The Superintendent of Boston Public Schools, Dr. Tommy Chang, has recommended to the Boston School Committee to close the Mattahunt Elementary School and reopen it as an early childcare center.
We, the undersigned parents and stakeholders of the Mattahunt Elementary School community, demand that the Boston Public Schools invest in improving the school to continue serving current and future elementary school students, and therefore strongly oppose the Superintendent’s plan to close the Mattahunt.
Why is this important?
1. The Superintendent’s plan will displace children.
2. The Superintendent’s plan continues a pattern of school closings that disproportionally happen in communities of color.
3. The Mattahunt has had 4 principals in the last 6 years and, at one point, 90% of its teachers were new, with about 40.5% being new, currently. 50 – 60% of the school population is Haitian, yet there are not enough resources to meet the language and cultural needs of English Language Learners. Additionally, 76% of the students are categorized as high needs.
The community demands that more commitment and investment rooted in community involvement and input be given to the Mattahunt Elementary School community.
