![]() So, when my older son was ready for kindergarten, I entered his name in the Success Academy lottery. My experience has led to disappointment in the quality of district schools in my part of the city. I had been a good student by the standards of my high school, but when I went to college, I had to sit with a dictionary just to read the textbooks. I wanted to excel, so I taught myself to read, and within a year, I was reading English at a fourth-grade level. I was placed in an English language learner class in first grade. I was born in the Dominican Republic and came here, to the South Bronx, at age 7. “All” but our children! All but the hundreds of other students who could have been served over these three years of expensive court battles. We raised our voices in protest at three press conferences.Īll the while, this mayor was hypocritically pounding his chest over his “Pre-K for All” initiative. Each time this mayor threw up a roadblock, other Success Academy parents and I responded. ![]() How else to explain Mayor de Blasio’s refusal to accept a unanimous decision by the Appellate Division in June 2017 in favor of Success Academy? He tried to challenge that decision twice - in July 2017, and again in September 2017 - and only two weeks ago did the court finally deny this option. But I came to see, instead, that it was a grudge, fueled by the mayor’s bitter antagonism toward Success Academy. ![]() I thought the dispute was about the legal language governing pre-K supervision. In that moment in the courtroom, I never would have believed how long this battle would drag on - and how many times I would have to rouse myself to advocate again for my sons’ school. I wanted them to see that we don’t give up, especially when it comes to education. I brought my sons, Kristian, who was 8 at the time, and Kendrick, who was 4. I remember being present at the initial court proceedings. So, I became a plaintiff in a lawsuit saying that Mayor de Blasio was misinterpreting the law and overstepping his authority to dictate charter school policies and curriculum. I know firsthand that charter schools’ ability to serve children outside the one-size-fits-all public school bureaucracy is what makes them work for my sons. That fall, the de Blasio administration insisted that Success Academy sign a 241-page contract dictating how to run pre-K. As a single mother - and as someone who felt district schools had failed my family - Kendrick’s placement meant peace of mind for me. Success Academy had just opened pre-K classes in the fall of 2015, and I was thrilled that my younger son, Kendrick, would be able to join his brother at Success Academy Harlem 1. My son was in pre-K at Success Academy Charter Schools the year I realized that I was going to have to defend his right to be there.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |