Joyce Cunha is an educator, activist, and poet who grew up in Somerville and spent most of her adult life living in Dorchester. She is currently the Coordinator of Special Education (COSE) at the Dever Elementary School in the Boston Public School (BPS) system. She was a special education teacher in BPS for the 12 years prior to becoming a COSE, which has been her position for the past 10 years.

Before becoming a teacher, she was an accomplished community and political organizer, most notably as a key leader in the pro-choice movement. She has also organized for tenants’ rights, welfare rights, and women’s rights, and to elect various progressive candidates. She helped elect the first Latino to the Massachusetts State Legislature.

She received her undergraduate degree from Harvard-Radcliffe College and a Masters of Education (Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities K-8) at Curry College, where she taught reading to prospective educators for many years.

She is also a poet and some time co-host of the Lizard Lounge Poetry Slam where she is affectionately known as SlamMama. She has dedicated her life to the struggle for social, economic, and racial justice.

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