Rocketship DC parents Erika Harrell and Shavon Collier had the honor to be featured in The 74 Million’s latest project, “Reinventing America’s Schools.” Ms. Harrell and Ms. Collier are both founding parents of Rocketship Rise Academy.

This project by The 74 was inspired by the new book Reinventing America’s Schools: Creating a 21st Century Education System, by the Progressive Policy Institute’s David Osborne. It is a bracing survey of the most dramatic improvements taking place in urban public education today, in cities as diverse as New Orleans, Denver, Washington, D.C., and Indianapolis. To celebrate the publication of Osborne’s book and to further tell the story found in it, The 74 Million created a microsite of stories and videos from each profiled region.

To celebrate the vibrant district-charter collaboration and entire school system turnaround in DC, our two Rocketship Rise Academy parents told their story of being involved at Rocketship:

• Erika Harrell, Parent of 3rd grader, Rocketship Public Schools—Rise Academy. “I like to be included in my child’s learning process. I like to know what’s going on with them so that I can be supportive at home, and to me, the charter model just has been the most beneficial. Aside from cutting down on the bureaucracy, I feel like teachers have more freedom to connect with parents without so much red tape. Having choice really feels like I have the stronger freedom to determine and act on the kind of parent I want to be. I think of myself as a teacher first when it comes to my kids. Learning doesn’t just happen in the classroom, and I believe that teachers and parents and schools should have a strong partnership. For me, it’s about finding the best partner for my kids so that they can be the best that they can be.” Watch more from Ms. Harrell:

• Shavon Collier, Shavon Collier, Parent of 3rd grader, Rocketship Public Schools—Rise Academy. “While my child has been at Rocketship, I will say she has grown six levels up compared to where she was. She loves to come to school. She loves being here. Before, she didn’t like coming to school. They reward your child on good behavior, good academics, and things of that nature. When I say reward, they just notice them. Children like that. They look forward to receiving an incentive. Not even an incentive, just acknowledgement of doing good in school. She went above and beyond and I saw that she tried her best at doing what she was supposed to do in school versus when she was in other schools. She tries much harder. She just loves, loves, loves learning now.” Watch more from Ms. Collier: