Report: Charter School Leaders of Color Encourage Families to Support Students

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools released a report on Nov. 18 about how three leaders of color encourage families to be more involved with their children’s schools. The report, called “Identity and Charter School Leadership: Profiles of Leaders of Color Engaging Families,” is second in a series of three reports that highlight how leaders of color in charter schools succeed in their leadership, according to a press release.

According to Amy Wilkins, who is the senior vice president of Advocacy at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, their goal is to “feature leaders of color in charter schools—which are all public schools—who are making a clear positive difference in their communities across the country.”

Maquita Alexander, for example, is the executive director and Head of School for Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School in Washington, D.C.

According to the press release, Alexander relied on the parents to take on a leadership role when she decided to create a more inclusive campus to students who came from a diverse set of backgrounds.

Another example is Freddy Delgado who, according to the statement, is superintendent as well as the principal at Amigos Por Vida Charter School in Houston. Delgado not only grew the school’s culture of being family first, but he also increased the expectations for parents to become more involved and focused on the tools that students need to succeed.

Although there are positives to this initiative, the report showcases some negatives as well such as how some families are not so willing to be involved with their schools. This reluctance may be partially due to their personal experiences as people of color in educational settings.

However, the report also provides the leaders’ experiences as people of color, including creating opportunities for not only people of color but children who come from low-income families, highlighting the value of students and their families themselves rather than the compensation they can give, and providing students with the same educational experience as their peers who are more privileged.