My name is Ramiro Arroyo. I’m a Rowe Elementary staff member, proud father of one (soon to be two!) Rowe Elementary scholars, and advocate for Chicago charter public schools. As you will see, my family and I have loved our experience at Rowe Elementary. We strongly encourage everyone who supports charter public schools, like Rowe Elementary, to participate in the 13th Annual INCS Charter Lobby Day on May 17th. When we work together, schools and parents, we can make sure that there are even more excellent school choices for our children.

My oldest daughter, Ariana, is in the first grade and in the University of Wisconsin class. She loves her class and the fact that they’re thinking about college already! Even though I work at Rowe, we did have other school options that we looked into for our daughters. My wife and I did research and went on many school tours. However, nothing felt as warm, welcoming, and rigorous as Rowe. From day one, I could just tell that the whole staff was totally invested in my daughter and her education. We’re so happy she’s here!

The transition into the structured kindergarten class was tough, though. There were so many new things – teachers, classrooms, and friends. But within a few days, once she got used to the routines, she looked forward to going back each day. She really loves reading. Each night, she completes her math homework first so that she can spend the rest of the night reading. She has so many different books that she likes to read – her most recent favorites have been about farm animals. Aside from math and reading, first graders at Rowe have a variety of enrichment classes, like music, art, and physical education.

One of the really special things about Rowe is that the teachers can tailor their curricula to help each and every student to succeed, no matter where they’re coming from, so that they are all on track to go to a great high school and college.  There have been a few times in which Ariana needed extra help in math. It never turned into a big deal because as soon as someone notices the block, the teachers are right there to help and teach us how to help our children the best ways at home. Their discipline system is professional and respectful. The staff holds additional parent workshops to support us through the education process. There is even a dedicated staff member to guide us through the high school process. They are truly dedicated to the jobs and the students.

I feel truly blessed to be a Rowe father and staff member. It’s so nice to have father-daughter time in the car every day! As a staff member, my role is to handle any compliance requirements or documentation for CPS. But, I also get to help out with recess, lunch, and front desk coverage. It motivates me to know that what I do helps our teachers work magic with our scholars.

As an active parent, one more way that I am excited to serve our school community is by supporting at the 13th Annual INCS Charter Lobby Day. Rowe Elementary does an amazing job with our children every single day, but current charter school policies make it more challenging to do this work. It is incredibly important that parents attend Lobby Day and make their voices heard so that charter schools throughout Illinois have more fair policies.