I am joining with Howie Hawkins, whom I hope the Green Party will nominate to run for Governor of the state of New York, in proposing a campaign that would challenge the policies and priorities of our current state government, of the Democratic and Republican parties, of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and of the millionaires who support him.

I taught elementary school in New York City’s public schools for nine years. I received a master’s degree in Elementary Education from the City College of New York in Harlem, and I am currently studying for a doctorate in urban education at the City University of New York Graduate Center. As a teacher and a student, I have been personally invested in New York’s public education system.

Gov. Cuomo, like the leadership of the Democratic Party, has virtually abandoned any commitment to public education. They promote free market schemes and privatization for our schools. I want to participate in a campaign this year that will highlight for New York’s voters the connections between Gov. Cuomo and the charter school movement, which feeds like a vampire on public money and resources.