos and Lawrence Teachers Union Local 1019 President Kimberly Barry.

The comments by Moriarty, which Kontos and Barry called inflammatory, were made during an April 20 DESE meeting during which members were discussing a state accountability system for underperforming schools, which has been on pause due to the pandemic.

Moriarty, using the examples of Holyoke and Lawrence schools, said, “We know they can’t change themselves because they never do,” adding that members need to have a “serious conversation” about a revived accountability system that follows the pandemic.

The teachers said the remark was “demeaning to parents and cause for dismissal of any public official.”

In a statement, Moriarty said, “I made a comment regarding the value of MCAS and the school accountability system, which I regret was insulting, and for that I sincerely apologize.”

Moriarty said, “I was referring to school districts, not people in those communities. I never meant to disparage people who live in Holyoke and Lawrence. I apologize for giving that impression. I will strive to communicate much better going forward.”

State Reps. Frank Moran and Marcos Devers, Sen. Barry Finegold, and U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, all of whom represent Lawrence, seven city councilors and a Lawrence School Committee member wrote to Gov. Charlie Baker requesting Moriarty’s removal from the board.

The letter said the comments indicate that Moriarty’s “priorities as a board member of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education do not reflect the urgent needs of the City of Lawrence and similar minority communities.”

Moriarty was appointed to the board in 2015 and sits on the budget committee. He is a lifelong resident of Holyoke, according to his bio on the DESE website.

Herald wire services contributed to this report.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3vrRUTT