BOSTON — Massachusetts teachers can now earn official certification credits for lessons on how to use students’ preferred pronouns, post about politics online, and even participate in protests — part of a new wave of union-endorsed “professional development” that critics say turns activism into education policy.

In an email obtained by Mass Daily News, the Massachusetts Teachers Association is advertising its latest “Solidarity School” workshops as credit-eligible professional training. One session, titled “Teaching on the Line: Educators’ Rights and Responsibilities in Times of Conflict,” lists topics including “classroom discussions and displays,” “selection of instructional materials,” “using students’ requested names and pronouns,” “social media posts on political topics,” “participation in protests and demonstrations,” and “handling politically motivated attacks from members of the public.”

The union’s flyer lists the “Teaching on the Line” session alongside other Solidarity School workshops that count toward certification credit, implying the same eligibility.

“You think they should be giving certification credits for attending the first one instead of sessions that actually show them how to teach?” one education insider told Mass Daily News. The source said the program reflects a growing trend of the MTA prioritizing politics over pedagogy.

The MTA defends the workshops as necessary guidance for teachers caught in culture-war battles, saying they aim to protect educators’ rights and clarify what’s legally permissible. But many teachers say the courses do little to improve instruction or classroom outcomes. “It’s not about helping students,” said one veteran teacher. “It’s about training staff to push an agenda.”

The Solidarity School also promotes classes such as “Winning Immigration Justice at the Negotiating Table” and “Building Power: Justice and Liberation,” which focus on organizing tactics and social-justice advocacy under the banner of union education.

The controversy follows months of backlash over the MTA’s handling of antisemitism. Earlier this year, the union was forced to remove materials from its website after lawmakers accused it of promoting “virulently antisemitic” content about the Israel–Hamas war. The links — shared as teaching resources — included images and graphics that state officials said crossed the line into hate imagery. Jewish educators and advocacy groups condemned the union for what they called a pattern of political extremism, while the MTA insisted it “opposes antisemitism in all forms” and only intended to help teachers navigate sensitive global issues.

With Massachusetts already spending over $30,000 per student and student achievement still stagnant, parents and teachers are asking whether the state’s education priorities have lost their way.