Why I Chose Private School for My Daughter

By Elaine Daly

My name is Elaine Daly. Professionally, I go by Sister Eli. I graduated from Hunter College High School after being in gifted and talented public school programs from 3rd to 6th grade. I cannot say the work was harder, but I had access to science labs, field trips, drama, foreign languages beyond Spanish and French and walked the halls with people who lived in a clearly different socioeconomic status.

I studied Restaurant Management at SUNY Cobleskill thinking I could save the world by feeding those with food insecurity. I pledged the multicultural sorority Sigma Omega Epsilon sorority, Epsilon Chapter, which promotes Autism Awareness and neurodiversity. Then I planned my life with my Islamic husband, got pregnant and was ready to give her the world. Instead, she was robbed of her father and struggled with life and school due to his incarceration.

Being a single mother made me reevaluate what access to an education meant and what opportunities I was able to provide my daughter.  I breastfed to increase our bonding and her intelligence. I earned a master’s degree in Social Work from Fordham University in Community Leadership and Macropractice to increase my earning potential and help others impacted by systems since she lacked access to her father.

Meanwhile, our transitional life still meant DOE lost her kindergarten application in their new system in Dec 2018: out of the 6 schools I put on that ridiculous list, she did not get chosen for any. I cried, had a nervous breakdown in the subway on my way to work, and was told to relax, “It was just kindergarten.” I wailed that it was the foundation of her academic career and love of learning and reading and exploring her environment. I am sure I looked unhinged on the East Broadway platform as I traveled to class for my masters.

I still had time left to enter a lottery for a charter school while DOE worked things out so I applied to Manhattan Charter, did a tour and was excited about their offering of arts, music, science, and French. Further research for an Islamic school led me to Al Madrasa Al Islamiya and the Children's Scholarship Fund. This scholarship made it affordable for my daughter to get a solid Islamic education and academics. She saw people who looked like her, dressed like her, and had interactions with them beyond the masjid.

I wish there were more Islamic schools in Manhattan and the income threshold was higher for a scholarship, but Allah will make a way, and I am grateful for the help of my growing village that fortifies my daughter's access to an equitable appropriate education that meets her needs holistically. Meanwhile, 4 years later, and DOE still has my name wrong on documents and inconsistent busing for my neurodivergent child.