Massachusetts Advocates for Children

Massachusetts Advocates for Children Since 1969 - Removing barriers to educational and life opportunities for children and youth
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For our final summer legal intern spotlight, we’re highlighting Yijia Wang! Yijia will be a third-year student at Boston...
08/10/2026

For our final summer legal intern spotlight, we’re highlighting Yijia Wang! Yijia will be a third-year student at Boston University School of Law this fall. She worked with MAC’s Legal Director Diana Santiago, focusing on projects strengthening the rights of immigrant students, English Learners, and students with disabilities.

During her internship, she developed resources explaining the rights of students with disabilities to learn alongside their peers. She also researched standards for interpretation and translation services in Massachusetts schools and prepared a memo on best practices for interpreters during psychological evaluations.

For Yijia, having the opportunity to directly help parents understand their children’s education rights in their preferred language was an especially meaningful part of her summer at MAC. As a native Mandarin speaker, Yijia supported Mandarin-speaking families who contacted our Helpline and engaged in outreach with community partners in Chinatown.

Thank you, Yijia, for your incredible work this summer! We were lucky to have you on our team and can’t wait to see all that you accomplish next.

Meet Meredith Byrd! Meredith is entering her third year at the University of North Carolina School of Law. During her s...
08/08/2026

Meet Meredith Byrd! Meredith is entering her third year at the University of North Carolina School of Law.

During her summer internship at MAC, Meredith worked closely with Staff Attorney Jennifer White on projects related to school discipline. She researched state-by-state suspension bans as well as the use of emergency removals, which is a process schools use to send students home without notice or hearing required for a suspension. From there, she developed a memo supporting advocacy to end suspension for young students. Meredith also helped create school discipline resources for attorneys, coalition partners, and families who contact our Helpline.

Thank you, Meredith, for bringing your talents and dedication to MAC! We’re grateful for all you contributed and excited to see where your legal career takes you.

¡La Ley PROTECT ya es oficialmente ley en Massachusetts! 🎉Esta nueva ley estatal protege a los inmigrantes en todo Massa...
08/07/2026

¡La Ley PROTECT ya es oficialmente ley en Massachusetts! 🎉

Esta nueva ley estatal protege a los inmigrantes en todo Massachusetts e incluye protecciones sólidas para estudiantes, familias, y educadores inmigrantes dentro de las escuelas.

Esto es lo que significa para las escuelas:
- ICE no tiene permitido hacer arrestos en los terrenos escolares, a menos que los agentes tengan una orden de arresto o una orden firmada por un juez.
- Cada distrito escolar debe tener un plan de respuesta de emergencia listo el primer día del nuevo año escolar, el 1 de septiembre de 2026.

Esta victoria le pertenece a todos nuestros vecinos inmigrantes. Ahora nuestro trabajo es asegurarnos de que cada familia y comunidad escolar conozca sus derechos bajo la Ley PROTECT, y trabajar juntos para que los distritos rindan cuentas y cumplan con la ley.

📞 Si tiene preguntas sobre sus derechos educativos bajo la nueva ley, llame a la Línea de Ayuda multilingüe y gratuita de MAC al 617-357-8431.

Obtenga más información sobre la Ley PROTECT y lo que significa para usted como estudiante, cuidador, o educador: https://lnkd.in/g-FztU43

Almost 15 years ago, Massachusetts passed a law limiting when schools can suspend students. The number of suspensions ha...
08/07/2026

Almost 15 years ago, Massachusetts passed a law limiting when schools can suspend students. The number of suspensions have gone down since then, but another form of removing students from the classroom have risen dramatically. This practice known as “emergency removal” allows schools to send a student home for up to two days without formally suspending them.

MAC Attorney Jennifer White spoke with CommonWealth Beacon what we are hearing through our Helpline. Parents are getting calls in the middle of the school day telling them to pick up their child after an incident, without a hearing.

As Jay Blitzman, MAC’s Emeritus Policy Advisor said, being removed from the classroom can harm a student’s education no matter what it’s called, and exclusionary discipline contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline.

If you or your student has been sent home from school through emergency removals and you aren’t sure what your rights are, call our free, multilingual Helpline at 617 357-8431.

Read the full Commonwealth Beacon story: https://lnkd.in/gebNAsHc

We are thrilled to share that the PROTECT Act is officially law in Massachusetts!🎉This new state law protects immigrant ...
08/05/2026

We are thrilled to share that the PROTECT Act is officially law in Massachusetts!🎉

This new state law protects immigrant residents across Massachusetts and includes strong school-based protections for immigrant students, families, and educators:

- ICE is not allowed to make arrests on school grounds unless agents have a warrant or order signed by a judge.
- Every school district must have an emergency response plan in place by the first day of the new school year, September 1, 2026.

This victory belongs to all our immigrant neighbors. Now our work is making sure every family and school community knows their rights under the PROTECT Act, and together holding districts accountable to follow it.

📞 If you have any questions about your education rights under the new law, call MAC’s free multilingual Helpline at 617 357-8431.

Learn more about the PROTECT Act and what it means for you as a student, caregiver, or educator: https://lnkd.in/g-FztU43

It’s time to say goodbye to our summer interns, and we are taking a moment to celebrate all they contributed to MAC! Me...
08/03/2026

It’s time to say goodbye to our summer interns, and we are taking a moment to celebrate all they contributed to MAC!

Meet Sophia Mosley, a rising second-year student at Boston College Law School. This summer, Sophia worked alongside Senior Attorney Sarah Yousuf and supported our work on transition services, special education, and racial justice. She researched changes to state guidance on transition services for students with disabilities and wrote a memo to help guide MAC’s work. She also researched the disproportionate placement of students of color in classrooms separate from their peers. In addition, Sophia took Helpline calls and supported coalition efforts.

Thank you, Sophia, for your hard work and everything you contributed to MAC this summer. We wish you all the best as you return to law school!

🌞 Summer break is under way, but there’s still time to get outside and have fun! Swipe through the post for a few resou...
08/01/2026

🌞 Summer break is under way, but there’s still time to get outside and have fun!

Swipe through the post for a few resources that can help families make the most of the remaining weeks of summer. Programs include free and low-cost options, accessible activities, and summer eats.

We’re wishing students and families a happy and healthy summer break! ⛱🍦🕶

🎉¡Grandes noticias para los estudiantes inmigrantes de Massachusetts! La Ley PROTECT fue aprobada por la Cámara de Repre...
07/31/2026

🎉¡Grandes noticias para los estudiantes inmigrantes de Massachusetts! La Ley PROTECT fue aprobada por la Cámara de Representantes y el Senado.

Esta ley establece protecciones fundamentales para nuestros vecinos inmigrantes, incluyendo a estudiantes, familias y personal escolar. ICE no tiene permitido hacer arrestos en los areas de la escuela sin una orden judicial. Y para el 1 de septiembre de 2026, cada distrito escolar debe tener un plan de respuesta de emergencia, para que estudiantes y personal sepan qué hacer si agentes de ICE se presentan.

Nuestro agradecimiento a la Presidenta del Senado Senate President Karen E. Spilka, el Presidente de la Cámara Speaker Ron Mariano, la Líder Alice Peisch, los Presidentes del Comité de Conferencia State Senator Cindy Friedman y Rep. Dan Cahill, los miembros del comité State Senator Pavel Payano y Rep. Andy X. Vargas y Rep Vaughn, y a los miembros del Caucus Legislativo Negro y Latino The Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus, por defender a nuestros vecinos inmigrantes.

🎉Big news for immigrant students in Massachusetts! The PROTECT Act has been passed in the House and Senate.This bill put...
07/31/2026

🎉Big news for immigrant students in Massachusetts! The PROTECT Act has been passed in the House and Senate.

This bill puts critical protections in place for our immigrant neighbors, including students, families, and school staff. ICE is not allowed to make arrests on school grounds without a judicial warrant or court order. And by September 1, 2026, every school district must have an emergency response plan ready, so students and staff know what to do if ICE agents do show up.

Our thanks to Senate President Karen E. Spilka, Speaker Ron Mariano, Leader Alice Peisch, Conference Committee Chairs State Senator Cindy Friedman and Rep. Dan Cahill, Committee Members State Senator Pavel Payano, Rep. Andy X. Vargas, Rep Vaughn, and members of the The Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus for standing up for our immigrant neighbors!

🌟 Come work with us at MAC! We're hiring a Helpline Advocate to support families and caregivers navigating barriers to t...
07/30/2026

🌟 Come work with us at MAC! We're hiring a Helpline Advocate to support families and caregivers navigating barriers to their children’s education, helping them find resources, information, and referrals they need to advocate effectively.

This position offers the chance to join a team of exceptional attorneys and advocates working to achieve equal educational opportunities for children in Massachusetts! Day to day, this role will respond to calls on our multilingual Helpline, provide direct assistance to families and caregivers, develop initiatives to improve the Helpline, and ensure accessibility to the racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse communities we serve. Bilingual candidates are strongly preferred.

This is a full-time, exempt hybrid position in Boston. The salary range is between $45,500 and $50,000. To learn more, visit https://www.massadvocates.org/job-opening-helpline-advocate.

Address

89 South Street, Suite 803
Boston, MA
02111

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+16173578431

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