High-achieving child bullied in public school

Our daughter, a Junior at Mount De Sales Academy High School for Girls, has received an amazing education in part due to the funding we have received through BOOST. We are a low-income white family that values a quality education. Our daughter previously attended a public middle school where she was bullied for “doing more work than they were expected to do,” other students ridiculed her for trying to be successful, going above and beyond in the classroom, volunteering with organizations within the school for students with special needs (“Best Buddies”), being kind and considerate.

The BOOST funding isn’t about public versus private for us. It’s about a strong academic experience, being surrounded by other students who strive to do and be better, to go above an beyond, not settle for bare minimum or, in some cases, less. It’s about being able to prepare our daughter for a bright future, despite being a low-income, white family trying our best to make ends meet and wanting to educate our children with high moral and educational standards. It’s about consistency, accountability, success, giving my child the best foundation for success despite not having the resources to do it alone.

Students like my daughter deserve an education that builds them up on a daily basis, not tears them down. I know the learning environment she is currently in does that for her. She is an honor roll student, plays sports, participates in numerous clubs, and has plans for a bright future. Taking away the BOOST funding deprives children, like mine, the opportunity to learn in the environment that suits them best. BOOST funding is a drop in the bucket compared to what the state spends on public schools. I urge our governor to continue the BOOST funding, allowing children to learn and grow to their fullest potential, and giving parents the right to choose that environment.

— Danielle Remesch, Catonsville