Another of NYC's Educated Communities Radio  

After deciding that I had to leave the education advocacy arena to focus on my own children's education more closely I figured I would never have a chance to go back. After all, you join the PTA and you serve for a couple of years and as your own children grow up, then you too find yourself moving on.

ANYCEC was different. I had accomplished something that to this day I'm told was unbelieveable. I had gathered the strength of my colleagues and with all of our different strengths, we were able to hold City Hall to task.

ANYCEC broke the dam on the Capital Plan. Before ANYCEC came around only a hand full of  people understood the significance and the overwhelming complexity of this document. ANYCEC, with the wonderful help of so many advocates, so many to name but I do want to take the time out thank a few, starting with Sarah Morgridge, who provided so many parents and an entire district with the knowledge to change the minds and plans of the School Construcion Authority in favor of the communities!

Councilman Robert Jackson's  and Gale Brewer's entire education team provided such a service in 2004 and it was their diligence and patience, along with Manhattan Borough Presidents Marty Markowitz and Scott Stringer who immediately opened up their doors to allow ANYCEC to hold their Borough wide classes within their Borough Halls. Borough Presidents Adolpho Carrion and Helen Marshall, along with Public Advocate Betsy Gottbaum soon followed and extended the services of their staff and for that we were eternally grateful.

My own Senator Montgomery, who everyone knows I respect and care for like my own family, (she was the one who told me to learn all that I can so that I could stand on my own two feet and get off public assistance back when I was still in college trying to raise my oldest son) she has always been straightforward and has provided the basics on how to me a civic minded and informed resident of NYC. Were it not for her I don't know how far I would have gotten in my dream to have a career with purpose.

So, now, ANYCEC, still on the minds of the parents that are still in there fighting for the rights of the parents they represent, emails are not enough anymore. I want to do more that send emails and I know that with me having to be close to home and not being able to go to meetings the way that I used to, I must use what I know (I'll always be a computer geek) and find another way to reach parents so that they can take control of their children's education.

So, welcome to ANYCEC Radio, where everything is about learning to be engaged, to be informed and most of all learning to be empowered. When everyone says, "TRUST ME, I KNWO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR YOUR CHILD", I say, "DON'T TRUST, LISTEN, LEARN AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF".

You are your child's best education advocate.