GEM connects with the Center for Immigrant Families

In more than one meeting this week, GEM connected with members of CIF, which advocates for an under-served group of New York school children.

The Center describes itself as an "inter-generational and collectively-run organization of low-income immigrant women of color and community members" whose mission it is to focus on "the root causes" of what immigrant families confront living in this city and getting an education in our schools. (Click on the picture to get to their website.)

CIF wants to "take back" the schools.

In an oped in El Diario last week, Ujju Aggarwal and Perla Placencia wrote:

We want schools that reflect, respect, serve our communities – and that draw upon the rich resources within our communities as sources of learning and support.

Mayoral Control and they system we have now does not support this vision. Instead, under Mayor Bloomberg, a top-down, business model has been imposed on an educational system that promotes high-stakes and punitive testing.

Full English translation in Gotham Schools.