Parent activist Mercy Carabajo recounts organizing parents to press New York education officials over East Ramapo schools

Mercy Carabajo, an Ecuadorian immigrant and mother of Thalia, Santiago and Joel, described her work organizing parents to press state education officials over conditions in the East Ramapo Central School District (Spring Valley). She said the group, Empowered Parents Organization, was founded in 2022 with support from the FARO Project and the New York Civil Liberties Union and meets bimonthly to identify and pursue solutions.

Carabajo told the meeting that the birth of her youngest son prompted her to learn about the district’s educational system and teaching methodologies and that, after seeing challenges in local schools, she and other mothers began collectively voicing concerns to advocate for their children while preserving cultural values. She identified herself as a full-time nanny who has lived in the United States for two and a half decades.

According to Carabajo, those local mobilizations produced personal meetings with state legislators in Albany and the group “arranged a local visit” by the New York State Commissioner of Education so the official could hear parents’ concerns directly. She also said Empowered Parents supported school district meetings on educational, cultural and hygiene issues and that members provide resources to individuals across East Ramapo.

Carabajo expressed gratitude to fellow members and supporting organizations for guidance and assistance in improving educational experiences for their children. The transcript ends with a short set of verification questions about Carabajo’s family, country of origin and which official the group had invited to East Ramapo to discuss concerns.