March 11, 2026
Dear Families,
Our school’s mission includes helping students “become thoughtful citizens of a democratic society.” Democracy means more than voting. ‘Thoughtful citizenship’ means thinking about everyone’s interests, not just your own.
To further those ideals, we enhanced a district-wide learning experience. The city’s Civics for All program gave every East Harlem school $2,260 for a student participatory budget project. Adding funds from our school budget, CPE1 increased that $10,000. With less money, students might choose one thing and wrap up quickly. With $10,000 for complex spending packages, kids must think democratically.
Classes could propose up to three ideas. Stephanie researched costs and I sent students a price list. Out-of-town trips were expensive. For example, a K-5 camping trip upstate worked out to $58,000. Otherwise, most of the list was affordable. We never asked students, ‘What do you want?’ Instead, we asked, ‘What is fair?’
Last week, our whole school gathered in the movement room to decide. Our pre-K students entered last, carrying signs and chanting. They proposed a new expense: renting special yellow school buses with car seats for pre-K. They want to go to City Hall to protest that yellow buses are free for older students’ field trips, but costly and practically unavailable for pre-K.
Older students supported this idea. In fact, a new package of a special pre-K bus and a new water table for pre-K got the most votes in the movement room.
When the vote concluded, many older students were confused. I heard one say, “So, pre-K got what they wanted, and we don’t get anything?” What happened to the rest of the money?
After renting pre-K buses, we still had $6,435. I met once more with the 2-3 and 4-5 classes. They made suggestions. I promised to get them a paper ballot.
The budget choices on the final ballot were mostly the same: each choice had a 3D printer, each had two class sets of binoculars, etc. The big difference was a K-5 zoo trip. We could either pay admission fees and go on a less crowded day; or join lots of school groups on the zoo’s free Wednesday, using the savings for extra supplies; or skip the zoo altogether because pre-K cannot get there on a free yellow school bus.
The choice between a paid or free trip split the votes to go to the zoo. With 45% of the vote, the final choice was to skip the zoo out of solidarity with pre-K.
School bus companies should be required to reserve some buses for pre-K field trips. Instead, our students took a civically minded stand.
So, what was the fairest decision for older children to make: voting some funds for pre-K and keeping a zoo trip for themselves, or declining a ‘whole-school’ trip that the whole school cannot easily take? That’s the kind of question civics should be all about.
Parent Association and Café Comunitario
On Thursday at 6:00, we have a parent association meeting, with childcare and pizza available for children. On Friday at 8:30 am, we have café comunitario.
I feel sheepish writing that I will miss these two events because I must travel because of family. However, you should be there. Everyone, as always, is welcome.
Love for Book Swap
Yesterday, we had our annual book swap. Every year I try to find a new way to write appreciatively about this free-for-everyone event, organized entirely by family volunteers. Here is the origin of my appreciation.
Fifteen years ago, I worked in a school with a typical book fair. Parent volunteers displayed the newest Harry Potter and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, alongside glittery pens and Captain Underpants sticker sets. Children brought cash. The parent association split the proceeds with publishing giant Scholastic.
That year, a third grader stole from the book fair. He was a softspoken child with a joyous smile. That day, he stole.
Adults confronted him outside his classroom. “Why?” a teacher asked. The boy could only stare at his shoes.
Though I came to dread the Scholastic book fair, I love CPE1 book swap. Every book is free. Every kid gets the same number of books, and it’s always a lot. No cheap plastic toys distract. It’s only about reading.
You’re part of a school that never asks students to handle cash. That happens only because so many families donate time and resources unobtrusively, keeping special opportunities free.
To those of you who donate books, volunteer for set-up, help kids during the swap – and, especially, to the volunteers who do it year after year – thanks for creating something special for everyone’s kids.