Education equity: A vision for the future of our schools

Quality education is a human right, not a business, not a commodity to be sold to those with the most money.

Alexa is a mom who joined the fight for education justice because of her experiences as a parent. The mother of two public school students, she has witnessed the inequities and injustices of NYC’s school system firsthand. In nearly a decade as president of the Parent-Teacher Association of her daughters’ school, Alexa dramatically expanded the PTA’s budget and secured funding and equipment for a number of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) programs. She also fought to give parents a voice in their children’s education, bridging linguistic divides, and bringing to light issues related to overcrowding, culturally responsive curricula and learning environments, IEP support, and more. During her tenure, Alexa learned that politics is about talking to people — in this case, bringing teachers, parents, and students together — learning what they need, and recognizing the power of solidarity to fight for what we deserve.

Public education is under attack — from the Trump administration’s attacks on students, educators, schools, and libraries, to dangerous education cuts from Mayor Adams. We need seasoned leadership who will stand up for our public schools, and make sure all students, regardless of their income, race, ethnicity, and zip code, have access to a quality education.

What we’ve accomplished:

  • Fought Eric Adams’s disastrous cuts to the education budget: When Eric Adams attempted to gut funding for schools and educators, Alexa fought back against his cuts, restoring more than $800 million in cuts to public schools and childcare programs.

  • Improved education spaces and playgrounds: Alexa has invested in schools and schoolyards across the district — such as the green Community Schoolyard at the P.S. 503 and P.S. 506 joint campus. The playground, built with green infrastructure, not only provides recreation space for students, it also will absorb ​​620,000 gallons of runoff annually, helping to reduce flooding in the neighborhood.

  • Secured $4 million investment to develop a Latine Studies Curriculum Initiative: Alexa worked with community partners to secure funding for a Latine curriculum for NYC public schools. In a moment when MAGA lawmakers are banning books and erasing history from schools, Alexa fought to make sure the culturally-relevant education has a home in our city’s public schools.

  • Invested in parks and green spaces: Alexa tackled District 38’s aging park infrastructure, and created more safe playground spaces for our district’s young people. She helped turn an underused concrete softball field into a popular state-of-the-art skate park in Red Hook’s Harold Ickes Playground. She secured $1.6 million to renovate Sunset Park’s Rainbow Playground, and is fighting for other park improvements in places like Pena Herrera Playground in Sunset Park.

What we’ll keep fighting for in our next term:

  • Fully fund education: While Trump and Musk want to dismantle public education, Alexa will champion fully investing in our schools and educators. She will reject cuts to our public education system and fight for more investments in multilingual learners, English-language learners, arts, and services for students with learning and physical disabilities. 

  • Fight for universal childcare: Alexa will support the creation of a citywide Office of Childcare, tasked with creating free childcare for all NYC residents. She will fight for fully funding Pre-K and 3-K programs, rejecting cuts to early childcare and education.

  • Stop ICE from entering our schools: While Eric Adams tries to undermine long-standing immigration laws in our city, Alexa will make sure teachers, administrators, and students know their rights and have a plan of action if ICE targets schools for deportation raids. She will fight to make sure our city does everything we can to protect our children and families.

  • Invest in youth services. We must fund programs that create meaningful education and employment programs that enhance opportunities, especially for 16- and 24-year-olds who are out of school and out of work. As former chair of the city’s Youth Board, Alexa will fight to fund the Summer Youth Employment Program and expand workforce programs.