MARBLEHEAD, Mass. (WHDH) – The superintendent of Marblehead Public Schools says high school students will be allowed to play sports and participate in other extracurricular activities scheduled for this weekend.
As teachers line up on picket lines, the district will use teachers and non-union staff to facilitate activities, Interim Superintendent John J. Robidoux announced Thursday.
“This is just one small step toward normalizing the student experience during this difficult time,” Robidoux wrote in a letter to families in the district.
Robidoux had previously made the decision to suspend all activities.
The men’s football team has a major playoff game on Friday. The players said they were excited to get on the field, especially after the uncertainty earlier in the week.
“I was speechless. I couldn’t believe it at first because of everything that was going on,” said Brady Servais, co-captain of the Marblehead High School football team.
One of the team’s quarterbacks, wearing No. 12, said the players continue to practice on their own in preparation for the game.
“We know we’re going to be competing against our brothers and we wear that jersey every week. We’re family now,” Finn Gallup said.
Some soccer players and their parents went to Superior Court judges hoping to force the coach’s hand. They said they were pleased with his change of heart, but worried because teachers who belong to the union would not be able to instruct the boys.
“These are the experiences they shared with their students. These are memories they will never forget, and we want our (union) coaches to be a part of that,” Marblehead Education said. said Jonathan Heller, co-president of the association.
In addition to Marblehead, teachers are also striking in Gloucester and Beverly.
Gloucester teachers marched to City Hall on Thursday demanding better pay and working conditions. The school board will suspend sports and other activities as long as the strike continues. However, the board has made an exception to allow college cheerleaders to compete in regional competitions.
The city of Beverly allows teachers to teach sports and supervise extracurricular activities.
Because teacher strikes are illegal in Massachusetts, striking teachers are currently being fined for each day they are not in the classroom.
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