Amplifying communities: Black-, Brown-, and Indigenous-founded charter schools and a path towards educational equity
By Naomi N. Shelton
October 12, 2023
A Generation at Risk by the Building Bridges Initiative rightly emphasizes the need for urgent action to improve learning opportunities and address educational disparities. Charter schools led by people of color offer a promising avenue to advance the goals outlined in the report. These schools are not a panacea, but they represent a powerful tool for creating more equitable educational opportunities. By supporting, investing in, and amplifying the efforts of these schools, we can take significant steps toward building a more inclusive and equitable education system for all students, regardless of their background.
Charter schools as agents of change
Public charter schools, as a concept, have long been hailed as potential disruptors of the traditional public education system. Publicly funded but operated independently, charter schools have the autonomy to design curricula, develop innovative teaching methods, and tailor educational approaches to their specific communities. This autonomy can be especially advantageous when led by people of color who deeply understand the unique needs and challenges faced by students of color.
The National Charter Collaborative (NCC) supports single-site charter school leaders of color whose schools reflect the hopes and dreams of their students and the cultural fabric of their communities. Charter school leaders of color are a critical, yet often overlooked, collective representing an estimated one-fourth of charter schools, and impacting more than 335,000 students across the U.S. Charter schools led by people of color demonstrate how autonomy can catalyze positive change in underserved communities.
Addressing disparities in educational outcomes
A Generation at Risk highlights significant disparities in educational outcomes, with students of color disproportionately affected by inequitable funding, limited access to advanced courses, and persistent belief gaps. Charter schools led by people of color often address these disparities head-on. Through culturally responsive curricula, targeted support, community engagement, and innovative approaches, diverse leaders across the country have created schools that meet the needs of today’s students.
The conditions my colleagues and I outlined in A Generation at Risk call for a more relevant and responsive education system where all students have more equitable opportunities to succeed. From New Mexico to New Jersey, there are tangible examples of schools moving the needle and meeting students’ and families’ current and future needs. Here are three.
1. BELIEVE Circle City High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, is an early college and career preparatory high school focused on fostering the academic achievement, autonomy, and agency needed to contribute to our evolving society. BCC works with historically underestimated youth, equipping them with the skills necessary to become well-adjusted, civically engaged, and financially stable adults. Moving away from the traditional “seat time,” BCC offers an early career and early college dual enrollment model. With an emphasis on autonomy, agency, and acceleration, each “path” provides enrichment on campus, off campus, and the student’s choice of study hall or career training.
2. Siembra Leadership High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, combines passionate and innovative educators, high-growth employers, and local entrepreneurs to offer innovative, real-world learning that prepares students for the future. With students from fourteen to twenty-five years old, including individuals who have re-enrolled for a high school diploma, Siembra currently serves 85 percent students of color, 35 percent students with disabilities, 20 percent English language learners, and has one of the highest rates of young people living in poverty in the state. As the only entrepreneurship-focused high school in the state, students develop twenty-first-century skills and an entrepreneurial mindset that prepares them for college and career success. Students and families benefit from supports of both school- and community-based organizations to ensure students can focus on hands-on, rigorous learning each day.
3. BRICK (Building Resilient Intelligent Creative Kids) Education Network, a charter management organization based in Newark, New Jersey, invests in children and their caregivers to relentlessly knock down barriers to students’ academic success. The BRICK Community Network is a community support organization with a proven track record of breaking cycles of poverty through a unique, two-generation approach. By addressing the needs of children and their caregivers, they work to minimize barriers to generational success and support communities. BRICK operates two charter schools, a network of thirty-plus community partners, and a partnership with Gateway U in Teacher’s Village, the Southward Promise Neighborhood.
With autonomy and community-centered motivation as the nexus of their efforts, Black-, Brown-, and Indigenous-led charter schools, such as those above, provide concrete examples of many of the recommendations outlined in A Generation at Risk. The school leaders embrace innovation, provide culturally responsive education, and engage communities in unique ways to meet the current and future needs of their students.
As we work toward a future where every student has an equal opportunity to succeed, charter schools led by people of color are inspiring examples of what can be achieved when communities take ownership of their children’s education. By supporting these schools and fostering a collaborative spirit, we can move closer to realizing the vision outlined in A Generation at Risk—a vision of a more equitable, inclusive, and impactful education system for all.
The Building Bridges Initiative 