Who We Are
MEJA is made up of Massachusetts students, parents, educators, school and college staff, and education advocates with a shared vision: that all students, regardless of income, race, gender, identity, religion, birthplace, or abilities, have access to high-quality, equitable, and democratically controlled public education that addresses the educational needs of the whole student and where every student thrives to reach their full potential.
We believe that to meet our mission we must both grow the movement from the ground up while supporting an active statewide coalition. Together, we’ll advance issues of racial and education justice in our schools, while moving the public narrative and discourse to support the view that high-quality public education requires collective antiracist work.
Our Core Team
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Vatsady is passionate about transforming public schools and colleges into community spaces where all students thrive in a culture of racial justice and joy. As MEJA’s Executive Director, she’s committed to building an education justice movement in Massachusetts that is powered by students, families and educators. Vatsady brings deep knowledge of statewide organizing, and civic engagement, coalition building, cross-functional collaborations, and co-creating public policies and initiatives rooted in our BIPOC communities.
Vatsady’s experiences as a public school graduate, an attorney, a public policy director, an entrepreneur, and a proud mom of two amazing kiddos, as well as her experience as a a refugee immigrant collectively inform her strong commitments to democratic engagement and to advancing racial and, educational equity.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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I am a product of public schools, and received a quality education for both K-12 and higher ed. Because of that I was able to pursue my goal of attending law school and passing the bar. It is important to me that every student has the opportunity to pursue their goals and to remove the social and racial barriers that are preventing them from doing so, so that everyone has the chance to live up to their full potential.
STATEWIDE ORGANIZER
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Krista is a longtime advocate for fully funded, equitable, and inclusive public education and is both the product of public schools and a parent to two Boston Public Schools students. She has spent the last decade organizing with other parents, educators, students, and community advocates at the city and state level. Krista is thrilled to bring her experience as an organizer, a coalition builder, and an urban public school parent to the essential work of supporting the education justice movement in Massachusetts.
STATEWIDE ORGANIZER
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Jillie is a proud advocate for public education and youth justice. As the Movement Organizer, she works intersectionality with coalitions and organizations to build stronger communities and democracy. Jillie believes that change comes from people power and when we organize together, we win!
MOVEMENT ORGANIZER
Local Organizing Tables
MEJA supports local education justice organizing tables across the state that bring together parents, students, and educators to work on issues in local school systems. MEJA provides resources and training to local tables while serving as a statewide hub for sharing information and strategies. Learn more about the local organizing tables we support:
“We are students, educators, parents, school staff, and concerned community members, who are deeply tied to the neighborhoods of Boston and directly affected by public education.” Click the image above for more info.
BOSTON EDUCATION JUSTICE ALLIANCE
“We are the Greater Lawrence table of the Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance! The ‘Our Future, Our Schools’ campaign aims to reclaim Lawrence Public Schools from state receivership.” Click the image above for more info.
LAWRENCE EDUCATION JUSTICE ALLIANCE
“LEJA is a grassroots group of parents, educators, students and concerned community members committed to building a stronger, better PUBLIC school system driven by community voices.” Click the image above for more info.
LOWELL EDUCATION JUSTICE ALLIANCE
“An alliance of educators, parents, students and community members dedicated to supporting free, accessible, and fully-funded public education in Revere.”
REVERE EDUCATION JUSTICE ALLIANCE
“We are students, parents, educators, school staff, and community members, standing together to mobilize for greater racial and social justice in our Worcester Public School System.” Click the image above for more info.
WORCESTER EDUCATION JUSTICE ALLIANCE
