For generations, parents have arranged their work schedules, child care and family routines around the school day. Eric Grannis wants to turn that model on its head.
This fall, Strive Charter School will open its doors in Mott Haven with an ambitious goal: not only to educate children, but to make life easier for families. The free charter school will offer a traditional academic day alongside optional programming from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, nearly year-round — a model Grannis believes is unlike any other in the United States.
“We’re trying to make parents’ lives easier,” said Grannis, Strive’s executive director, during an exclusive interview with LittleAfrica News. “Because you’re making parents’ lives easier, you’re making it more likely they’ll bring their children in, and that means we get more opportunities to provide enriching experiences.”
For Grannis, the idea is deeply personal.
A longtime advocate for school choice who has volunteered in New York’s charter school movement since the state’s charter law was enacted, Grannis said the inspiration for Strive came after he and his wife sent their three children off to college. Looking back, they concluded that much of their children’s success came from what happened outside the classroom.
“About 80 percent of a child’s waking hours are spent outside of school,” he said. “Even if two children receive the same education during the school day, their experiences during the remaining hours can lead them to very different outcomes.”
That realization became the foundation for Strive’s educational model.
A School Built Around Families
Unlike a traditional school, Strive’s required instructional day will run from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Before and after those hours, families may choose when to bring children to the school for supervised enrichment activities without making reservations or committing to a fixed schedule. The campus will also operate on weekends and during much of the summer.
Grannis said flexibility is especially important for families in communities like the South Bronx, where many parents work multiple jobs or have schedules that change from week to week.
Rather than forcing parents to find expensive after-school care or rely on relatives, Strive aims to become a reliable community resource.
Students attending the extended-day program will receive free breakfast, lunch and dinner, and transportation will include multiple pickup and drop-off times to better accommodate working families. Parents can even request different pickup and drop-off locations if needed.
Grannis recalled speaking with one parent who planned to have her son dropped off at his grandmother’s home after school because she would still be at work. Once she learned Strive’s later bus service could bring him home closer to 7 p.m., those extra arrangements were no longer necessary.
“For those families, that flexibility is a lifesaver,” he said.
Raising the Standard for After-School Programs
Grannis believes after-school programming should be viewed as an extension of the educational day — not an afterthought.
Instead of relying on temporary or part-time staff, Strive is hiring full-time teaching assistants who will work alongside classroom teachers during the school day before leading enrichment activities after school, on weekends and throughout the summer. The assistants will receive ongoing professional development and mentorship while earning salaries beginning around $60,000 annually.
“The same educators students see during the school day are going to be the same educators they see after school and on weekends,” Grannis said. “We wanted all of those pieces functioning together as one program.”
The school also plans to use technology to simplify everyday routines. A mobile app under development will allow parents to notify the school when they are on their way, enabling staff to have students ready when parents arrive. Grannis said the goal is to reduce pickup times from as much as 30 minutes at some schools to just seconds.
Blending Traditional and Progressive Learning
Academically, Strive combines elements of structured instruction with student-directed learning.
Students will receive rigorous teacher-led instruction in mathematics and English language arts using curriculum elements from Success Academy, whose academic performance has been well documented. The remainder of the day will emphasize independent reading, science exploration and project-based learning designed to encourage curiosity and creativity.
Grannis said children will have opportunities to choose books that match their interests, believing that developing a love of reading is more valuable than assigning the same book to every student.
“It’s more important to create readers than simply assign reading,” he said.
Science kits and hands-on learning stations will also allow students to explore topics that interest them while working independently or collaboratively with classmates.
More Than a School
During the interview, Grannis challenged the notion that schools should focus exclusively on academics.
Some educators, he said, have questioned whether parents might use Strive’s weekend programming primarily as child care. His response was simple.
“I hope they will,” he said. “We’re a school to educate children, but we’re also here to help parents. If parents need to work, run errands or simply spend a little time together, that’s a service too.”
He believes supporting parents ultimately benefits students by reducing stress on families and giving children access to safe, enriching environments during hours when they might otherwise be unsupervised.
Enrollment Underway
Strive Charter School is located at 604 East 139th Street in Mott Haven, approximately one block from the Cypress Avenue station on the No. 6 subway line. The kindergarten through 4th grade school is still accepting applications. Its inaugural kindergarten class will enroll approximately 150 students. While the school primarily serves Bronx families, children from anywhere in New York City are eligible to apply.
Optional programming begins on August 31st, with the required academic year starting immediately after Labor Day.
For Grannis, Strive represents more than a new school — it represents a new way of thinking about public education.
“There are a lot of good charter schools,” he said. “Schools should be competing for students instead of parents desperately searching for a good school. If we can raise expectations for what schools provide, that’s good for every family.”
For more information or to enroll your child, call (201) 730-2137 or visit the website at https://www.strivecharterschool.org/
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