In her capacity as both a former PTA president and a Community Education Council president, Antonia has engaged with education stakeholders to advocate for critical school needs at all levels of NYC Public Schools (DOE) and local government. She understands the endless challenges that our schools face and has deep respect for the countless hours that volunteers devote to enriching their schools. Antonia also understands that PA/PTAs require both support and information to build inclusive, active, engaged school communities.
Over the past decade, Antonia has collaborated with countless public school parents, teachers, principals, NYC Public School officials, and elected officials. She has worked with the DOT to bring attention to pedestrian safety around schools and brought press attention to various education issues, particularly inequitable middle school admissions policies. She has developed advocacy strategies for parents and drafted resolutions that became templates for other districts to mobilize around issues relevant to both PTAlink's and New York Appleseed's overall mission of furthering integrated schools and communities.
As a parent of three and a dedicated organizer within numerous NYC communities, Antonia brings a wealth of invaluable insights to PTALink and the NY Appleseed team.