Meet Mario Benabe: Growing a Wildflower Charter in the Bronx

During the national Grantmakers for Education conference this fall, Wildflower had the chance to gather with thought leaders, funders, and school founders to explore what we’ve learned through a decade of supporting 70+ teams of teachers starting sustainable Montessori microschools that reflect their passions and the needs of local families.

We want to invite you into that conversation by sharing some of the resulting voices and data.

We invite you to watch Co-Founder and Teacher Leader Mario Benabe's interview on Wildflower New York Charter School's impact in the Bronx.

It's a privilege to introduce you to Mario Benabe. Mario started his career as a Math Specialist with the New York City Department of Education through Teach For America. He grew interested in early childhood education and the early history of Montessori in the South Bronx and decided to start a school in the Morrisania neighborhood where he grew up, in the heart of the lowest-income Congressional district in the United States.

In the featured video, Mario shares how he and co-founders Aura Cely and Ayeisha Seawright Moses developed and executed their vision for their Wildflower school, with support from Wildflower, SUNY Charter Schools Institute, and Bronx community organizers. 

Now five years old, Wildflower New York Charter School (WNYCS) serves 62 students from Pre-K through 6th grade. It’s a beautiful school where children work hard in a supportive community, love to learn, take pride in their growth, and feel the care and support of dedicated educators. Two years ago, WNYCS students scored at the 29th percentile in math and the 36th percentile in reading according to NWEA; by the end of last year, students reached the 48th and 67th percentile, respectively. In the MEFS assessment of executive functioning, elementary students moved from the 18th percentile to the 59th. Parents continue to be enamored with the program, demonstrated through a Net Promoter Score of 74.

If you are interested in visiting the Wildflower New York Charter School, please send us a note.

Wildflower schools serve diverse communities using a variety of governance structures and public funding streams. Last month, a new Wildflower charter was approved in Columbus, Ohio, which joins the existing network of charters in Colorado, Minnesota, New York, and Washington, D.C. Teams in Michigan and Tennessee are moving through the authorization process this year; applications in California, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, and Rhode Island are under development. Meanwhile, nine schools serve elementary or secondary-aged students funded by Educational Savings Accounts or K-12 voucher programs in Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Nevada, North Carolina, and Utah, and soon Arkansas and Washington, D.C. And, of the 60 schools serving preschool-aged children, 58 accept public childcare subsidies or charter funding to support access for low-income families.

Interested in learning more about these initiatives and how tiny teacher-led schools can foster innovation, community connection and breakthroughs in learning and well-being? Stay in touch by subscribing to our newsletter.