Community schools can repair a lot of the mistrust that parents sometimes build up When a community school says, “Look, we've listened to you and here's what you've told us. And here it is. You said you were struggling with food insecurity. We started a pantry. Come in get something to eat for your kids, for your household.” When they see that, they start to trust the school again. Because, in a lot of these communities, there have been empty promises made about how leadership is going to solve the problem of this school. Oftentimes, leadership didn't see what the problems were because they didn't ask anybody. When a community school practices this approach, they can overcome that history.

Jeff Bryant joins us to discuss his recent writing on the threats facing community public education and the ways schools and communities are resisting them. Articles to be discussed include "How a Struggling Boston School Found Success in the Roots of its Haitian American Community," and "Voters Across the Political Spectrum Gave Public Education Important Wins in the 2024 Election," both available at The Progressive. Rotten History from Renaldo Migaldi and The Moment of Truth with Jeff Dorchen both follow the interview.

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Guest

Jeff Bryant

Jeff Bryant is the lead fellow of The Progressive's Public Schools Advocate project, and a writing fellow and chief correspondent for Our Schools, a project of the Independent Media Institute.

Putting the Community in Community Schools Can Save Public Education / Jeff Bryant

Jeff Bryant