LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – In the heart of South Los Angeles, on Manchester Avenue at True LA Church, parents and community members called for increased focus, targeted funding and community support to improve the Black Student Literacy rate in LA County Schools. The “Literacy is Life” campaign highlights the 73% of Los Angeles Unified School District and 72% of Compton Unified School District Black third grade students who are not on grade level in English Language Arts.
Organized by Innovate Public Schools, the Black Parent Network (BPN), is a community of parents from diverse backgrounds and various school districts who came together to address the unique challenges and experiences faced by Black students in the education system.
Alongside community organizers, faith leaders and students, the Black Parent Network rallied district leaders and the community for better outcomes. Leaders told the audience to “get on the train, because it’s leaving with or without you,” referencing the building momentum. The campaign to improve Black Student literacy is fueled by the compounding inequities Black students face to achieve and excel in schools. Even before the learning loss caused by the pandemic, Black students have faced many barriers to success, including the lack of comprehensive and targeted campaigns and resources.
During the action, parents shared their testimonies and presented research on the literacy rates in Compton and Los Angeles Unified school districts and overall throughout California. With district leaders in the audience, they called for collaboration between the districts and community partners to focus their attention on improving Black Student Literacy.
Parent leaders and members of the Black Parent Network want a bold and concrete approach to provide young Black scholars in Compton and LA Unified with resources and support needed for academic success.
The solution-based program centers on 5 strategic priorities:
- Focused Instruction of Literacy Skills: Provide comprehensive and recursive literacy instruction.
- Accountability and Transparency: Establish, maintain, and support a community-based oversight committee that will regularly and independently observe, audit, and report on the program’s progress with reliably accurate literacy assessment data
- Community Partnerships: Intentionally and consistently reach out to families and community-based organizations as the Black Student experts in an effort create and maintain partnerships, hear the needs of students, and share information.
- Family Engagement and Development: Develop a colleagueship to train, and compensate parents/families and community members to serve as official Literacy Ambassadors (e.g. Oakland Reach’s Liberator Model)
- Targeted Black Student Literacy Funding: Support and protect the Black Student Literacy Program with policy and funding at the district level. Assist in the advocacy and creation pathways for state level funding as well.
The Literacy is Life campaign is a community approach to improve the Black Student Literacy rates in LA County schools. Members of the Black Parent Network call for colleagueship from the Compton and Los Angeles Unified School districts and partnerships amongst community based organizations, local elected officials and the faith community to join together and push for better outcomes.
For more information about the Literacy is Life Campaign contact Cedric Nelms, Community Organizer at [email protected].
Innovate Public Schools is a community organization dedicated to building the capacity of parents and families to organize, advocate, and demand high-quality schools for their children.