Linda Quarles

Parent of:

Stuyvesant

Brooklyn Tech

I am running for CEC CCHS because I believe that every child is capable of being successful in school, and ultimately in life. To make that promise a reality, we parents, educators, and administrators are called to step up to prioritize and invest in their future. We must dedicate ourselves to ensuring that every single child in NYC has access to the world class public education they deserve.

New York City is the greatest city in world. The arts, commerce, community, it has to offer New Yorkers and her guests is unrivaled. There is no reason we should not have a public education system that is the envy of not only every other American city, but also of the world. But instead of attracting those here that want to raise the next generation of leaders, scientists, artists, business moguls, entrepreneurs, and educators... families are fleeing New York, in large part because of the lack of educational excellence and opportunities.

Ironically, in NYC high schools, there is so much choice for nearly every interest and talent. Yet, a huge percentage of our students have a devastatingly low level of literacy and math proficiency. They are graduating unprepared for college, jobs, and to compete on the increasingly global stage. We do not have time to debate things that do not matter, while every day that a child under-achieves in the classroom puts them a step behind in life. We must be ruthlessly critical of ourselves and make hard choices to invest in what actually moves the dial to achieve more equitable race and socioeconomic outcomes.

Our family moved to New York City when my kids were in elementary and middle school. We transplants have a nickname for where we are sent - the "family unwelcome center." My kids have attended public and private schools in several states. When we moved to New York, I warned them: you are going to be amongst a very different set of peers. This is New York City, where everything is at the top of its game. You are going to be in a classroom with more sophisticated teachers, and kids that are much smarter and more ambitious than you are. You will have to work even harder to keep up. Sadly, we found this was not always the case. While a few schools had incredible teachers and resources, a large portion are truly failing our kids.

I will advocate to continue to raise the bar for our students by keeping the SHSAT and screened admissions, expanding G&T, making the DOE more welcoming to incoming families, and keeping teachers and schools accountable for their results. On CCHS I’ll be bringing my many decades of experience in technology, marketing, strategy, innovation, entrepreneurship. But mostly I will bring a sense of urgency and unrelenting passion to prepare our beautiful children to be the future citizens we need to lead our city and country.

Linda

Quarles