By: Kelly Garcia, Chairwoman of Chelsea School Committee

I vividly remember that as a student growing up in Chelsea, I never saw school leaders nor administrators that represented the rich diversity of my community. While there were so many inspiring Latino adults in my life, and so many of my closest friends in school were also Latino, I didn’t see a single Latino in a leadership position within Chelsea Public Schools throughout my entire school journey.

That was 15 years ago. Now, I can proudly say that at least 30% of all school administrators are people of color and we now have our first ever Latina superintendent in Chelsea. This is significant progress for a city where Latinos make up well over 70% of the entire population, and Latino students make up more than 85% of all students.

This change didn’t happen by accident, but rather because it took courageous people that saw the value and importance of diversity and understand that when students see teachers and school leaders that represent their culture and background, they are more likely to succeed.

For the last 4 years, I have served as the youngest chair woman of the Chelsea School Committee. I can honestly say that without the support of my community and peers, I would not have been able to serve my community and be the change I want to see here in Chelsea. 

For the first 7 years on the committee, I was the only educator which allowed me to uplift the voices of both teachers and Latino families in a way that has never been done before. I am able to think innovatively and creatively about ways to include everyone – from parents to janitorial staff and paraprofessionals to student groups – in every policy that the school committee is considering. I want others to see and experience how every policy we make directly impacts the classroom. And I want Latino families to feel they are welcomed, and that their voices matter.

Support the Educator Diversity Act

This is the power that representation can have in transforming and improving the educational experience of students of color. And it’s why I’m proud to be working with other dynamic leaders across Massachusetts to advocate for the Massachusetts Educator Diversity Act, spearheaded by Latinos for Education.

If the Educator Diversity Act were to pass, I know we can create a culture in Massachusetts where Black, Latino, AAPI students and others can see teaching and a career in education as a real possibility.

When I was entering the teaching profession at the age of 21, I failed the MTELs over 9 times, spent over $2,000 on tutoring and prep classes, and other resources to better prepare myself for these exams. It’s not that I wasn’t ready to be a teacher, but rather that the test was getting in my way and was the biggest barrier between giving back to my community as an educator. Thankfully, the Educator Diversity Act will create multiple pathways for individuals like myself who are interested in becoming educators to have a real and fair chance to make that happen, without going into debt or being discouraged by one exam.

As a Chelsea School Committee member, another aspect of the Educator Diversity Act that excites me is the focus on district structures that can advance diversity and inclusion efforts by mandating DESE to require school districts to be intentional about increasing and tracking diversity throughout their schools. During my time in Chelsea, we hired our first DEI officer and they’ve been able to make significant changes that create a welcoming environment where teachers of color feel valued. We host social gatherings for teachers of color, we figure out which of these teachers want to become principals or step into leadership roles, and we invest in their growth. We know that if we want to retain educators of color, we need to invest in them. This bill would allow us to continue doing this work, as it would hold school districts accountable for intentionally creating mechanisms for valuing diversity in their communities. 

I made it my mission when I first ran for the Chelsea School Committee to improve the opportunities and experience of all students, but especially students of color. We’ve seen significant progress and change during my 8 years, but we know there is still more work to be done. I’m confident that with the Educator Diversity Act, our school districts will be able to leverage state investments to not only invest in homegrown talent that wants to pursue careers in teaching, but that we will build an educator workforce that is diverse and connected to our neighborhoods and families.

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About Kelly Garcia: 

Kelly Garcia is a Chelsea native, Chairwoman of Chelsea Public Schools, and community organizer. She began her career as a Special Education Teacher, teaching grades 9-12, while earning her Master’s Degree from Boston University. Kelly joined Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE), where she mentored young women of color aspiring to become elected officials. At 21, Kelly was elected to serve as the youngest school committee official ever elected in her district and at 23, she was then elected as the youngest Vice Chairwoman to the committee. She initiated several successful policies, including a Safe-Haven Resolution for undocumented students and the replacement of Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. Kelly was also awarded the Latino 30 Under 30 award and served on the Latinos for Education Fellowship.