Testimony of Beth Anderson, Joint Committee on Education, In Support of H.632

Good afternoon. My name is Beth Anderson. Twenty years ago, I founded Phoenix Charter Academy – a group of schools that offers rigorous academics and relentless support to help systemically marginalized students take ownership over their futures. 

Our public schools in Massachusetts are excellent – among the top in the nation. And yet, we all know that some students can be served better. And that’s what H.632 enables. 

Charters are public schools, open to all students. Admission to charter public schools is via a blind public lottery, with no entrance exam or selection criteria. They were created as spaces of innovation and excellence to help reach students who are, for one reason or another, not thriving in traditional schools. 

Our schools actively work to enroll and retain students who are representative of their local communities – including students with a variety of needs. 76% of charter public school students identify as students of color, as compared with 48% statewide. 69% of our students – as opposed to 55% statewide – are considered “high needs” by DESE – a group that includes students with special needs, multilingual learners, and students from low-income homes. 

With the massive waiting list that charter public schools often have, sometimes with over one thousand students, often those who have the greatest needs get buried at the bottom of the list. We want to make sure we’re prioritizing them first. 

This bill would not increase the number of students who attend charter public schools. It would simply give students DESE calls our most vulnerable a greater chance of attending a charter public school. Charter public schools would have the option of giving high needs students preference in their admission lotteries. It would be as if these kids would receive two tickets in the lottery instead of one. 

Our schools remain committed to access and opportunity always. Please support this proposal. 

Thank you.