Opinion/Guest column: Proud to call myself a charter public school teacher

For over 20 years, I have had the privilege of teaching the students at Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School. Undoubtedly, being a teacher is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding careers one can choose, regardless of school type. As charter public schools are sometimes unfairly maligned, I thought it was important to share why I’m particularly proud to be a charter public school teacher.

I began my career at Abby Kelley in 2004 as a sixth-grade geography teacher. I was pleasantly surprised by the tight-knit, supportive environment I found at Abby Kelley. Through the years, I eventually moved up to the role of principal at our middle school before deciding that I wanted to move back to my true passion — teaching. I left Abby Kelley and briefly taught at a public school in Springfield, and served as a substitute teacher for a number of other schools. I was thrilled to be invited back to teach at the high school level and for the past 10 years I’ve taught IB world history and U.S. government to our high schoolers.

What sets Abby Kelley apart from most schools is the sense of grassroots community we foster. When issues arise — whether they be at the high school or district level — we address them together as a faculty. Every month, faculty members have a voice in decision-making processes through our faculty council. We vote for representatives who are directly accountable to us, and our principal takes our concerns seriously. This level of transparency and openness is a rarity in many other schools, where decisions often feel disconnected from the people who are most affected: the teachers.

Flexibility is another key word that comes to mind when I think of Abby Kelley. Whether it be changing schedules or suggesting new electives, our school administration puts faith in its teachers. This, I believe, is due in part to the fact that all of our high school administrators were previously classroom teachers. A great example of this flexibility was during the COVID-19 pandemic, when we were able to adjust our schedules and spend more one-on-one time with students who needed extra support. 

It’s also the sense of stability that makes Abby Kelley such a great environment to work in. About 90% of our student body has been together since kindergarten, leading to a more supportive, less bullying-prone atmosphere. The same sense of stability and community exists among our faculty due to our high teacher retention rates.

The diversity — linguistic, cultural and ethnic — at my school, and our emphasis on celebrating it, is another wonderful aspect of teaching here. At the end of every school year, I run our “Culture Day,” which celebrates the background of every student. We hang up flags from every student’s background — from the Navajo Nation to Poland to Ghana — resulting in more than 70 represented countries out of our 500 high schoolers. 

When I teach U.S. government, I’m not only imparting knowledge; I’m learning from my students, too. The high school seniors have so much to offer with their unique life experiences. I’ve learned about their communities, their struggles and their triumphs through their writing and classroom discussions. In this regard, our classroom serves to be an exchange of ideas rather than a one-way transfer of knowledge. 

At the end of the day, I’m proud to be a charter public school teacher because it allows me to be a part of something that’s not just about teaching — it’s about making a tangible impact on students’ lives. 

I am incredibly proud of the work I do every day at Abby Kelley, and proud to call myself a charter public school teacher. 

Laura Russell is a high school history teacher and department head at Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School in Worcester.