Holly Currier, an instructional assistant in Andover, Massachusetts, sees firsthand “how underfunding and understaffing deprive students of what they deserve every day.” So, when she had the opportunity to canvass for a ballot measure, dubbed the Fair Share Amendment (FSA), that generates money for public schools by taxing the state’s highest incomes, she went for it.

It’s a good thing that Currier and other school stakeholders like her put in the effort: the Fair Share Amendment won, but only narrowly — possibly due to an aggressive opposition campaign backed by Massachusetts billionaires. Currier explained to Jacobin that this victory allows educators and students “to raise our expectations beyond the absolute bare minimum,” setting the stage for future efforts.

This election, voters in numerous states supported ballot measures that increase school funding, making a useful counterpoint to the misleading right-wing narrative that parents and communities are ready to turn away from public schools.