No wonder Mayor Bill de Blasio’s presidential campaign didn’t resonate: He took positions on education that were totally out of step with voters like me.
I can’t say I’m surprised. After all, he’s done the same at home in New York City. But it was a bridge too far to witness the mayor cynically stake his bid on how much he hates charter schools.
Message to the mayor: It’s the voters you needed — parents like me — that rely on those schools.
Sure, a charter may not be a good fit for everyone. But one in Harlem, KIPP Infinity MS, gave my daughter, Kiana, a shot when other schools in our neighborhood gave up on her.
Ten years ago, my family was in a tough spot. Kiana could only read at a kindergarten level by fourth grade. She had dyslexia, a learning disability that made keeping up with her English classes nearly impossible.
Because of stress and physical challenges, she missed countless days of school. And while we knew her teachers cared, the school just wasn’t prepared to deal with needs like Kiana’s. The support just wasn’t there.
To understand the extent of the problem, I sat in class with her, and what I saw shocked me. When it came to subjects like math and science, Kiana flourished, but she continued to fall behind in English with no specialized plan to address her challenges.
There were no goals set for my daughter. Her issues were met with a collective shrug from the school — and she fell through the cracks like thousands of other children in failing schools who, quite simply, need more than the school can give.
In desperation, I asked a friend for help, and she asked if I had considered a charter school. We went through the lottery on pins and needles, and the day she got in, I prayed that Kiana’s day had finally come. It had.
I brought Kiana to the school, and she fell in love. Immediately, teachers and staff were invested in her progress and focused on her needs.
Kiana received therapy for her dyslexia, and when her teachers adjusted her lessons to address her disability, she started learning faster and began to catch up.
Last May, Kiana graduated with a 3.0 GPA, and she’s now attending SUNY New Paltz, studying psychology so she can become a therapist. My quiet Kiana found her voice and uses it to advocate for women’s and social justice issues. The girl who could not speak up has learned to speak up for others.
And Kiana isn’t my family’s only success story. I have three other kids flourishing in charter schools, including my son, Tyler, who fought his way out of a district school that left him behind.
I thought Tyler might be autistic because in pre-K at our zoned school he was nonverbal. But he now receives group speech therapy and finished first grade reading at a third-grade level at KIPP Infinity. In fact, he’s even learning how to code in school.
Yet none of this would have been possible for my family if Bill de Blasio had his way.
Charters are not always the answer, but they exist to give kids like Kiana and Tyler a chance when their needs aren’t met by the district. And they’re not alone. There are thousands of families across the city watching their children succeed thanks to charters.
It’s no wonder people wouldn’t support a presidential campaign that was based, in part, on denying children and their families educational opportunities that might work.
Fact is, sending my children to a public charter school is one of the best choices I ever made for my family. Too many people would like to take that choice away. My children are worth it, and so are millions of others. Ending, or even limiting, that choice is not only bad policy; it’s clearly bad politics.
When Kiana was younger, I worried about her constantly. But her teachers at KIPP always told me, “Mom, we got this!” With four simple words I felt something every parent needs but rarely gets: to be heard.
Mayor de Blasio didn’t hear me during his campaign. Now that it’s over, I hope he and other officials in charge listen up.
Sheryl Browne is president of the KIPP Infinity Elementary School Parents Association.