“It is strange that advocating for children makes people in this city so uncomfortable and defensive. Criticizing the mayor’s job performance and priorities is not a personal attack . . . She is the only one with the power to resolve this crisis.”
3/13/25 Letter to the Editor: Northampton school funding debate is democracy
“People are organizing around their displeasure with our current government . . . Those who tell them to stop or be nice to our leaders seem to forget that the First Amendment gives them the right to speak their minds . . . when they believe things could be done better, or dare I say, differently.”
3/13/25 Letter to the Editor: Last time I checked, the First Amendment still stood
“Northampton Public Schools have been underfunded for far too long. SOS will continue to fight for our schools until they are fully funded, because a thriving community requires thriving schools.”
3/4/25 SOS Press Release: SOS Celebrates nearly $300K to schools
“In other words, they see the needs as too high, and they will never try to meet them, so just cut them now and make degraded services the norm. In their view, the problem is that people won’t accept this politely.”
2/27/25 Guest Column: Values, choices and priorities for Northampton and its schools
“Defenders of the status quo treat Northampton’s fiscal strength as an end in and of itself. SOS wants to use our fiscal strength as a means to achieve what we hope is a common goal: safe, equitable, and high achieving public schools.”
2/21/25 Letter to the Editor: Same facts, different priorities
“The mayor’s budgetary plans include $103 million in capital expenditures over five years. We suffered a $2 million school budget shortfall last year because the annual surplus, noted above, was plugged into funding that plan before those funds were applied to the school budget.”
2/20/25 Letter to the Editor: Why I support fully funding Northampton schools
“Northampton has long comforted itself with its progressive reputation . . . It is much more challenging to look at our own budgets as moral documents. It is much harder to realize that BIPOC children, low income children, and children with disabilities are disproportionately affected by cuts to the schools.”
2/17/25 Letter to the Editor: Our Northampton budget is a moral document
“Municipal budgets in a democracy should reflect the values of the community, shouldn’t they? I thought this community, which boasts its Five Colleges reputation, valued education. Am I wrong?
2/12/25 Guest Column: Budget fails to reflect our priority: schools
“In the mayor’s FY26 forecast for the school budget, the limited increase over the FY25 budget would not only keep current cuts in place but would likely require additional cuts.”
2/3/25 SOS Press Release: SOS responds to Mayor Sciarra’s FY26 presentation
“Facts need context. Budgets need values.”
1/16/25 SOS Press Release: Facts need context. Budgets need values
“The narrative that restoring $2 million to the school budget will take $10 million away from future capital improvements over five years overlooks a crucial truth.”
1/14/25 Guest Column: The true cost of underfunding our schools
“When the Support Our Schools Facebook Group launched, it didn’t really ‘start’ a community movement, just like your grandpa’s garage didn’t really start your middle school band. It just made gathering a lot more convenient.”
8/16/2024 SOS Post: How support our schools got started
“Over the last several months, many people noticed the pattern of yearly underestimated revenue that could have been used to level service fund the schools, yet were vilified and denigrated by many of our elected officials for ‘questioning the experts’ and told to be quiet and just trust the Mayor.”
8/5/2024 Guest Column: Northampton’s “unexpected jolt of money” is not a surprise
“If Northampton were to accurately estimate revenues, those revenues would be considered ‘recurring’, and could be used to fund recurring expenditures – like the schools.”
8/5/2024 SOS Post: A response to the Mayor’s announcement on postponing the override
“I have been looking at the city budgets, contemplating them, and observing interesting aspects for the last few months.”
8/2/2024 SOS Post: NPS budget observations: a deep dive
“Northampton uses stabilization funds as a wealth accumulation tool . . . Money is diverted from the city’s operating budget and vital services like education.”
8/2/2024 SOS Post: Stabilization funds in Northampton
“Northampton does have the money to fully fund our schools. We have enough money to do so without cutting other essential services.”
7/22/2024 Guest Column: Do We Still Live in a Democracy?
“The fiscal year 2025 budget has been passed, but the movement to adequately fund and staff the schools is far from over.”
7/11/2024 Letter to the Editor: Community support for Northampton schools
“It is disingenuous to say that cutting the budget now is looking out for future students in Northampton.”
7/9/2024 Guest Column: Short-term cuts have long-term consequences
“Teachers and kids shouldn’t always be expected to do more with less . . . Now is the time for the city to form working groups, explore PILOTS, and build support for sustainable school funding.”
6/30/2024 Letter to the Editor: Level service funding is the cost
“We believe that asking questions, some of which might feel challenging, about the structure of our city’s finances and funding priorities, as well as digging into issues around how our state funds public education, is the way forward.”
6/30/2024 Letter to the Editor: Care and communication as community values
“I appreciate the citizens and especially the city councilors who are actively addressing this issue now and taking a stand against the historical apathy and dismissiveness that has led to this crisis.”
6/27/2024 Guest Column: A history of cutting away at city schools
“Every nurse knows that prevention is key to maintaining health, and investing in education is a proactive measure to ensure a thriving future for all residents of Northampton.”
6/27/2024 Letter to the Editor: Cooley Dickinson Hospital MNA nurses support level-funded school budget
“Providing a stable school system that is academically engaging and socially healthy for all students should be a foundation within a community and it should be a necessity.”
6/23/2024 Guest Column: Public school budgets force private choices
“The mayor warned this was coming, therefore, why didn’t she do more than warn? As mayor and chair of the school committee she is the only one with the power to fix this.”
6/19/2024 Letter to the Editor: Northampton schools chronically underfunded
“Please, please fund our schools. Just forget about us pestering grown-ups if that helps, and think of the kids.”
6/19/2024 Letter to the Editor: Forget the grown-ups
“The means are there if the will is there. I hope the mayor, and the remaining members of City Council who have not yet seen the light, can be convinced before it is too late.”
6/13/2024 Letter to the Editor: See the light on school budget before it’s too late
“A community that cares about public education does not prioritize putting more money into already robust savings accounts while it eliminates 30 jobs of already understaffed and underpaid public employees.”
6/5/2024 Letter to the Editor: What does a community that prioritizes education look like?
“Kids don’t deserve to be up all night worrying about their teachers leaving and not getting a good education. We should go to bed happy and not anxious.”
6/5/2024 Letter to the Editor: What school budget cuts mean to a fourth grader
“This is not a ‘schools deficit’. This is a choice by our elected officials not to use our city’s funds to educate and support children.”
6/5/2024 Letter to the Editor: Where’s your courage to do what’s right for students?
“The crises occurring in our schools may be out of sight for most of us, but our educators are doing their best to share valuable insight on the situation.”
6/5/2024 Letter to the Editor: Public schools should be a unifying cause
“It pains me to imagine the harm that will be done when our students are not able to access needed supports at school.”
5/30/2024 Letter to the Editor: Public school cuts cause disproportionate harm
“This year’s theme, chosen by the superintendent, was ‘Yes we are essential to what matters.’ It is hard to feel that way now. I think of next year, and I am heartsick.”
5/30/2024 Letter to the Editor: Heartsick for Northampton public schools
“Even before facing the prospect of these deep cuts, our schools were not fully staffed to address the needs of students.”
5-29-2024 Guest Column: Mayor’s budget still shortchanging children
“Supporting the mayor’s school budget and its drastic cuts will disproportionately harm some of our least powerful community members.”
5-20-2024 Letter to the Editor: School budget debate reveals power structure
“What is wealth? Money sitting in an account? What is value? The mediocrity that we are aiming for?
5/20/2024 Letter to the Editor: Fund the schools
“Why is Northampton known cradle of education and innovative education policy, playing with house money?”
5/17/2024 Letter to the Editor: Road to ruin for Northampton schools
“Our kids are not post-pandemic emergency.”
5/15/2024 Letter to the Editor: Our kids need well-staffed schools
“I will be a fifth grader next year… The schools need more money.”
4/11/24 Letter to the Editor: Don’t cut the school Budget!