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Orange Center ES Students: Welcome to Mondays with Maria. 

ANNOUNCER: Presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Here's OCPS Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez.

Dr. Vazquez: Hi everyone. Thank you for that wonderful introduction from Orange Center Elementary. Eddy Moratin is here with me today. He's the Co-founder and President of LiftOrlando, along with Erin Albert, Principal of Orange Center. And we are delighted to have one of our parents from Orange Center. Michelle Wright, welcome to The Mondays with Maria Show. So happy to have you. So last month, we made history with our first-ever conversion vote. Orange Center will officially become a public-private charter school, beginning with the 2026-27 school year. Parents voted 185 to 32 in favor of the conversion, a partnership between LiftOrlando, and Orange County Public Schools. I've had so many questions about this partnership, and there's been confusion. Eddie, let's help clear up some of those misunderstandings. It's not a school of hope; it's not a co-location situation. This is news that we are so excited about. It's about community, partnership, and collaboration.

Eddy Moratin, LiftOrlando Co-founder & President: No, that's absolutely right. Thank you. And it is a helpful clarification for people that it's not a charter school in the way they normally might think of a charter school, but the opportunity here to innovate, getting the best of both models, committing to all of our children, but in a way that actually serves children and their parents. And this school will have as its mission in credit to your leadership in this entire process, Dr. Vazquez, to see this as an opportunity to create a laboratory of innovation that not only does great things for the children and families at the school, but shares, resources, knowledge, training with the entire community of public schools that are in that feeder pattern.

Dr. Vazquez: We're so excited. Erin, you have decided to stay on as the Principal of Orange Center. Share with us some of the thoughts around that decision.

Erin Albert, Orange Center Principal: Of course. So I think for me, this is deeply personal. I believe in the 32805 community, and I've spent the majority of my career there serving the students and families. I'm really excited to take on this new vision and see it to fruition. I think our students, our parents, and our teachers all have a voice, and I'm excited to be the leader of the voice.

Eddy Moratin: We're so excited about her. Oh, my goodness. 

Dr. Vazquez: Well, and you said that it's deeply personal. I've watched you in several interactions, both times when, you know, it was a formal event and informal events, and you engage with the families. You know their names, you know their stories, their challenges, their celebrations, and so I, I think you're part of that family. And so we're so excited that we're able to have that type of relationship because it takes that for our children to truly thrive. Ms. Wright, this really was parent-driven. There was legislation that was passed recently that allowed parents in any of our communities to vote to convert a school. So what do you like about the plan moving forward?

Michelle Wright, Orange Center Parent: I love the fact that we have this collaboration where the parents have a say in what happens with our kids. It's very important with their future that we are able to come in and sit on these boards and talk and collaborate with the partners, with the understanding that their future means a lot to us, just as much as it does to them.

Dr. Vazquez: Right. So, you talk about making sure that parents are, are at the table and that parents have a choice. To me, that just speaks volumes about what this means for our families. And so many may not realize that this has been in the making for years. Right? A lot of thought. Countless conversations. A few tears. I think? Also, gray hair, so that this could really work for everyone. And so, how will the school operate differently from a traditional school? And Eddie, what's the next step?

Eddy Moratin: In many ways, this approach will address the fact that we've put too much on teachers and schools to have solutions for all the challenges that children face today on their own. In this model, the wider community gets to invest in support for the school's success, and parents have a seat at the table, making decisions in the design and the operations of the school. There's an opportunity to really see what makes great schools great. A committed principal, a leader, a talented team of teachers, and supported families. Because our families are thriving, our kids do their best.

Dr. Vazquez: And you can really see the transformation that has taken place in the neighborhood and surrounding the school over the last several, several years. A commitment from LiftOrlando to pour into the community. Ms. Wright, what are you most excited about in this partnership?

Michelle Wright: Most excited about these kids being able to go from kindergarten to eighth grade together, being able to do projects together at school. Also, the parent portion of it with mental health, having counselors on staff who can be able to assist with families when they're having any type of struggles or hardships. So, I think it's going to be an amazing, amazing partnership. 

Dr. Vazquez: Erin, from your perspective, what will this look like for you, you know, our children and our, and our families?

Erin Albert: Of course. So, it's going to become even more of an innovative school with an esteem focus. I think this opportunity gives our parents a permanent seat at the table. I think parents have always had opinions about education. They know their children best. And we spend eight hours a day with them. So now we get to come together and design this school. I think the vision that we have for our students here will be life-changing and a change for generations to come. And the parents are the main voice behind that, starting with having a seat on the board, our teacher task force, and our parent task force. So we're really excited to have families have this opportunity.

Dr. Vazquez: And, you know, in education for so many years, there's been more that's been put on our plates. And really, our main task and our specialty is to educate the children. And with fewer dollars, we've been able to do less of those support services that are really needed. And so, this is going to allow for those ad hoc services and supports to continue to be available and expand. So thank you so much for being here. It, it's really such a joy to be able to see how our collaboration and not competition can benefit our children and our families. Thank you all for watching. This has been a great conversation. Don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe. We will have more on our podcast. Just go to wherever you get your podcast and search for Mondays with Maria. Have a phenomenal week.

Announcer: For an extended conversation on today's topic. Listen to the Mondays with Maria podcast available wherever you get your podcasts. Mondays with Maria is presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Count us in for every step of your financial journey. Learn more at AdditionFi.com. For more OCPS news and information, visit TheSlice.ocps.net. I'm your announcer. Emily Hannon, a student at Audubon Park School. Thanks for watching, and have a great week.