Where did you grow up and what schools did you attend?
I grew up in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn and went to District 16 public schools. I attended PS 26, where my mom was PTA president when I was a child. For middle school, I went to the former JHS 324 (Sarah Garnett School). I graduated from Boys and Girls High School.
Where do your children attend school?
All four of my children have been students at my former school, PS 26. I have a 5th grader and twins in first grade there now. My oldest is currently a sophomore at Brooklyn Tech High School. I am so proud of all of my children.
How did you decide to become active in your children’s school?
I decided to become involved for two reasons. First, my family is vegan and I wanted to make sure that my children would be able to eat at school like the other kids. I had to get to know the kitchen staff and let them know who my child was. Afterwards, I became a Learning Leader volunteer, and I began going to the school on a regular basis for two years. I eventually met the PTA president who was managing the PTA by herself because the other elected officers were not showing up. I decided to run for treasurer and was elected. That was eight years ago, when my oldest son was in second grade, and I’ve been involved with the PTA ever since.
What have your parent leadership roles been?
I currently am PTA co-president at PS 26, yet I have also served as treasurer, vice president, and president. I also sit on the SLT and the Title I Parent Committee.
I serve as co-president of the Presidents’ Council for District 16, corresponding secretary of the Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Council (CPAC), and a member of District 16’s District Leadership Team (DLT).
Can you name a few of your accomplishments as a parent leader that you’re most proud of?
I helped create a few annual events at PS 26. The first is the Hispanic Heritage Lunch in October. I manage to get a lot of the Hispanic parents involved by asking them to bring in a dish from their country to share with all the students of the school. The parents stay for the day and help serve the food; as a result, they get to meet the teachers and other students. This event has helped to foster community and parent involvement. It also has allowed me to get to know many of the parents so I continue to work with them all year long.
Another event I helped create is the Multicultural Feast for Thanksgiving. This event celebrates everyone in the school as well as the neighborhood establishments that help to support the event financially. It’s a wonderful event – a real community affair.Both events, which are fairly early in the school year, have given me the opportunity to survey a large number of parents about their interest and concerns. The information we receive provides us with a great starting point for planning PTA meetings and other events.
As for the Presidents’ Council, I am most proud of being able to help other PTA executive boards be more effective at their schools.
What are some of your goals as a parent leader?
As PTA co-president, my goal every year is to incorporate the new parent members into the PTA so by the end of the year they feel empowered and as if they’ve made a difference at their children’s school. One of the long running goals I have for my school is to build parent involvement and capacity school-wide. As all parent leaders know, it’s a challenge, but it’s so important: the more a parent knows about their child’s education the better it is for the child and the parent.
Our Presidents’ Council is planning district-wide events, such as talent shows and awards ceremonies, that celebrate children and foster collaboration among schools. We also plan to have an end-of-year financials session where the PTA presidents can come and get help with the end-of-year financial reports if they need it. A major for the Presidents’ Council is to get every parent leader in the district to understand that the role of the PTA president does not just end at their school. They play a larger role on a district-wide level that could impact DOE’s decisions about how our children are taught. Our opinions matter and we want to make sure parents understand that.
Why did you decide to join PTAlink?
The reason I decided to apply for this position with PTAlink is simple: its mission and my mission are one in the same. Our common goal is to empower parents to improve the quality of education for all children in the New York City public school system by making parent organizations stronger and more effective. I want to make sure that happens across the city. Parents can make a difference.