Heading into 10 school days on strike, the National Education Association President and Massachusetts-native punk band the Dropkick Murphys joined the ever-growing chorus speaking to the Newton community.

“Sending our love, support and solidarity to all you teachers on the picket line. Thank you for all you do,” Dropkick Murphys lead singer Ken Casey said in video posted to the NTA Facebook page, before the Quincy-born band launched into an acoustic version of “Worker’s Song.”

The NTA voted to strike on Friday, Jan. 19, after 16 months of negotiations. Newton Public Schools posted classes would be cancelled on Thursday, around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday night.

Over the 13 days of deadlocked negotiations tensions in the Newton community have risen, with some parents staunchly behind the union and others turning on the teachers as the school shutdown drags on.

The NEA President Rebecca Pringle spoke at a NTA rally Wednesday afternoon, encouraging the educators to keep “standing up for fair contract.”

“They can’t afford to not listen to your voice because you have dedicated your lives to ensuring that our students, every one of them has what they need and what they deserve,” said Pringle. “So I need you to know something, you have the 3 million members of the largest labor union in this country behind you.”

The union is now facing $575,000 in fines and is continuing to accrue $50,000 fines for every day they remain on strike. It is illegal for public employees to go on strike under Massachusetts state law.

Both sides reportedly returned to negotiations after 8 p.m. Wednesday night.

Of priorities stated by the NTA, the sides have only acknowledged consensus on including 12 weeks of paid parental leave. The union has indicated their is still disagreement over priorities including adding a social worker in every elementary and middle school, broad cost of living adjustments, and a living wage for unit C professional like behavior therapists and aides.

Ryan Normandin, a Newton South High School teacher and member of the NTA bargaining team, said Wednesday night the sides’ proposals are now only $15 million apart — down from $25 million on Sunday — but the “takeaway” is the mayor needs to provide more funding.

The city representatives and NTA have long disputed how much funding the city can offer the schools and whether other city services would be sacrificed to meet certain demands.

In an email Tuesday night, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller said she could commit to funding the latest School Committee proposal and called the offer a “sustainable agreement.”

“The union should put kids first,” Fuller wrote. “Open the schools. End the illegal strike. The rest of us will finish up the contract.”

Under the current contract, Newton teachers make an average salary of about $93,000 a year, comparable to districts in Canton, Framingham and Worcester. Current starting salary for unit C professionals is around $28,000 a year.

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Normandin said Fuller showed up to negotiations for the first time on Wednesday and said he would “love for her to come back.”

“The mayor has underfunded the schools for years,” said Normandin. “This is laid out plainly in the city budget and the community needs her to do what is right by our kids and educators, and she is the mayor of the city, she needs to make make that happen.”