Why I’m proud to be a charter public school teacher in Lawrence
May 28, 2025 | Marta Rentas, Paraprofessional at Lawrence Family Development Charter School
This year marks 30 years since the first charter public schools opened in Massachusetts. Today, we now have 68 charter schools operating across the state.
As a paraprofessional at Lawrence Family Development Charter School (LFDCS) of 29 years, I take pride in this. I am the longest-standing staff member of LFDCS, providing me with the unique opportunity to have witnessed the school grow into what it is today—a place for community.
LFDCS, a K1-8 school, was founded in 1995 by a coalition of Hispanic parents and community leaders who wanted to create a school that supported and responded to the language and cultural needs of the Lawrence community. Over 80% of the city’s population is Hispanic, and as a Latina myself, I am proud to be part of a school community that values my culture. Students tell me that they feel at home being able to speak Spanish in class and relate culturally to their teachers and peers.
I helped advocate for the founding of LFDCS because I felt strongly that the addition of a charter public school in Lawrence would help meet the needs of families in our city.
I’m not just a teacher, but have been a resident of Lawrence for 34 years, a mom of four children, a foster mom for 28 years, and a two-time city council candidate. I feel deeply connected to this city, and I knew from the start that LFDCS would be a way to better meet the needs of our community.
I spent evenings meeting with families at the local library to educate them on what charter public schools are and how LFDCS would benefit our city. Charter schools are publicly funded, tuition-free schools, but they differ from traditional public schools because they operate through individual agreements, or charters, with the state that sets standards for student performance. These charters allow us to tailor our school more directly to the needs of the students and families we serve.
I can say confidently that the hard work to establish LFDCS paid off. The school started out with 178 students enrolled in K-3. We have since grown to a K1-8 school with 880 students.
As our school has grown in size and established its important role in Lawrence, I have also grown as an educator. I came to LFDCS after starting my career as a paraprofessional in public schools. I wanted to join LFDCS to continue to be a part of the school I worked so hard to advocate for. LFDCS valued my experience and passion for teaching, and brought me on as a paraprofessional while I worked to obtain my bachelor’s degree from Cambridge College. I’m 65 years old and have no plans to stop teaching. In fact, the school continues to foster my development as an educator. I’m currently working to get my master’s degree in education.
LFDCS fosters the growth of its staff just as much as it does for its students and families.
With a long-standing academic achievement gap between Latino students and their white peers across the country, I’ve witnessed firsthand how LFDCS is working to close this gap.
98.8% of our students are Hispanic, with the majority of students enrolled in kindergarten ranking Spanish as their first or home language. Because of this, we use a dual-language learning program, so students can support language development in both English and Spanish. I’ve been able to watch my students across all grades thrive with a curriculum and learning environment tailored to their needs. The school also makes it a priority to meet families’ needs so students can thrive both inside and outside the classroom by offering Citizenship Education, English, and Computer Training classes.
Since its founding, LFDCS has developed a reputation as a place for students, families, and staff like myself to learn and thrive. I feel honored to have been a part of this school’s growth from the start and am confident that this growth will only continue.
Marta Rentas is a Paraprofessional at Lawrence Family Development Charter School.
