SPRINGFIELD -- Michelle Hernandez is mad.
After two years of living in Springfield, one of her children has accepted into a charter school through a lottery. The other two remain in Springfield Public Schools with their names on charter school waiting lists.
Her oldest, Nina, is in grade 10 at Baystate Academy Charter where Hernandez said she's doing well. "There are like seven kids in her class, she gets close teacher attention."
Hernandez's son is enrolled in Balliet Middle School, her youngest daughter in Indian Orchard Elementary. "Last year, I felt like my daughter didn't learn nothing," she said. "Fifth grade and doesn't know her times table."
She is one of several charter school advocates who spoke during a "Yes on 2" Ballot Campaign event held in downtown Springfield Monday afternoon.
The event was organized by Great Schools Massachusetts, an educational organization advocating for lifting the charter school cap.
Amaad Rivera, a former Springfield City Councilor and graduate of Springfield Public Schools called it a question of social justice. Rivera said allowing more charter schools in Massachusetts will allow parents to have more options.
"Too many kids today in Springfield and Holyoke are not able to get the education they need," he said.
After several speakers shared support at the microphone during the outdoor event, Springfield Education Association Tim Collins had his say.
The president of the Springfield Teachers Union questioned Rivera regarding an advertisement paid for by Great Schools Massachusetts, alleging it made false claims.
Rivera told Collins he was a community organizer supporting the ballot effort, not involved with any advertisements released by Great Schools Massachusetts.
Over several minutes, the conversation turned heated and the pair loudly exchanged words. Before walking away, Rivera said his family was "failed" by public schools and claimed that during his time in Springfield Public Schools he was recommended against seeking to enroll in college. He has since earned a bachelor's in marketing, a master's of education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is a doctoral candidate with Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.
Opponents of lifting the cap have accused charter school waitlists of being inflated. The office of the state auditor said in March figures released this spring were an "overstatement" and that the state education department "has not taken the steps necessary to ensure accuracy in its waitlist counts."
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released a report in July estimating that 32,646 students are on the waitlists of at least one charter school in the commonwealth.
Boston and Springfield are the communities with the highest number of children seeking to attend charter schools. In Boston, 10,308 are on at least one waiting list. Just under four thousand children in Springfield seek to attend a charter school.
There are were more than 40,000 student enrolled in Massachusetts charter schools this past school year. A total of 953,429 children across the state are enrolled in public school.