More than 100 people — mostly wearing red in support of the teachers amid a strike that threatened to cost a 12th day of school on Tuesday — packed the meeting that included impassioned comments from Councilors, who expressed support for teachers and paraprofessionals, deep concern about the financial future of the city and wariness about overstepping their role in the negotiations. …

City Councilor Hannah Bowen introduced the resolution that would have committed the Council to “acting with the utmost urgency on any additional funding request resulting from a settled contract” and to “working with residents and other city and state leaders to ensure sustainable funding for our public schools, including living wages for our educators and healthy learning environments for our students, and for our other critical services.”

City Council President Julie Flowers, Councilor Kathleen Feldman and Bowen voted to support the resolution. Councilors Matthew St. Hilaire, Scott Houseman, Steve Crowley and Sweeney voted against it.

“Whether a resolution is passed or not is not going to change what happens in that negotiating room,” Bowen allowed. “We cannot and should not directly have that impact.”

But Bowen said presenting the resolution during the Special City Council meeting provided the opportunity to have the public discussion — and show support for teachers, students and hopes for healing following the eventual end of the impasse amid what Flowers called “the heaviness and uncertainty of what lies ahead.”

Read the full article: https://patch.com/massachusetts/beverly/beverly-teachers-strike-city-council-votes-down-funding-resolultion