Letter to Mayor-Elect of Boston Michelle Wu

Mayor-Elect Wu,

On behalf of Educators for Excellence Boston (E4E-Boston) I want to congratulate you on your historic election as Mayor of Boston. As State Director of a teacher-led nonprofit that empowers its 900 Boston members to elevate their voices in the policy conversations that impact their classrooms, I am thrilled to have a champion of education equity in this important office. 

It is refreshing to hear a decision-maker say that “teachers are experts and professionals. To provide the best possible education to our children, we must listen to and empower our educators to use their expertise in planning and in practice.” We completely agree, for too long teachers have been treated as subjects of change rather than agents of change. As you move forward, please do everything you can to ensure that teachers will always have a seat at the table in your administration.

One area where I believe E4E-Boston and your office and effectively collaborate is in advancing your plan to “make our schools safe for all students by embedding anti-racism in the fabric of our schools.” Our educators are working to pass The Racially and Culturally Inclusive Curriculum Act (H.671/S.304) at the Massachusetts State House. I know you have articulated the need for Boston to forge a closer partnership with Beacon Hill, and your support of this bill would help advance the cause of inclusive curriculum in Boston Public Schools.

We also are fully in support of your plan to modernize our schools and education infrastructure. Our educators and staff have spoken out on this issue, and recognize that the pandemic has only made the need to modernize our school buildings more apparent. I urge you to continue to listen to the people working in those buildings every day and use their experiences to guide your decisions on this issue.

I know you will have many immediate issues to address upon taking office, (including the ongoing pandemic), but I hope that advancing the cause of education equity and justice remains a priority. Congratulations again on your victory, we look forward to working alongside you!

In solidarity,

Lisa Lazare

Lisa Lazare

Lisa joins Educators for Excellence to continue positively impacting communities of color in education. As an immigrant and a woman of color, there have been many spaces where she felt her voice was either stifled or not allowed. She grounds herself in listening to the needs of her community and always bears in mind that best intentions do not always have the intended impact.