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Maria Irizarry, parent of Orr High School student, and Spartan Parent Association officer:
Last year, before AUSL came into Orr, I didn’t feel welcome as a parent volunteer. And my son wasn’t doing well.
Orr feels more like a family now.
The first thing I noticed was that this year, the first time I arrived at the school I was greeted right away and welcomed by teachers, the principal, and by the security guards. Now I’m at Orr every day. I can’t get enough of it.
I’ve seen a dramatic change in some of the students, like three girls who I always used to see skipping class and hanging out in the hallway. For about a week, I would go talk to them every day. I just talked to them. Then they started going to class. And now they come show me their report cards – they call me “Miss Maria” – and I see that they’re getting As and Bs.
My son is doing a lot better too. He’s a sophomore now and he’s bringing home Bs and Cs. He’s involved in study circles after school and he’s helping tutor other kids in Spanish.
I used to be like other parents in the neighborhood. When I heard about AUSL coming in to change the school, at first I didn’t want to send my son here. He used to tell me that he was afraid. He’d say, “Every day there’s a fight.” But then there was a big meeting with the new principal before the school re-opened, and I really felt welcome.
At first my son was embarrassed to have his mom at the school every day. But now all of his friends know me. The kids give me energy. Being part of Orr is what gets me up in the morning. |
