“Minister Ayize’s vision, enthusiasm, and expertise played a crucial role in winning quality after-school programs that are now in 18 of the county’s highest-poverty elementary schools. I will never forget the way he brought us together by leading us in singing, ‘This Little Light of Mine.’ His energy and wisdom have led the way for AIM.”
—Cynthia Marshall

Reflection from Dr. Sabater:

“As a researcher and educational organizer, I was inspired to be part of AIM’s campaign for the Excel Beyond the Bell after-school program and do research on the impact of parent organizing because of AIM’s effectiveness.

AIM started with listening with hundreds of parents at Title I (low-income) elementary schools, where many expressed the need for out-of-school time programming to help their students succeed in school.

AIM started organizing with the County Council to create the Excel Beyond the Bell (formerly Dream Academy) after-school program, and they hired me as a consultant to develop the budgeting for the program. 

We went to meet with the Councilmembers, one by one about the possibility of establishing the after-school programs, and I kid you not, each one laughed us out of their office. They each said, “We’re already spending about 50% of the county budget on education, and we’re not spending a dime more.” They each ran us out of their office.

So the team of AIM leaders said, “Let’s put the Councilmembers in a room with a thousand parents, and then let them tell the parents they're not going to fund this after-school program.”

At St. Camillus Church, AIM put the Councilmembers into a room with the organized parents. And mind you, that AIM didn’t just get 1,000 parents to show up—AIM successfully organized over 1,100 people! New Hampshire Ave was blocked up, from the Hillandale shopping center past the Beltway entrance, all the way to the turn off for St. Camillus Church on Dilston Rd, because of the number of people coming.

The pastor came up wearing his robe, and one by one the Councilmembers came up, and he asked them if they were going to fund the after-school program. They each gave some pre-rehearsed political mumbo jumbo speech about the importance of education and how children are the future. Then the pastor said, “Okay, but yes or no, are you going to fund the after-school program?” 

One Councilmember got up to the mic, and his hand was visibly shaking. I guess he didn't believe there were going to be so many organized people in the church.

AIM was successful in getting Excel Beyond the Bell funded for two schools, and we have won additional schools every year since! 

My church, the People’s Community Baptist Church under the visionary leadership of Pastor Haywood A. Robinson III, was considering whether to become a member institution of AIM. And my church was so impressed, they said, “We need to join AIM because they're getting stuff done.” And so we did.

I was in graduate school at the time for my EdD and was planning to write my dissertation on culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP), which I had already done research on.

But after experiencing the power of parent organizing at that action, I said, “Man, forget that CRP dissertation topic, I need to study parent organizing, this is the game-changer in education!” Everyone of my classmates thought I had lost my mind because I had already done all this research on the CRP topic, but I was deeply moved by the power of that action.

 In my research, I asked the question, “Does parental involvement make a difference in the academic performance of a particular student?” I did a survey questionnaire and focus groups where I interviewed mostly members of AIM, very engaged parents, and the schools I looked at were Excel Beyond the Bell schools. It was under Principal Ashton and Principal King that I did much of my research.

My research showed that parents’ involvement in organizing could improve outcomes both for their children, but also performance of the whole school. Parental involvement is powerful when it is well organized, like the work that AIM is doing with Excel Beyond the Bell.

With AIM, we’re doing practical community building that feeds one’s soul. Sometimes, particularly in our religious organizations, we're so spiritually focused that we're of little earthly good. 

But working with AIM gave me more substance and relevance to my faith walk. Involvement in AIM helped me put hands to the plow and boots on the ground to move forward the kingdom-building mission that I believe the Creator calls us to do. AIM is doing tremendous community-building work, and I’m grateful to have been part of it.”