(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff, or publishers)

Massachusetts will hold its primaries on September 1. One of the few competitive races is the election for the 2nd Middlesex State Senate. As a former constituent of Erika Uyterhoeven and a current one of Christine Barber, I am eager to see a proven ally of public education take this seat: Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven.

In my 17 years teaching history in MA public schools, I have heard many politicians claim to support educators. While sincere, most public officials are absent when we demand fair working conditions and living wages. Erika is the exception. Erika has stood with educators throughout her public life. When my local union made the weighty decision to go on strike, Erika was the only public official who was out there with us on the picket lines. This was politically risky; strikes of public sector workers are a civil offense in MA, and the school system where I teach is not in her district. Yet, Erika understood that voting to strike is an action that is only taken when all offers to negotiate have been exhausted.

This is why she introduced a bill allowing public sector workers to strike under certain circumstances (Bill H.2078). Of the 2 current legislators in this race – Erika and Christine Barber – Erika is the only one to sponsor this bill. She understands that when workers are legally barred from leveraging their labor, there will always be a power imbalance which favors management, who have little incentive to negotiate. And students are the ones who lose out.

Rep. Uyterhoeven is also the only legislator in the race who sponsored the “Act Relative to Educator Pay” (H.733), which would establish a minimum salary for both teachers and other educational professionals and that periodically adjusts for inflation. Massachusetts is one of the least affordable states in our country; a recent study by SmartAsset estimates that a single adult in the Boston Metro area needs to make at least $125,000 a year to have basic needs met. Yet, despite this affordability crisis, the last time our legislature established a minimum educator salary was in the 1980s, when it was set at $18,000 per year and omitted education support staff.

Affordability encompasses so much more than educator pay, however, and supporting thriving public schools intersects with myriad common good issues. School attendance and performance are negatively impacted when families are afraid of detainment by ICE or are housing insecure. Erika has led the fight against cooperation between our local law enforcement and ICE, publicly challenging Governor Healey for not taking a decisive stance on this issue.

Additionally, Rep. Uyterhoeven is also one of the few legislators in our state to focus on progressive taxation, bringing billions of dollars to our public schools and services by taxing millionaires and billionaires. Erika knows that the middle-class and working-class residents of this state cannot endure more calls for austerity on our part while billionaires and multimillionaires in our state get tax breaks for their private jets.

Educators are used to hearing from public officials about what can’t be done, about how we need to make do with less funding for our schools because of the “hard decisions legislators have to make” that we simply cannot understand. We’re tired of being told there is no money when we have billions of dollars in excess Fair Share revenue and a host of legislative options to raise revenue without burdening the middle class. We are one of the wealthiest states in the country. We have the money. We have options. We just lack the political will to work with advocates to deliver real progress. This September 1, vote for someone with fearless will to advocate for the schools and communities we deserve. Join me in voting for Erika Uyterhoeven, Democrat for State Senate.

Colette Berard