Nikole Hannah-Jones’ recent New York Times piece about choosing a low-performing school for her daughter in an attempt to confront segregation and inequality has brought welcome attention to New York City’s education landscape. However, as brothers who started out attending a Bronx elementary school with some of the city’s worst test scores, we’d like to offer a different perspective on school choice.
Antoine (the eldest) was getting by with average grades at our neighborhood school, while Emmanuel (Manny) enjoyed being in class with friends. But as middle school approached, Antoine’s teacher recommended private school to our parents, prompting them to look for options that might serve our family better.
Our mom and dad both grew up in Mexico and left school around sixth grade. In their community, education wasn’t seen as essential; it was a privilege. Most children had to leave school to help earn income for their families.
Our parents moved to New York to build a better future, starting with financial stability. As they worked hard to support us, our mom quickly realized that education would be the key to our long-term success. She wanted a school where we would feel safe, comfortable, and able to learn without distractions or bullying.
We transferred to a Catholic school in another neighborhood. That first year required a big adjustment: making new friends, adapting to new teachers, and studying religion for the first time. Scholarships from the Children’s Scholarship Fund covered most of our tuition, but our parents still had to pay the rest. It was a financial stretch, but they felt the sacrifice was worthwhile.
Antoine adjusted to Catholic school more easily than Manny. Manny missed his old friends and felt singled out by one of his teachers. At drop-off, he would tell our mom he was scared to go inside. After months of daily dread and complaints, our mom allowed Manny to return to our neighborhood elementary school.
Looking back, Manny’s return isn’t an indictment of that Catholic school or private schools in general. It simply shows that no single school is right for every child, and finding the right fit can take time.
The following school year, wanting us both at the same school, our mom found another Catholic school that seemed more promising: Our Lady Queen of Angels (OLQA) in East Harlem. We enrolled using partial scholarships from the Children’s Scholarship Fund and settled in quickly.
OLQA was a perfect fit—a tight-knit community where our whole family felt at home.
In her column, Ms. Hannah-Jones notes that she “students respond to the high or low expectations of institutions and the grown-ups who operate them.” We agree. OLQA’s principal at the time, Joanne Walsh, was demanding yet kind. She pushed us to reach our full potential.
Manny quickly became an honor student, and by seventh grade, Antoine was earning straight A’s.
From OLQA, we both advanced to rigorous Catholic high schools with the help of scholarships and financial aid. Manny graduated from Xavier High School. Antoine graduated from Cristo Rey New York High School, where a unique work-study program enabled him to work at Credit Suisse Bank and learn to code.
Neither of us ever doubted we would attend college, even though many of our neighborhood friends went straight into the workforce after high school. To us, college felt like the natural next step. Antoine is now studying computer science at Fordham University, while Manny attends Syracuse University, planning a career in data science or software engineering. Academically, intensive high school coursework left us both well-prepared for college-level work.
We don’t believe any family should miss out on a great education because of their zip code or income level. We share Nikole Hannah-Jones’ dream of a quality education for all students. However, we don’t believe individual families should hold their children back from finding the right school while broader efforts to improve educational opportunity continue.
As fellows with the American Federation for Children, our goal is to ensure more families get the chance we had to find an environment that brings out their best and sets them on the path to college and a strong career.
The Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC) taking effect in January offers a promising way to broaden these opportunities. Taxpayers who contribute up to $1,700 (or $3,400 for married couples filing jointly) to a scholarship-granting organization can reduce their federal tax liability by that same amount. This credit has the potential to raise significant funds, giving thousands of families the opportunity to attend a tuition-based school. Furthermore, these tax-credit scholarships could help public and charter school students access supplemental tutoring, SAT prep, or other educational services their families couldn’t otherwise afford.
Each child has a limited window of time to build the foundation for their future. In a city and country where so many arrive with a dream to succeed, we should do everything within our power to help families give their children the best education possible.