Testimony of Angela Gonzalez, Veritas Prep & Springfield Prep Parent, In Opposition to Section 4 of the Thrive Act, S.374
November 12, 2025 | Angela Gonzalez, Veritas Prep Charter School & Springfield Prep Charter School Parent
Good morning. My name is Angela Gonzalez. About six weeks ago, I was here, and I told you about how Phoenix Charter Academy changed my life. Today, I’m here as a mother. My two children attend charter public schools in Springfield – and I honestly don’t know where we would be today if it weren’t for those schools. I’m here to ask you to oppose Section 4 of Senate bill 374 – which threatens to take away high-quality public school options that are so important to my family and other families like mine.
My son Joshua is 17 years -old. He attended Springfield Prep through 8th grade and is now attending Veritas Prep – an early college high school in Springfield. At Veritas Prep, every student, including Joshua, has access to college courses while still in high school. Joshua is technically a junior at Veritas, but he is on the Springfield Tech Community College campus full-time taking a full college freshman courseload. He’s on track to graduate with his high school diploma and his associates degree – for free.
My daughter Zoey is currently a student at Springfield Prep, and I hope she has the opportunity to attend Veritas Prep as well. But that’s only possible if Veritas Prep still exists.
If Senate bill 374 were to pass, Veritas Prep’s high school would be completely eliminated. Because the high school was approved in 2020, the state would be forced to take this incredible option away from kids and families.
And speaking of kids – who are the kids at Veritas, getting that early exposure to college? 75% of them are kids of color. 25% speak a language other than English at home, 25% have special needs, and nearly 85% come from low-income homes.
The fact that we’re even considering policies that would limit opportunities for our neediest kids is mind-blowing and deeply disappointing to me. This is not what Springfield families expect of our elected officials. We should be finding ways to give kids more of what’s working, not less.
I urge you to reject Section 4 of Senate bill 374.
Thank you.
Charter public school alumni, leaders, board members, parents, and educators testified before the Joint Committee on Education on November 12th, 2025, expressing unified opposition to Section 4 of the Thrive Act (S.374). Their testimony highlighted how the proposal would eliminate high-quality public school options, undermine strong student outcomes, and restrict access for families – particularly in the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable communities. Together, their perspectives underscored the urgent need to preserve effective charter public school seats and protect the educational opportunities students rely on.
