A Reminder of Why We Do What We Do

(Education reformers often get so bogged down with the politics of their work that they lose sight of why they're intent on reforming American education in the first place. In our effort to avoid falling into that trap, from time to time we're going to make sure we share some of the stories of success that exist as a result of school choice. Today, we invite you to read one of them.)

Moving to a new school is always tough. But when you’re moving to a new school in a different country and you don’t speak a word of the language, it might seem insurmountable. And that was exactly the scenario facing Mariana Guzman when she moved to Atlanta from Mexico City five years ago.

She only spoke Spanish, and found herself having to acclimate quickly to a completely different environment. Now she’s excelling at the Ivy Preparatory Academy in Atlanta, a charter school she almost never discovered. 

“After I graduated from elementary school, I was deciding where I was going to attend middle school,” Mariana said. “I was scared, learning a new language, meeting new people. My counselor gave us an application for Ivy Preparatory Academy, and it has completely changed my life.”

Mariana’s inspiring story was shared with thousands at the National Charter Schools Conference earlier this month, where she not only took the stage to talk about education, but also to showcase her significant singing talents. The song she sang was in English, too—a skill that was refined thanks to Ivy Prep. “It’s just a great experience,” Mariana said. “It made me realize that miracles do happen.”

Unfortunately for Mariana and her classmates, their school is grappling with the challenge of securing funding for the upcoming school year after the State Supreme Court ruled last month that the Georgia Charter Schools Commission is unconstitutional. Watch a local news report about some of the difficulties facing Ivy Prep as a result of the ruling: 

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MAG