10K Signatures Collected Requesting Access to Quality Schools

Parents and community activists organized by Families for Excellent Schools’ Unify Boston campaign have collected more than 10,000 signatures in support of increasing access to quality schools for all children in Boston, according to a press statement.

The signatures will be used to push state and local elected officials to give every child in Boston access to an excellent school in their neighborhood.

“Thousands of families and individuals across Boston have stated loudly and clearly that all of our kids deserve to attend an excellent school,” said Sheyla Negron, lead parent organizer with Families for Excellent Schools Massachusetts.

In six weeks, Unify Boston organizers collected more than 10,000 signatures on the Unify Boston petition, and thousands of additional supporters have engaged with the campaign on social media. Parents and organizers have built support by knocking on doors, visiting local businesses, canvassing T-stops and hosting meetings in neighborhoods across the city.

“We are not going to stop here,” said Tinieya Searcy, a Families for Excellent Schools chapter leader from Hyde Park. “As parents, we’re going to continue to spread the positive message of Unify Boston throughout our communities.”

Unify Boston’s petition, distributed in several languages, calls for city leaders and community members to support three core principles:

1. Give every child access to an excellent public school in his or her neighborhood --whether it’s a district or a charter school.
2. Make sure all kids can succeed in Boston, especially those who speak English as a second language and children with special needs.
3. Ensure that our teachers reflect the diverse communities they serve.

“We’re proud that so many local parents and residents signed onto our campaign. Now we need to make sure their voices are heard,” said Carmen Santos, an organizer with Families for Excellent Schools.

Unify Boston is the latest parent-led effort organized by Families for Excellent Schools in Massachusetts. Last November, 2,000 Boston parents, teachers, and students stood together outside of Faneuil Hall for the 77,000 Reasons Rally – the largest rally for education in Massachusetts in recent memory. At the rally, parents spoke about the 77,000 children statewide who attend failing schools, where two out of every three kids cannot read or do math on their grade level.

Bostonians who believe students deserve a world-class education, regardless of their background, race, income, language or special need can support Unify Boston by signing the petition at unifyboston.org.