Mothers and Sons: How Imagine Me Leadership Charter School Changed Their Lives

Known as the place where Black and Latino boys thrive academically, Imagine Me Leadership Charter School is no ordinary school. Mothers--Verna Williams Leconte, Nancy Newman and Tania Ambroise describe it is a deep-rooted family full of love. To them it is the village which is leading their sons Justin, Ari and Jaiden to success. They concur that it’s a place where every teacher and staff member knows the name of every child and they refer to the boys as leaders rather than students.

In their hearts and minds, sending their sons to this all-boys K-5, East New York, Brooklyn school was the best move that any parent could have decided. Not only is IMLCS a positive, nurturing environment, it received Reward School status for two consecutive years: 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. Under principal Bevon Thompson, Imagine Me Leadership Charter School was also cited as the number one school in CSD 19.

When asked why she chose IMLCS for her nine-year-old son Ari, Ms. Newman said, “IMLCS stood out because it had many Black male educators. It gives the boys a sense of belonging. They consider the other boys their brothers. They are like a unit where they protect each other.” She added on by saying, “Ari is happy. I don’t know anyone who has taken their Living Environment Regents in the 4^th grade and passed it. The way they teach them – gives them the desire to learn.” Ms. Newman is truly committed to her son receiving a stellar education that she travels from her Midtown, Manhattan home at 5:30 am in the morning to Brooklyn to get her son Ari to IMLCS on time.

Also, in the matter of four short years with dedicated teachers and staff, IMLCS’s ELA scores skyrocketed an unprecedented 583% and math scores rose an uncanny 270% as of June, 2016. Mrs. Verna Williams Leconte said one year pulled her son Justin out of IMLCS due to the long commute, but she put him right back. She explained how IMLCS has Saturday classes for parents which teach them how Common Core works and how they can help their sons at home. “The Core is totally different,” she shared. Mrs. Williams Leconte also loves that IMLCS mentors the boys. She added on by saying, “I feel super confident – they help them academically and how to become young men. It’s life strategies they are learning at Imagine Me.”

Knowing that a successful school needs involved parents, Tania Ambroise stresses the importance of parents having a relationship with the school. She admires the fact that parents and teachers at IMLCS work together under a common vision, which is to help their children succeed. “My son Jaiden has been doing exceptionally well at IMLCS since the first day. He loves the school so much. When you see, your child is happy you must encourage and allow him to excel. I volunteer at the school and love what the school stands for, it builds their self-esteem."

The boys at IMLCS are happy when they are at school learning and many are sad when they leave at the end of the day. Imagine Me Leadership Charter School not only has the recipe for academic success, they have created a true family atmosphere.