A neighbor and parent on Stellman Road
Mary Beth O’Sullivan, Ignatian Volunteer & Donna Stiglmeier, Director of Casserly House
“In my country, the currency is how much money you have and who you know. Here, in the US, the top currency is access to information.”
This comment was offered by a neighbor on Stellman Road whose daughter had missed the deadline for registration to sit for the test for Boston’s exam schools. Apparently, one parent registered their daughter but later found out, it was not complete. The other parent contacted Casserly House. We called a city councilor and, with some further inquiry, discovered that missing the deadline was not a unique situation. Other students had completed step one of registration not realizing that the process was a multi-step one.
Difficulty navigating systems is common, especially for immigrants, and not only due to the language barrier. Our young neighbor, along with other prospective students, were offered the opportunity to complete the registration and take the exam the following weekend!
This parent knew that he could reach out to Casserly House for the necessary information because of a previous parent workshop at Casserly House. The family was overjoyed and appreciative! For inquiring minds, the daughter did well on the exam, though, what school she will attend next year is still unknown. More steps along the way!