Newton families juggling work, childcare during teacher strike
NEWTON - Newton teachers are now in day four of their strike, and as negotiations continue, parents are now having to scramble to juggle work and childcare.
Eleven-year-old Henry Bennett is spending more time with his grandparents this week, as they pitch in to help while his mother Rachel continues to work from home. "I'm so lucky to have parents who can come here every day for support, my husband's mom is supporting as well taking Henry out on the train," said Bennett.
The Bennetts moved to Newton for its programs to help students like Henry with disabilities. Some of his teachers are among the lowest paid that the union is fighting for.
"To fund these programs for our kids, who have a right to accessible, rigorous education," Bennett said. "I'm in full support of the teachers."
No agreement was reached on Wednesday and schools will be closed again on Thursday. The Newton Teachers Association says there are no signs of progress in the negotiations over issues like pay, more classroom support and mental health staff, and could face up to $200,000 in fines by the end of Thursday without an agreement.
"If we run out of money we run out of money. We need them to show us the money," said teacher and union organizer Kelly Henderson.
They got some strong support Wednesday from Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley who rallied with the teachers while also insisting there is outside pressure on the negotiations. "The lines of communication are open and I'm in touch with the relevant stakeholders and will continue to be," said Pressley.
In the meantime, the Bennett family is piecing together their own support staff, and Rachel Bennett says it's not the first time. "We had a trial run with the pandemic, we know how to make all this work," Bennett said.