Testimony of Tamaira Rivera, Joint Committee on Education, In Opposition to Bills That Would Harm Charter Public Schools

Good afternoon, Chair Lewis, Chair Gordon, and members of this Committee.

My name is Tamairi Rivera, and I am here as a mother fighting for her daughter’s future.

I attended Young Achievers growing up, and I know what it feels like to be part of a school community that sees you, believes in you, and pushes you to reach your potential. I could have enrolled my daughter in ​many other school districts where she would have received a strong education. However, I wanted her to thrive here in her hometown of Boston, where she is surrounded by peers and teachers who reflect her culture and experiences. Representation is not optional.

The Boston Renaissance gives her that. She is challenged by rigorous academics. She dances. She plays piano. She even learns​ Mandarin. And above all, she is loved. Boston Renaissance is not just a school. It is a second family that is preparing her for a future without limits.

​House Bill 540 would destroy opportunities like this. Passing this bill would mean as many as 22,000 charter school seats would disappear across Massachusetts, displacing students who are thriving and leaving families with no guarantee of a comparable education.

And let us be clear about who this hurts most. ​76% percent of charter students in Massachusetts are Black and Brown. This bill would disproportionately impact children of color, force them out of schools where they are succeeding, and widen the very opportunity gaps our state claims to be closing.

My daughter is thriving. She is confident. She is proud. She is brilliant. And she is proof that charter schools work. I will not sit quietly while lawmakers attempt to take that away from her and from 22,000 children like her.

I urge you: do not advance this bill. Do not take away our children’s futures.

Thank you.