Rachael Abell and Jeffrey Silva recall, Beverly Public Schools, Massachusetts (2024)
| Beverly Public Schools recall |
|---|
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| Officeholders |
Jeffrey Silva |
| Recall status |
| Signature requirement |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2024 Recalls in Massachusetts Massachusetts recall laws School board recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Ward 1 representative Rachael Abell and Ward 4 representative Jeffrey Silva from their positions on the Beverly Public Schools School Committee in Massachusetts did not go to a vote in 2024. Recall supporters did not submit enough signatures to put the recall on the ballot.[1]
The recall effort began while teachers in the school district were on strike during contract negotiations. The strike began on November 8, 2024, and ended on November 26, 2024. The teachers association was fined each day the teachers were on strike as it is illegal for teachers to strike in Massachusetts.[2][3][4]
At the time the recall started, Abell was serving as president of the school committee and the district’s primary contract negotiator. Silva served on the city’s negotiations subcommittee before giving his position to Mayor Mike Cahill. Recall supporters also filed a recall affidavit against Cahill.[2]
Recall supporters
Members of the Beverly Teachers Association filed the recall affidavits on November 15, 2024.[2] "Mayor Cahill, Jeff Silva and the school committee are wasting our time, wasting our taxpayer's money, and hurting our student's education," Julia Brotherton and Andrea Sherman, co-presidents of the Beverly Teachers Association, said. "They need to start acting with urgency to reopen schools, or they need to resign from their positions."[5]
"We know that our strike did not send a strong enough message," Sherman said. "So here we are on the steps of City Hall doing whatever it takes to get our schools to reopen and get back with the kids who we love."[5]
Recall opponents
At the time the recall affidavits were filed, Abell said the district and the teachers association were approximately $14.4 million apart in the contract negotiations. She said the school committee was committed to "finalizing a fair contract for educators."[5]
"The strike has caused enough harm," Abell said. "It is time to get our students and our staff back in their learning environments while we work together to finalize the contract our hardworking educators deserve."[5]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Massachusetts
No specific grounds are required for recall in Massachusetts. The recall of local officials in Massachusetts is governed by local charters. Because of this, recall laws regarding signature requirements and circulation time vary by locality.[6]
The recall affidavits were submitted to the Beverly City Clerk's Office on November 15, 2024. To get the recalls on the ballot, recall supporters would have had to collect signatures equal to 20% of the registered voters in Wards 1 and 4.[2]
2024 recall efforts
- See also: School board recalls
Ballotpedia tracked 40 school board recall efforts against 83 board members in 2024. Recall elections in 2024 removed 14 members from office, including three who resigned before the election, and retained seven members in office. The school board recall success rate was 13.4%.
The chart below details the status of 2024 recall efforts by individual school board member.
Recall context
- See also: Ballotpedia's Recall Report
Ballotpedia covers recall efforts across the country for all state and local elected offices. A recall effort is considered official if the petitioning party has filed an official form, such as a notice of intent to recall, with the relevant election agency.
The chart below shows how many officials were included in recall efforts from 2012 to 2024 as well as how many of them defeated recall elections to stay in office and how many were removed from office in recall elections.
See also
- Mike Cahill recall, Beverly, Massachusetts (2024)
- Ballotpedia's Recall Report
- Beverly Public Schools, Massachusetts
- Beverly Public Schools, Massachusetts, elections
- Recall campaigns in Massachusetts
- Political recall efforts, 2024
- School board recalls
- States that allow school board recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Patch, "Beverly Teachers Form 'Political Education' Committee Following Strike," December 18, 2024
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 CNHI News, "Never mind? Teachers uncertain if they'll pursue recall of mayor," December 9, 2024
- ↑ Boston 25 News, "Beverly mayor joins negotiations as striking teachers call on him to resign over ‘insulting’ offer," November 15, 2024
- ↑ CBS News, "Marblehead and Beverly end teacher strikes, schools will reopen Wednesday," November 26, 2024
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Patch, "Beverly Teachers Strike: Union Urges Recall Of Mayor, School Committee," November 15, 2024
- ↑ General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Acts of 2016," accessed October 16, 2023
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