Dear parents, grandparents, guardians and education activists,
March is the month when we celebrate women's history and recognize the amazing work of powerful women in our lives, whether those women are our loved ones, our colleagues or ourselves! To mark the occasion, I want to highlight the work of Rima Izquierdo and Erika Gonzalez.
Rima has four children enrolled in New York City public schools for whom she models her belief in social justice and human rights through her volunteer work and her advocacy. She's organized events like a pop-up food pantry, virtual parent empowerment workshops and support groups. She is also a tireless advocate for families of students with disabilities and families whose primary language is not English, helping them access needed services.
Erika serves as the president of the parent association and is on the school leadership team at PS 86. In particular, she is passionate about supporting Latino families and students with special needs. This passion is manifested in her work collaborating with local food pantries, parks and other organizations to get food, books and other needed supplies for her neighbors.
Rima and Erika are just two of the thousands of powerful women who are parents and caregivers of children in city public schools who fight every day to uplift families in their communities. The UFT is honored to support their work and yours. Happy Women's History Month!
In unity,
Nicholas Cruz
UFT Director of Community and Parent Engagement
ncruz@uft.org