For years, Innovate’s Black Parent Network has empowered Black parents and caregivers in San Francisco and Los Angeles to become leaders and advocates – strengthening community institutions and shaping the future of our children’s education. Through grassroots organizing and leadership development, BPN works to expand access to high-quality literacy instruction for Black students, deepen school-parent partnerships, and secure more funding or Black student educational programs.
At the heart of this work is a simple truth: if we want different outcomes for Black students, we need to start with honesty. For too long, Black students in California have been denied the high-quality literacy instruction they deserve.
Improving literacy for Black students: What the data says
In partnership with BPN parent leaders, we’ve just published Literacy is Life: Improving Literacy for Black Students. This new report brings together what the data shows, what families already know, and what California’s public education system has yet to do. The findings are deeply concerning, but not surprising.
Right now, just 3 in 10 Black students in California are reading on grade level. Over the past decade, that number has barely moved. And fewer than 2% of school districts use a reading curriculum aligned with the Science of Reading, even though decades of research show it works.
This is a literacy crisis. But it’s also a systems crisis – one rooted in decades of educational disenfranchisement, where Black students are more likely to attend under-resourced schools, have novice teachers, and lack access to the foundational instruction they need to thrive.
What’s inside the report?
- Why outdated reading approaches like “balanced literacy” and “three-cueing” are failing students
- What high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction should look like, especially for Black students
- How families, educators, and leaders can push for real change, from classroom curriculum to districtwide policy
It’s also full of tools – including the questions parents can ask district leaders right now to hold systems accountable.
We created this report because we know information is power, and change happens when communities are armed with both data and a plan. We hope you’ll read it, share it, and use it – because literacy is life.
Our newest report, Literacy is Life: Improving Literacy for Black Students, is now available.
Introducing Innovate’s Black Parent Network leaders
We’re proud to welcome two powerful organizers to our Black Parent Network team: Tonya Craft-Perry and Maurice Goodman. Both bring a deep commitment to equity, decades of lived and professional experience, and a vision for education that centers Black families and students.
Tonya Craft-Perry is a dedicated advocate, educator and mother of three in Compton with nearly two decades of experience uplifting diverse students and families. She has served in multiple leadership roles, including Chair of the District Black Parent Advisory Committee in Compton Unified, PTA President for both George Washington Carver Elementary and the Compton Union Council, and as a Parent Leader with the Black Parent Network and the Innovate State Leader Board. Tonya is also the Founding President and Lead Minister of Illumination Comprehensive Development, a faith-based outreach ministry focused on education and service.
Now, as Parent Organizer for Innovate’s Black Parent Network in Los Angeles, Tonya is leading our work in partnership with LAUSD to push for stronger literacy outcomes for Black students. With her leadership, the movement is growing and already making an impact.
Tonya Craft-Perry and Maurice Goodman are Innovate’s newest Black Parent Network leaders.
Maurice Goodman is a seasoned leader and equity champion from the Bay Area, with a long history of public service. A proud product of public housing in San Francisco’s Fillmore District, Maurice’s journey is grounded in lived experience. From food insecurity and systemic racism to early fatherhood, he has turned his experience into purpose, serving as a youth mentor, nonprofit executive, educator, and policymaker. His leadership roles include Vice Mayor of Millbrae, President of the San Mateo County NAACP, and President-Elect of the Umoja Community Education Foundation. He’s also served as an elected trustee and board president for both the San Mateo County Community College District and South San Francisco Unified School District.
While this work is just getting started under Maurice’s leadership, momentum is already building. Earlier this month, Redwood City honored our Black Parent Network and just a few days later, we were invited to raise the flag with San Mateo County in recognition of our commitment to Black student success.
Together, Tonya and Maurice are helping lead a movement for educational justice – by, with, and for Black families across California.
A heartfelt thank you to Jose Arenas for 12 years of service
After more than a decade of transformative leadership, our Executive Vice President, Jose Arenas, is stepping away from Innovate.
Jose has spent 12 years building the foundation of what Innovate’s organizing work is today – and his impact stretches far beyond our organization. From training and mentoring grassroot leaders to helping shape parent-led campaigns, his work has helped deliver real wins – new policies, new schools, and new opportunities for so many families across California. His leadership was consistently rooted in trust, humility, and the unwavering belief that power should be built – and shared – by the people most affected by inequity.
While Jose is stepping away from his current role, he isn’t stepping away from the mission. To honor Jose’s lasting impact, we’re proud to announce that one of our most transformative training institutes will now bear his name: The Jose Arenas Leadership Institute. Our next 2-day training is set for the Bay Area in September.
On behalf of everyone at Innovate, we’d like to wholeheartedly thank Jose for his vision, commitment, and the many ways he’s helped shape who we are as an organization today. He is leaving behind not just a legacy, but a living network of leaders who are organizing, advocating, and winning because he believed in them.
Thank you for remaining committed to building a future where all students are seen, heard, and given every opportunity to thrive.
With appreciation,
Michelle
