The pandemic has shined a light on the systemic inequities in our education system. As we return to in-person schooling we have an obligation to fix what’s long been broken. The first step towards lasting change is authentic dialogue between parents, teachers, students, educators, experts, advocates, and our representatives.

On May 5th from 5:30pm - 7:00pm, join District 39 City Council Candidate Shahana Hanif for a panel discussing the future of education in New York City.

We are excited to hear from people doing the real work in our school system, and will discuss how we can build equitable, transparent, language accessible, and safe schools that ensure anti-racist and culturally responsive pedagogy are woven into school governance, teaching practices, and curriculum.

This event was jointly planned by parents, youth, & educators and Shahana and her team.

PANELISTS

Sadie is a junior at Beacon High School, where she works with other students and stakeholders to fight for a more equitable community. She is a co-chair of District 39's Participatory Budgeting Youth Committee. She enjoys writing poetry and plays, making pottery, and dancing. Her favorite breakfast is a bacon, egg, and cheese, but most days she’ll settle for oatmeal and a few extra minutes of sleep.

Michael Perlberg is the founding principal of a public middle school in Kensington, Brooklyn. Under Michael’s leadership the middle school became one of the first schools in the city to pilot a diversity in admission program, helping pave the way for the D15 Middle School Diversity Plan. Both within and outside his role as a school leader, Michael is an advocate for school integration, racial justice, and equitably funded schools. When he’s not working, Michael is an avid cyclist and exhausted dad of two little boys.

Tazin Azad is a current Community Education Council member and Equity Committee Chair in District 22, the Title I Parent Advisory Council Chair/Co-Chair and former Parents Association President at two schools. She also serves as the D22 New York State Integration Project parent representative, and advocates around language access. She organizes hyper locally in her Bangladeshi community for parent engagement in schools, universal healthcare, voting, and COVID relief. As a Muslim South Asian immigrant, it is important for her to uplift the experiences of the communities she represents in the pursuit of a fair and equitable education, and to do that in acknowledgement of and in solidarity with Black, Indigenous and People of Color.

Phiona Lynch: In 1980, with my mom and two of my four brothers, I immigrated to the United States from Guyana. Like most, it was for the dream, The American dream. I am a product of the New York City NYC Public School system. I have been a teacher for the past 15 years. I hold a dual certification in General Education and Special Education. Most of my teaching experience is with school age children, spread out across grades 3 to 5. I teach under my SPED license, and it's my passion. Working with diverse learners allows me to be innovative in my approach, and think outside of the box. My 10 year old daughter is bright, creative and daring, and she's on the autism spectrum. Parenting her has fueled my interest and involvement in grassroots efforts to create a more inclusive environment in my school. Two years ago, I rallied my colleagues, with the support of our school's administrative team, and we started a school-wide Autism Awareness Initiative. I taught students and co-workers all I knew about Autism Spectrum Disorders. Then my students went into classrooms and led discussions, shared videos and even read books to other students. We ended the month off with custom tees and a neighborhood rally. Students waved their banners, and marched through the streets of Park Slope. This is my life's work, and I've just begun.

Takiema Bunche Smith (MPA, MS Ed) has worked as an executive leader, education professional, and parent activist for over two decades. Her mission is to create a space for individuals to understand their personal capacity to effect change in society at the intersections of theory, policy and practice with a focus on equity, care, and joy for all. She envisions and builds a culture of liberation and activism for children and adults in all that she does.

In her role as President and Founder of Anahsa Consulting, Takiema is a highly sought after speaker, panelist and thought partner on the topics such as child and adult identity development, centering Black children’s joy and agency, arts as a vehicle for healing and social change, parent/caregiver empowerment, and anti-Blackness in education and society. She has been interviewed for various news outlets such as Pix11 News and Al-Jazeera, and has written numerous articles published in outlets such as The Washington Post and Chalkbeat NY. Takiema is the founder of the Black Lives Matter at School Early Childhood Symposium, which garnered 1,900 attendees in 2021.

Formally trained as a doula and Zumba instructor, Takiema is passionate about creating a culture of radical self-care for all. She co-hosts a radical wellness podcast called Humanity First Chats for working caregivers of all races from across the country to connect and to reflect on dismantling white supremacy, patriarchy and anti-Black racism in their own lives, and the lives of their children and communities.