My name is Sh’keia, and I am the mother of three children. Two of my children attend Middletown Public Schools.

After graduating from high school in Portland, Connecticut, in 2003, I came to a painful realization: I was a functioning illiterate mother. That experience shaped my life and strengthened my commitment to ensuring that my children and all children receive the quality education I struggled to obtain.

Despite the challenges I have faced in life, I made a promise to myself that I would always fight for my children’s education—and for the children of families like mine.

Today, Middletown continues to face serious educational challenges.

Our city has only one high school, which is overcrowded and facing growing racial tensions. At the same time, Vinal Technical High School serves approximately 500 students from 27 different towns, highlighting how limited educational opportunities are for Middletown families.

When we learned that a new school—Capital Preparatory Middletown Charter School—might open in our city, many parents like me finally felt hope.

Capital Prep has a documented record of helping vulnerable students, particularly Black and brown children, succeed academically and prepare for college and life.

By 2023, support for the school was growing throughout the community. Parents, community leaders, and advocates believed it could provide a much-needed educational option for Middletown families.

On June 8, 2023—the final day of the Connecticut legislative session—the Connecticut NAACP held a press conference to show support for the school and the opportunities it could bring to students.

But later that same night, at 11:48 PM—just minutes before midnight— an unexpected decision was made.

Middletown State Senator Matt Lesser, along with several colleagues, withdrew all funding for the school without explanation to the families who were depending on expanded educational opportunities.

For parents like me, this decision felt devastating.

Despite this action, Senator Lesser remains a member of the Connecticut Legislative Black and Puerto Rican Caucus (BPRC), an organization established in 1976 to promote political empowerment and opportunity for minority communities.

As parents, taxpayers, and community advocates—including Community leader Gwen Samuel, the author of the original petition in 2024—we believe this decision contradicts the mission of that caucus.

The removal of funding from Middletown’s first charter school raises serious concerns about whether vulnerable children—especially Black and brown students—are being prioritized in education policy decisions.

For these reasons, we respectfully call on the Connecticut Legislative Black and Puerto Rican Caucus to remove Senator Matt Lesser from its membership.

This request comes from committed parents and community members who simply want fair access to an educational system that values all children equally.

Join the Movement: Sign this petition if you believe every child deserves access to opportunity and educational choice.

As Martin Luther King Jr. said: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

The future of our children matters. Educational opportunity matters. Black minds matter too.