Candidate for CEC 2

WHY I’M RUNNING FOR CEC 2

EDUCATION

I am a New York City public school parent of four children–a first grader, seventh grader and two high school students. I previously served on CEC District 2 from 2017 to 2021, as well as on the Student Leadership Teams (SLTs) of PS41 and Salk School of Science, and am currently elected to the Stuyvesant PA. I am also the co-founder and current co-president of PLACE NYC, a collective of elected parent leaders dedicated to improving academic standards and curriculum for all NYC public students in all of our public schools. 

My extensive experience as an elected public school leader will allow me to be an effective advocate for the families of District 2. As a CEC 2 member I will focus on improving educational opportunities to help all students reach their full potential, creating a fair admissions process, and correcting some of the inequities of the last few years which left District 2 students with fewer opportunities and less access to schools that meet their educational needs.  

In addition to my elected parent leader experience, I bring parent perspectives that are valuable. I have navigated the IEP and ELL process as a parent and I know how hard and frustrating it can be to get the necessary support for your child when facing the massive bureaucracy of the DOE. As a CEC member I will always advocate to make it easier and more accessible for parents to advocate for their own children. 

While on CEC District 2 I worked closely with parents to successfully establish the first Dual Language Universal Pre-Kindergarten program in the District. I also wrote and passed the first resolution to oppose the De Blasio/Carranza plan to abolish the SHSAT and successfully marshaled diverse parent voices across our district to stop the unpopular and deeply misguided plan which would have devastated educational opportunities for students in District 2 without offering any other comparable alternatives.

I previously worked as a criminal defense attorney and as the Director of Training at the Legal Aid Society in both the Manhattan and the Bronx offices. I taught in the clinical criminal defense practicum at the Cardozo School of Law from 2003-2005. I am founding member of the Board of Advisors of the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR), and am a frequent contributor to national periodicals including Newsweek, NY Post, NY Daily News, The Free Press and Little Africa News. 

I am deeply grateful for all the parents whose efforts at the PTAs/PTOs/PAs, SLTs and CECs improve the education for all our students and pave the way for parents to be heard. I believe I can well serve the parents of  District 2 as a CEC member and I respectfully ask for your vote.