Sonia Manjon Shares Her Story with ConnCAN

This essay is printed in the latest issue of the ConnCAN web newsletter.  ConnCAN is an education advocacy organization whose stated goal reads: We will not rest until every Connecticut child, regardless of race or class, has access to a great public school.

Like all parents, I want nothing but the best for my boys, and nothing stands out more to me than access to a great education. I am fortunate and blessed to know that right now, my sons attend excellent public schools – but I also know that many parents in Connecticut can’t say the same. For too many students, especially in large urban cities and low-income neighborhoods, the promise of public education is still a distant dream.

It doesn’t have to be this way. My youngest son attends Macdonough Elementary School in Middletown and has made incredible strides, thanks to a wonderful new teacher, Buster Nelson, who thinks outside the box, uses new techniques and pedagogy, and encourages students and parents to be equal participants in the learning process. Macdonough’s principal, Jon Romeo, has created a community of excellence and an environment of innovation, where teachers, parents, and community partners do whatever it takes for all students to succeed.

Read the rest of the essay, here.