“Despite my passion for education, the reality is that my full-time salary isn’t enough to cover basic necessities. By the third week of each month, I often find myself visiting a local food pantry because my paycheck simply doesn’t stretch far enough. Sadly, I am not alone in this struggle. ”
My name is Swati Kelkar, and I teach at Bunker Hill Community College. I have dedicated myself to teaching and uplifting students. I speak to you today with a urgency about how inadequate funding and the issues highlighted by the CHEQA (Commission on Higher Education Quality and Affordability) campaign have deeply impacted my standard of living and, by extension, my ability to serve my students and community.
Struggling to Afford Basic Needs
Despite my passion for education, the reality is that my full-time salary isn’t enough to cover basic necessities. By the third week of each month, I often find myself visiting a local food pantry because my paycheck simply doesn’t stretch far enough. Sadly, I am not alone in this struggle. A recent Massachusetts Teachers Association survey – conducted as part of the CHEQA campaign – found that over 32% of public higher education faculty and staff have experienced some degree of food insecurity.
These financial hardships force many educators to work second jobs just to make ends meet. I personally take on extra work, leaving me drained. When educators are
overworked and underpaid, our students ultimately feel the impact in larger classes, fewer office hours, and tired teachers. We want to give our best to every young adult we teach, but chronic financial stress makes it increasingly difficult.
Caring for Family Amid Financial Strain
In addition to my role as a teacher, I am a caretaker for a sick family member. The emotional and financial strain of caring for them is immense. Each month, a sizable portion of my paycheck goes toward their medications, treatments, and doctor’s visits and transportation. With my meagre income, every co-pay or prescription means sacrificing something else – often groceries or utility bills. I often have to ration medication or postpone my family member’s care because I simply can’t afford it at that moment. The stress of worrying about my loved one’s health and our bills is overwhelming. Yet I continue to stand and deliver.
Living Without a Safety Net
My financial margin for error is essentially zero. After paying for shelter, utilities, and other essentials, my budget has no buffer for unplanned emergencies. When my house needed repairs last year, I didn’t have the funds for the necessary repairs. I had to rely on a high-interest credit card, which pushed me further into debt. I constantly fear simple events – a vehicle accident, a major appliance breaking, or an urgent trip to see my aging parents – because any unplanned expense could be financially devastating.
Living paycheck to paycheck in this way is not just an abstract hardship – it’s a daily reality that affects my health, my family’s well-being, and my peace of mind. It’s hard to grade papers or plan lessons late at night when I’m also worrying about the electric and heat bills.
Impact on Students and the Community
Educators like me do this work because we care deeply about our students’ success and well-being. We feel joy in nurturing minds and lives of students and families – as teachers, professors, mentors, coaches, and counselors. We do this work because it is a calling.
It’s painful to admit, but the underfunding of education is robbing my students of the best I could offer them if I weren’t so stretched thin. When talented educators leave the profession for better-paying jobs, or when positions go unfilled because salaries aren’t competitive, our students lose out on experienced, dedicated mentors. This is not just my problem – it’s a threat to the quality of education in our state.
We are not asking to be wealthy; we are asking for the dignity of a livable wage and the peace of mind to take care of our families, so that we can continue taking care of other people’s families with full hearts and energy. Massachusetts must live up to its reputation on being a leader in education.
Conclusion – A Call for Fair Support
When over a third of educators face food insecurity and more than half are forced into debt to pay their bills something is fundamentally wrong. These are not just numbers – they represent dedicated professionals like me, doing everything we can for our students while living on the brink of crisis.
I urge you to do right by educators. We need state leaders to uphold the promise of a quality education for every student. This means ensuring fair wages and benefits that reflect the important work we do. Massachusetts salaries lag dismally behind states with comparable costs of living, say, for example, California. Thanks to measures like the Fair Share Amendment, the state now has additional revenue earmarked for education. I ask that you direct some of these funds toward lifting educators out of poverty and providing us with a stable foundation. When you support educators, you support entire communities: the students we teach, and by extension, the future workforce and citizens of Massachusetts.