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

Good afternoon. My name is Omosefe Enobakhare. My parents moved from Nigeria to America to create a better life for their children. 

When I was in 7th grade in Brockton, my mother learned about a new public school – New Heights Charter School. It was a “wall to wall” early college school, meaning every student takes college courses while still in high school, earning college credits for free. I was angry and sad to leave my school, but my mother saw the promise of a school that would allow me to not merely imagine college, but experience college. 

At New Heights, I began excelling. I flew through pre-calc and calc, and soon I was sitting in classes on a college campus, while still a high school student. 

In 2021, at just 18 years old, I earned not only my high school diploma but also my associate’s degree. 

I went on to attend Northeastern, as part of the Honors program, on a full scholarship. My experiences at New Heights gave me the skills and tools I needed to thrive in college. I knew how to leverage office hours and build authentic relationships with my professors. I knew how to manage the work load – even when, during my senior year, I ended up in a law school class. It was incredibly challenging, but New Heights had prepared me. That class lit a fire in me, and I went on to work in my professor’s civil rights law clinic. I’m now studying for my LSAT and hope to go to law school.

Education is a civil right. Attacks on education – like many of the bills before you today – are an attack on civil rights. Issues have plagued our schools in low-income communities of color for years, and little is changing. Now, these bills propose cutting funding for schools that are providing a pathway to freedom for young people like me. If you truly believe in opportunity for all, charter public schools are part of the answer. 

Do not close our schools. Vote no on these bills. 

Thank you.