New Colossus Academy Public Hearing
After a decade of advocacy, lobbying, and utilizing multiple ways of communication in an effort to convince the Modesto City Schools Board of Trustees to immortalize the undeniable success our students achieved in policy, it became apparent that would never happen. In fact, rather than adopt policy to ensure the future of the Language Institute, the program was being systematically dismantled. With our community still full of deserving and motivated immigrant, refugee, and asylum seeking youth we remained committed to delivering them quality and equitable education. From that vision, New Colossus Academy was born, a petition for a countywide benefit charter school that would serve at-promise 7-12th graders in our region. At the public hearing not a single voice spoke in opposition to our school. Yet behind the scenes local superintendents opposed the school in fear of the additional funding they would lose when lucrative English learners left them for NCA. Although the charter petition being denied was a devastating loss to our entire community, it was also a crystal clear wake up call. Equity, inclusion, and access are concepts that need to permeate culture if they have a chance to be realized within institutions, hearts, and minds.
