Hi I'm Ashley Esposito! I'm a mom, full-time technology analyst, local artist, and neighborhood wellness advocate living in Violetville (Southwest Baltimore). I am running for the Baltimore City Public Schools Board of Commissioners.
I believe that I bring a different perspective to the current board. I am an adult with learning differences and past trauma. Our schools should be accessible to all learning styles and languages. My dream is for students with learning differences to thrive in school. Students with trauma and learning differences are at great risk of ending up incarcerated.
As a former at-risk student, I was lucky to go to a school that had a comprehensive school-based wellness center. I have friends that were not as lucky and this brought me to join Schools Not Jails. We are working through legislation and advocacy to end the school-to-prison pipeline.
I also know how important it is to invest in wrap around services. Students spend as much time in the school building as they do at home. Many children go to school hiding economic insecurity, trauma, and other serious obstacles. These are barriers to their participation in the classroom. If we really want to meet our kids where they are, we need to ensure our budget matches our values. We have to care what our kids are going through personally.
I served on several college level boards and councils for University System of Maryland and Maryland Higher Education Commission. My lived experience allows me to bring heart into these spaces. I am typically the voice of inclusive practices, mental wellness, and building relationships. I ask questions and push leadership to change the way they engage with the community. I have seen this model work in my own community and have worked with Baltimore city agencies to push themselves further when it comes to community engagement. I would like to bring this experience to the board.
I want to be an advocate for all students, parents, and community members. People in my neighborhood can attest that my seat will be the community’s seat on the school board. I believe in working as a collective to find the solutions to complex problems. I truly want to be everyone’s voice (not just my own) on the Baltimore City School Board of Commissioners.
As a parent, I am concerned about the outcomes of the most negatively impacted students in our school system. I tie my sons outcome to the outcomes of every kid in Baltimore City Public Schools. I am hoping all of us can move towards focusing on OUR kids. I would be honored to have the City of Baltimore choose me as their advocate.
