Tell us a bit about yourself:

Hi, I am Laura Smith and I am a Rochester City Resident. I am originally from the UK and have lived in Rochester about 4 years. I am a lawyer by training, but I now run a small business and am also a podcaster and podcast fanatic.

What brought you to the Action for Education Equity Team?

I have a daughter and I want her to be able to walk to her local school and know she will be provided with everything she needs to succeed. When I found out that my daughter would receive less funding simply because of our zipcode I decided I wasn’t going to accept that inequity. Not just for my daughter, but for all the sons and daughters in Rochester NY, things need to change.   

What do you bring to the project?

I guess it would be my passion. I believe that once people understand what is happening here they will want to be part of the solution. So if you see me, I’m going to tell you what is going on and what needs to change. Not sure it makes me the best dinner party guest, but when students are being denied a good quality education day in day out I think it’s important that they know that people are fighting for them and aren’t going to stop until they get what they need to succeed.

Your goal of 86 million is a lot of money, why such an ambitious target?

Because that is the amount the district is underfunded this year, it’s the bare minimum to deliver an educational experience that meets the needs of the children. Asking for less would imply they deserve less and that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Having said that, it might seem like a lot on paper but actually it’s only $5 per NY State resident. And again, this is where my passion comes in, I find that if you live in a district where your children are receiving the education they need and you find out that you could give your neighbors (and in some cases it is quite literally a neighbor living a block away) the same by giving $5 dollars, people are more than willing to do that. And, in fact, lots are willing to generously give much much more. 

I think as parents and families we all know that deep commitment and drive that there is nothing we wouldn’t do for our children and so supporting other parents to help their children achieve their potential is natural.  On an individual level it’s a small amount that could have a huge impact for the students of this district. 

What’s your biggest hope for the project?

That next year we don’t have to exist, there are solutions to equitably fund Rochester City School District in the long term and they need to be implemented urgently. That is why the joint fundraising/ advocacy mission is really important to me. We are fundraising because the need is so desperately urgent, but long term sustainable funding sources need to be in place.

You seem to live and breathe this project, what will you do when it ends?

Ha, good question! It is certainly a big part of my life. I haven’t thought much about what comes after, but to no longer be needed would be a fantastic outcome so I think it would be a good problem to have! One thing is sure, it would certainly make me a less intense dinner party guest! 

Laura was recently interviewed for the Not Your Average BS podcast. Listen to her talk more about the Action for Education Equity project and what drives her here.