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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Student from Urban Dove Team Charter School
5:50:43
·
89 sec
A 17-year-old student at Urban Dove Team Charter School shares his experience transitioning from a traditional high school to a charter transfer school. He highlights the challenges he faced in accessing appropriate educational support and expresses frustration with the inconsistency in program availability between DOE and charter transfer schools.
- The student struggled at Stevenson High School and was unable to enroll in a DOE transfer school due to age restrictions
- He found success at Urban Dove Charter School but was disappointed to learn they don't offer the Learn to Work program available in DOE transfer schools
- He advocates for equal access to support programs for all over-age and under-credited students, regardless of whether they attend DOE or charter schools
High School Student
5:50:43
afternoon.
5:50:45
My name is Zai Quinones.
5:50:46
I am 17 years old.
5:50:48
I'm finishing my second year at Urban Dove Team Charter School too in The Bronx, a transfer school for over age and accredited students.
5:50:55
I started my high school career at Stevenson High School in Soundview, but I struggled there and fell behind.
5:51:01
It is a big school and it was hard for me to get the help I needed.
5:51:04
My counselor told me about a DOE transfer school called Browns Community that was smaller and could better support me because they had a program called Learn to Work that offered a lot of services like internships, college support, and counseling.
5:51:16
But when I went there, they told me I was too young and I cannot enroll.
5:51:20
The DOE transfer school option was not available to me, but I didn't wanna stay at Stevenson.
5:51:26
Then I found out about Urban Dove, a charter transfer school.
5:51:30
They didn't care about my age or credits.
5:51:32
They accepted me and I actually love the school.
5:51:36
I'm doing much better.
5:51:37
It's not an easy path, but I'm working hard and gaining confidence in myself.
5:51:42
But when I got to Urban Dove and asked about learn to work, I was told they didn't have a learn to work program because they are a charter school, which I don't think is fair.
5:51:51
If Bronx community would have taken me, I would have got experience with learn to work.
5:51:55
But because they won't and they don't have it, Urban Dove would.
5:52:00
It makes no sense.
5:52:02
I'm still me, what difference does it make which public charter school which public school I attend?
5:52:07
All over age and under credited public school students who are working hard to get back on track deserve the same support.
5:52:12
Thank you.