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When I opened Mott Hall
Bridges Academy in 2010,

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my goal was simple:

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open a school to close a prison.

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Now to some, this was an audacious goal,

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because our school is located
in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn --

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one of the most underserved
and violent neighborhoods

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in all of New York City.

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Like many urban schools
with high poverty rates,

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we face numerous challenges,

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like finding teachers who can empathize

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with the complexities
of a disadvantaged community,

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lack of funding for technology,

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low parental involvement

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and neighborhood gangs that recruit
children as early as fourth grade.

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So here I was,

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the founding principal of a middle school
that was a district public school,

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and I only had 45 kids to start.

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Thirty percent of them had special needs.

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Eighty-six percent of them
were below grade level

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in English and in math.

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And 100 percent were living
below the poverty level.

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If our children are not in our classrooms,

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how will they learn?

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And if they're not learning,

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where would they end up?

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It was evident when I would
ask my 13-year-old,

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"Young man,

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where do you see yourself in five years?"

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And his response:

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"I don't know if I'm gonna
live that long."

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Or to have a young woman say to me

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that she had a lifelong goal
of working in a fast-food restaurant.

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To me, this was unacceptable.

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It was also evident that they had no idea

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that there was a landscape of opportunity

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that existed beyond their neighborhood.

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We call our students "scholars,"
because they're lifelong learners.

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And the skills that they learn today

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will prepare them for college
and career readiness.

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I chose the royal colors
of purple and black,

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because I want them to be reminded
that they are descendants of greatness,

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and that through education,

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they are future engineers,

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scientists,

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entrepreneurs

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and even leaders who can and will
take over this world.

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To date,

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we have had three graduating classes,

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at a 98 --

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(Applause)

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At a 98-percent graduation rate.

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This is nearly 200 children,

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who are now going to some of the most
competitive high schools

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in New York City.

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(Applause)

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It was a cold day in January

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when my scholar, Vidal Chastanet,
met Brandon Stanton,

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the founder of the popular blog
"Humans of New York."

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Brandon shared the story
of a young man from Brownsville

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who had witnessed violence firsthand,

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by witnessing a man
being thrown off of a roof.

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Yet he can still
be influenced by a principal

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who had opened up a school
that believes in all children.

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Vidal embodies the story of so many
of our underprivileged children

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who are struggling to survive,

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which is why we must
make education a priority.

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Brandon's post created a global sensation

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that touched the lives of millions.

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This resulted in 1.4 million
dollars being raised

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for our scholars to attend field trips
to colleges and universities,

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Summer STEAM programs,

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as well as college scholarships.

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You need to understand

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that when 200 young people
from Brownsville visited Harvard,

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they now understood

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that a college of their choice
was a real possibility.

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And the impossibilities
that had been imposed upon them

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by a disadvantaged community

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were replaced by hope and purpose.

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The revolution in education
is happening in our schools,

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with adults who provide love,

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structure,

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support

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and knowledge.

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These are the things
that inspire children.

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But it is not an easy task.

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And there are high demands

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within an education system
that is not perfect.

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But I have a dynamic group of educators

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who collaborate as a team to determine
what is the best curriculum.

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They take time beyond their school day,

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and come in on weekends

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and even use their own money
to often provide resources

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when we do not have it.

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And as the principal,

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I have to inspect what I expect.

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So I show up in classes

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and I conduct observations
to give feedback,

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because I want my teachers
to be just as successful

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as the name Mott Hall Bridges Academy.

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And I give them access to me
every single day,

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which is why they all have
my personal cell number,

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including my scholars
and those who graduated --

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which is probably why I get
phone calls and text messages

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at three o'clock in the morning.

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(Laughter)

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But we are all connected to succeed,

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and good leaders do this.

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Tomorrow's future is sitting
in our classrooms.

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And they are our responsibility.

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That means everyone in here,

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and those who are watching the screen.

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We must believe in their brilliance,

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and remind them by teaching them

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that there indeed is power in education.

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Thank you.

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(Applause)