The priority comes as Espnal has already secured over $215K in funding in her first term for public schools, organizations and for the Corona Library. She is now locked in a three-way primary battle with Catalina Cruz and Yonel Letellier Sosa.
“Learning is not just for the classroom, and our state government can be doing so much more to create educational opportunities for people of all ages in our community. During my next term, I will continue to secure funding to support non-profits, community groups, and local schools that sponsor after school programs, hold English language classes for adults, host job trainings, and other opportunities,” said Espinal.
Espinal’s Five Priorities for Expanding Educational Opportunities include:
1. Expanding after school access – Studies show that learning opportunities after the school day ends boost academic performance and keep students out of trouble. Our community is home to many working families, and after school programs provide a safe, fun environment for students while their parents finish the work day.
2. Supporting English language classes – Our community is one of the most diverse in New York City, and our neighborhoods are home to many immigrant families. By expanding access to these classes, immigrants who participate will have more employment opportunities and feel more comfortable acclimating to American culture.
3. Expanding language resources – Our state government can do more to support local programs and initiatives that provide language resources to the community. Espinal will work to secure funding for language resources, like Dial-A-Teacher run by the United Federation of Teachers, so that the state government matches contributions from the City.
4. Hosting job trainings – By partnering with local businesses and industries to put on job trainings, residents will be able to improve their job preparedness, skill set, and resumes. They will also foster a strong partnership between union apprenticeship programs and high schools. These trainings will also help residents find new careers and opportunities.
5. Supporting expansion of New York Public Library HotSpot program – Internet access is often taken for granted, and there are many families in our community that struggle to pay for internet services. Under this program, parents and guardians of NYC public school students who do not have internet access at home can check out a Library HotSpot device. Espinal will continue to secure funding for our libraries so that this program can be expanded to help more families.
The primary is Sept. 13.
