Our Story
In 2019, seven dedicated women, with 11 kids amongst them, found each other and began a journey.
Their children were affected by dyslexia and other co-occurring conditions like ADHD and anxiety. As parents, they were united through the shared experience of watching their children live through the shame and frustration of not being able to read. They saw how the system failed their kids and understood how severely others were struggling too.
They decided to form a collective, to advocate for what they knew their children needed: NYC’s first public school designed for children with dyslexia, language-based learning differences, and other reading challenges.
They knocked on every door, talking with specialists, city officials, the mayor himself. They rallied support. They heard a lot of no’s.
Then, they succeeded. After three and a half years of advocacy, and their formation of the Literacy Academy Collective, South Bronx Literacy Academy opened its doors to 72 students who had finally found their school community.
Their pledge to families:
“This year will be different.”
And it was.
Building upon the success of that first school, Central Brooklyn Literacy Academy opens its doors this year. We are excited to be on the forefront of inclusive public education: one that finally allows our students to experience academic success.
We believe access to literacy is the most pressing civil rights issue in New York City. Our goal is to break the cycle of illiteracy for students with dyslexia and other reading challenges.
Come learn with our new pack in Brooklyn!
Jason Borges,
Founding Principal, IA
Jason Borges, Founding Principal of Central Brooklyn Literacy Academy, is a dedicated literacy specialist and the former Executive Director of Literacy, Academic Intervention Services & Library Sciences at the NYC Department of Education. A 25-year veteran of the New York educational landscape, Borges began as a classroom teacher in Brooklyn.
A leader in NYC Reads, Borges drove systemwide literacy reform, ensuring students—especially those with language-based learning differences—received the instruction and support they needed to succeed.
Borges is honored to bring his passion for literacy to Central Brooklyn Literacy Academy, the first school of its kind in Brooklyn, and the third public school for struggling readers nationwide.