COVID-19 has altered our economy and our world. As a young adult thinking about all the long-term effects this will have on my life, I am trying my best to prepare for and troubleshoot these concerns. I believe I can overcome the challenges.
Most of my confidence stems from the education and opportunities I have received in comparison to so many of my peers. I graduated one year ago from Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. The Cristo Rey Network of schools serves mostly children from lower-income families, and many of us are minority students. The school’s unique work-study program exposed me to corporate America early on in my life.
I come from a family of low-income immigrants. No one in my family had the opportunity to graduate high school or attend college, and certainly not to intern for Johnson Controls Inc. or Godfrey & Kahn’s IT department, as I did at the age of 15. When I was laid off from both of my jobs — because malls and stores were closing down due to COVID-19 — I had the resume, work experience, and the character formation that helped me re-apply for a new “essential” job. I would not have been prepared to do this without Cristo Rey.
Unfortunately, many of the private schools that serve children from lower-income families may shutter because they are not receiving the adequate funding needed to stay afloat during these trying times. Case in point: Cristo Rey Newark announced in May that it would close permanently following the 2019-2020 school year. The Catholic archdioceses of Houston, St. Louis, and Boston have also announced closures.
So, what about the class of 2021, 2022, and beyond? What if the new normal no longer includes the schools these students loved because the schools could not afford to stay open? What are we supposed to do if thousands or even millions of students have to re-enter the public school system because that is now their only choice?
Private schools should not be discriminated against and alienated in times of crisis. At the end of the day, it is the future lawyers, nurses, community and business leaders of our communities being placed at a disadvantage. Turning our backs on private schools is turning our backs on children. That’s why Congress must include support for private schools in the next COVID-19 relief package.
I am prepared to confront the challenges ahead. But I’m not sure that my sisters, graduates of future classes, will have the same advantage if their schools are suddenly forced to close their doors. Lawmakers can prevent this by ensuring all kids, and particularly children from low-income families and minority communities, have options when it comes to their education.
When I was in the eighth-grade, the admissions counselor at Cristo Rey said to me, “The school you choose is like a shoe. Not everyone fits in the same size; you have to find the one that best fits you.” I am extremely fortunate to live in a state where I was not limited by my family’s income, nor my ZIP code, to attend a private school. It would be a mistake to limit the opportunities that our kids have for their futures because they will be the ones left to bear the consequences.
Gissell Vera is a Future Leaders Fellow with the American Federation for Children.
