A first-grade student at Prodeo Academy's St. Paul campus tapping out a word he's been asked to write during a routine literacy assessment. Credit: MinnPost photo by Erin Hinrichs

When my daughter and I moved back to Minnesota from Memphis, I was excited for her to receive a high-quality education from – and with – people who look like her. In Memphis, my daughter attended a predominantly white private school and I looked forward to the opportunity to surround her with peers that shared her background, culture and experiences.

However, when I started researching our local community school options in Minneapolis, I found bad parent reviews, low test scores, and poor academic outcomes. It was clear that the schools we had access to were not high-quality, well outfitted, or able to provide the experience I wanted for my child.

My research continued and led me to Prodeo Academy. A friend – and fellow MPS alum who I went to school with – recommended the school and right away, I could see that the diversity, focus on academic excellence, and values around building pride and integrity in students would be a great fit for my daughter. Four years later, I know it was the right choice.

At Prodeo, my daughter gets to learn in a culturally affirming environment that nourishes more than her academic achievements. She is surrounded by students, teachers, and administrators that share a life experience in a way she doesn’t experience anywhere else. All of her extracurricular  activities, even swimming at the local YMCA, are made up of predominantly white peers. That dynamic means something – it shifts something. When she’s at Prodeo, she doesn’t have to carry the burden of being ‘other’ and can just be her.

When I see my daughter and the mostly Black community of students and families at Prodeo, I see my culture. When we leave Prodeo, we don’t get to feel celebrated or included in the same ways. I don’t know what I would do if we couldn’t have a school that celebrates who we are, reflects our culture, and gives my daughter the academic rigor she needs.

Iesha Marshall
[image_caption]Iesha Marshall[/image_caption]
As conversations about whether our school should exist at the Legislature and in the chambers of the State Supreme Court, I want to make it clear that my ability to choose the best school for my child is not only my right, it’s also life-changing for our family. It’s not a decision that others should be able to make for our family. My daughter deserves the school she has, and if it had to change in the way that some are proposing, I don’t think we would feel safe.

Iesha Marshall is an Air Force veteran and product of the Minneapolis Public School system.

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2 Comments

  1. What a thoughtful, heartfelt article on a topic that those of us in the “majority” rarely consider. I grew up in Euro-centric northern Minnesota in the 1950’s and ’60s. It was only when I enrolled at St. John’s University that I met fellow students from nearly every continent. I have to admit that the experience of getting to know and interacting with classmates from other cultures was extremely enriching and comprised a significant part of my education there. Even watching the evening news, along with friends from China, Israel and Africa was an eye-opener! It changed by world-view…

  2. “I was excited for her to receive a high-quality education from – and with – people who look like her.”
    First I want to be respectful, and am glad the author found a school that works. But I am confused, and have questions.

    Where does the author live? Most parts of Minneapolis are very integrated. So the statement the “only place my daughter doesn’t feel like a minority is at her school” indicates the author lives somewhere lacking diversity. Fixing that is pretty easy.

    Next, are our schools really that bad? If so, why not hang around and be part of the solution? Isn’t this what’s wrong– capable, mobile citizens leaving behind their less-capable, less-mobile brethren?

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