“New York's
Nicest”:
Over 2,000 Learning Leaders Break Bagels Together
By Dorothy
Davis
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(L)
Digna Sanchez, (R) Carmen Farina |
“There are very few events where you see this many nice
people put together in one place. Look in the mirror tonight
and you're going to see a very nice person,” Mayor Michael
R. Bloomberg told the Learning Leaders, the volunteers of New
York City's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to serving
public school children, at their opening meeting recently in
Manhattan. Education Update agrees with Mayor Mike, and we'll go one step further. All of the dedicated,
concerned volunteers, who daily help our most needy public
school children, are “New York's Nicest!”
And, luckily for our
struggling schools, their numbers are growing. Digna Sanchez,
President/Executive Director of Learning Leaders, reported
that in the school year 2003-4 “a record
number of 14,340 caring New Yorkers: parents, community members,
corporate employees, seniors and others have volunteered so
our students can succeed.” This number, while still
not high enough, is up substantially from the 11,500 who
volunteered in 2002-3.
Mayor Mike was introduced
by the dignified and clear-voiced Sheik Khan, a 2nd grader
at P.S. 50 in Queens, while his big brother, a 5th grader,
cheered him on from the sidelines. Their mother, Bianca Khan,
a Parent Volunteer at P.S. 50, spoke movingly about being
a school volunteer, concluding, “There is
no better experience to have than to come into the school and
all these children run up and simply say ÔHi' or give
hugs!”
The Mayor said that
the parents of New York City's school children speak 170
different languages. “At the summer
Olympics in Athens, 202 countries participated. We have school
children from 199 of those countries. It's too easy for parents
to say, let the teachers do that. But parents have responsibilities
themselves. In some cases, you who volunteer are the children's
parents, but some children don't have parents or come from
unstable homes.” He concluded his remarks, which touched
on ongoing improvements he is making in the schools, such as
the ending of social promotion in the 3rd and 5th grades and
bringing the number of uncertified teachers down to zero, by
enthusiastically telling the assembled volunteers, “Thank
you for all you do!”
Digna Sanchez thanked
the Mayor for all he has done, “especially
for hiring 1,200 parent coordinators.” Carmen Farina,
Deputy Chancellor for Instruction, NYC Department of Education,
poignantly underscored the contributions of the volunteers. “You
are the people who help children, one at a time. Sometimes
the only kind word a child gets all day is from a volunteer
who knows them. Many Learning Leader relationships start early
and last throughout a child's life.” She spoke of new
courses that will be offered to teach parents ways they can
help their children. “Nothing is more effective than
parents studying and learning along with their children.” She
also said that the Department of Education will be looking
for volunteers “to adopt two children with high potential,
starting in the 9th grade. We'll be training these volunteers
to take their two students through the whole college application
process: filling out applications for financial aid, college
applications and visiting campuses. Many children,” she
said, “don't apply because they don't know how to do
it.”
Others who contributed to the meeting included Dana Tyler,
Anchor CBS 2 News, who interviewed volunteers Sheryl Beach
and Jennifer Senitt-Escobar, both winners of the Carol Kellermann
Scholarship; Jeremy B. Koch, Chairman of the Learning Leaders
Board of Trustees; Eddy Bayardelle, a former teacher, who is
now First Vice President, Global Philanthropy of Merrill Lynch
and Co., Inc., Donna Wilson, CEAD President, Northeast Region
of Washington Mutual.
Randi Weingarten, President
of the United Federation of Teachers told the volunteers, “On
behalf of teachers I want to say, Thank you! Thank you! Thank
you! Thank you! It does take a village to educate children.
We need you desperately! Kids, teachers and parents need
you!”#
If you would like to help fill this need (or just find out more
about Learning Leaders) please go to www.learningleaders.org,
or call 212/213-3370.
