Last summer, a group of parents and educators concerned with the Cambridge public school system decided to form a committee. Together, committee members wrote a loose proposal for how city funds could be redirected to improve the public education system; this proposal was titled “The People’s Budget,” and the committee has since worked tirelessly to bring it into action.
The People’s Budget prioritizes several different aspects of public education, including special education programs, access to teaching assistants, and opportunities for low-income students. Recently, the committee has decided to prioritize students at the Kennedy-Longfellow school, which will be closing next school year; members hope to ease the transition of students and their families as they settle into new schools.
Another significant objective of this plan is increasing family engagement; committee members hope to improve the communication between teaching staff and families, benefiting students, parents, and staff alike. The proposal also encourages the city to fund international trips for high school students; this would provide a major opportunity for disadvantaged youth, who would not otherwise get the chance to travel abroad.
CRLS history teacher Christopher Montero is a part of this committee and an advocate for the People’s Budget. “Parents and educators have been trying to start this plan for many years,” Montero explained to the Register Forum. “But, for a while, they did not feel like they were getting anywhere. [This summer] I decided to get union teachers involved – that way we could join forces.” This ultimately led to the formation of the current committee.
The participating parents, educators, and CRLS staff have made significant progress since the summer; just this month, they have had two successful meetings with the CPS superintendent, David Murphy. During these meetings, the committee proposed the People’s Budget to Murphy, and discussed how city funds could be redirected. Murphy agreed to fit some of their priorities into the city budget, leading to noticeable changes in local schools. “We have seen some positive changes since then,” Montero explained to the Register Forum, “Especially in terms of family engagement. It definitely seems like more money is being allocated towards public education, which is what the People’s Budget asks for.”
Parents and teachers continue to advocate for the People’s Budget, hopeful that it will lead to further improvements for CPS students. The committee particularly hopes to help those from marginalized groups. Montero explained this to the Register Forum, stating, “In Cambridge, and as a society, we tend to undervalue students with disabilities and students from lower-income families. The People’s Budget aims to improve the education of these students.”
Montero and the other committee members have met every week since August; they use this allotted time to discuss further plans for supporting the People’s Budget, as well as other potential projects. “We hope to keep doing this work in the future,” Montero told the Register Forum. “Whether that means more budgeting, or continuing to encourage family engagement.”
This article also appears in our March 2025 print edition.
