Mott Hall Charter School

NN: Before developing MHCS, you served as an Associate Director in the New York City DOE Office of New Schools. What inspired you to leave the New York Department of Education and begin contributing to education specifically in District 9?

BL: At the NYC DOE I worked with a portfolio of new small schools that were in various stages of their start-up. I was seeing that some of these schools were doing very well while others were struggling and I got really interested in what made a school great. As l learned more about this I became interested in starting my own school to put what I learned to the test.

NN: How did your degree in Public Policy and professional work in fields unrelated to education prepare you to establish MHCS? 

BL: I think it’s valuable to bring an outsider’s view into any endeavor. It is very hard to solve long standing problems using conventional wisdom. So my non-education background allowed me to bring in best practices and connections from other areas. That said, both my parents were public school teachers and I attended public schools in New York.

NN: How are school operations funded? How can the surrounding community contribute to furthering the mission of MHCS? 

BL: As public schools, charter schools are funded through a per pupil formula and receive money from New York State. However in order to go above and beyond the bare minimum it takes to operate a school addition funding is needed for special programs and initiatives. For example our school is raising money to buy more technology so that every student can have access to a computer. If anyone would like to donate they can do so through our website at www.motthallcharterschool.org. We are also always looking for people to share their time and wisdom with our students and have established a mentor program which is a great way to make an impact.

NN: What is your favorite aspect of the school’s curriculum and/or how do your programs work together to benefit your graduates?

BL: I really love our College and Career Learning Journeys. These are small group experiences where we expose students to colleges and passionate experts in various fields and they learn what it takes to succeed in these fields. We have visited Princeton University, Google, Goldman Sachs, Amali Restaurant, a yoga studio, and more. Kids get really excited and see why it’s important for them to work hard now. As one student said when we left our Google visit, “I can’t wait to go to college!”  

NN: Have you always been interested in education, and what do you hope to achieve as an education leader in District 9?

BL: I have always been interested in social justice and to that extent educational equity. As a matter of equity it is critical that we close the opportunity gap in education for low-income kids in this country. It will benefit everyone. I hope to create a legacy of educational excellence in the South Bronx so that students at Mott Hall Charter School can receive a world class education.