Progress and Potential: The Innovations of Pandemic Learning Communities Led by Leaders of Color

In partnership with researchers around the country, CRPE conducted 22 case studies of community-based pandemic learning communities to learn more about the experiences of those who participated. This paper synthesizes lessons from seven initiatives that were led by community leaders of color to assess what they may cumulatively teach us about advancing racial justice in K-12 educational spaces. We found: (1) COVID-19 created a window of opportunity for leadership and innovation in communities of color, (2) Leaders of color drew on similar practices when designing the programs, including hiring staff of color, avoiding punitive discipline practices, adopting culturally relevant pedagogy, and supporting student and family well-being, (3) Leaders saw programs as a way to put advocacy proposals into action, (4) Parents reported high levels of satisfaction with the programming, and (5) Funding, expertise, and school reopenings challenge the future of these programs.

Pods in Action: Black Mothers Forum. How the Black Mothers Forum Customized a Microschool Model to Better Meet the Needs of Arizona's Black Families

Founded by mothers long concerned about the safety and welfare of their Black children, Black Mothers Forum (BMF) is an Arizona-based education advocacy group that responded to the COVID-19 crisis by launching two microschools for Black families in Phoenix, Arizona, in January 2021. BMF partnered with Prenda, a well-known microschool provider, but adapted their model to better meet the needs of Black families. The microschools they created made students and their families feel safer, more affirmed, and more engaged than their prior school experiences. This report offers important lessons that could help school districts and other educational innovators become more inclusive and supportive spaces for the Black families they serve.

Pods in Action: The Oakland REACH. Powerful Parents: The Evolution of the Hub at the Oakland REACH

The Oakland REACH (REACH), a parent-run education advocacy group embedded in a predominantly Black and Latinx community in Oakland, California, responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by developing programming in response to community needs and found an opportunity to shape practices in schools. REACH's story demonstrates the potential for community-based organizations to play a larger role in addressing both current challenges and longstanding iniquities in the public education system. This brief discusses the key lessons learned.