Residents and teachers urge Holyoke School Committee to restore full collective bargaining
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Summary
Multiple public commenters, including the president of the Holyoke Teachers Association, urged the School Committee to restore full union membership and collective bargaining as the district exits receivership, saying receivership harmed staff retention and community trust.
Multiple residents and educators used the School Committee public‑comment period on March 21 to urge the Holyoke School Committee to restore full collective bargaining and local control as the district moves out of receivership.
The comments came during the meeting’s public‑comment slot and focused on teacher retention, community trust and the effects of state receivership on Holyoke Public Schools. Gary Enright, a Holyoke resident, said the district suffered staff losses after the state takeover and called for restoring union rights. "The educators deserve and have earned the right to have full union membership, including collective bargaining," Enright said.
Nick Cream, president of the Holyoke Teachers Association, told the committee the union has rebuilt membership and prepared a bargaining platform. "We are excited to begin to build bridges with families around the vision for local control," Cream said, adding that the HTA’s membership rose from about 56% a year ago to over 76% today.
Educators who spoke described a district that lost experienced staff during receivership and now faces recruitment and retention challenges. Rebecca Chaveri, a science teacher at Sullivan School, said much of her career has been spent under receivership and that educators had "very little voice" over compensation, professional development and curriculum. Anthony Zirpoli, a history teacher at Holyoke High School North and an HTA member, said data he collected show "receivership was more harmful to Holyoke than it was helpful." Maria Perez, a Holyoke alumna and parent and grandparent of current students, urged reinstating collective bargaining to support teacher autonomy and family engagement.
Speakers repeatedly tied calls for restored bargaining rights to local control and improved outcomes for students. Many said the district must rebuild trust with teachers and families so educators can remain and students can benefit from consistent staff and stronger school‑community relationships.
The committee did not take immediate action during public comment; several speakers noted they would submit additional materials for the record.
Ending: Committee members thanked the speakers and moved to the superintendent’s report and budget update later in the agenda.