I have great respect for education advocates including Alliance for Quality Education (AQE). They have advocated for schools for a number of years and are passionate in their defense of students. I have such respect because I too have been a constant advocate for our schools, and I am deeply committed to bringing the best for our students.
My record is clear: I worked with over 50 community groups to bring computer coding, spoken word poetry, wellness, mentorships, robotics, literacy, cultural programs and community building to schools throughout Brownsville. This is my initiative is called The Campus, and after our successful launch, we have expanded it to Crown Heights/Prospect Lefferts and will soon expand to East Flatbush.
We are bringing direct services to the vulnerable students. Schools in low-income African-American communities have been failing for decades. We have to change that narrative. Parents do not care about party politics, they care about having the best educational options for their children, sending their children to great schools that motivate them to have productive lives. And this is just part of our deep connections to our young people and their families.
My first elected position was School Board President of District 17. I saw first hand how a successful school in a predominantly African-American and Caribbean community could be undermined by city or state policies.
So while I’m focused on innovative learning programs, I will fight just as hard as the AQE for funding and resources for our students. If we do disagree, I will have to insist that it is not an easy fight. Simply making a demand that cannot be met is powerful rhetoric, but it has failed our students for decades.
I am extremely proud that my strategy for providing the maximum resources for our students is successful. I look forward to working with AQE to insure that our schools get fully funded.
But we can’t merely think of our children in terms of numbers. About a month ago, we launched The Campus at MS 61 in Crown Heights, it was inspiring to be in front of 300 6th graders who are enthusiastic to start coding and who see that public schools can be a great place.
When my office mentioned The Campus to Zakiyah Ansari of AQE and her colleagues, they stated that this is a “distraction” from the bigger question. When I see three hundred African-American 6th graders creating spoken word poetry and eager to learn robotics, I do not see a “distraction.” I see the future. I see how my office is doing its part to cultivate the creativity and entrepreneurship of a community that has been neglected by New York City, New York State, and apparently by AQE for decades.
We cannot let Democrats fight with Democrats at the expense of our students. Children before politics.
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