Local community organizations played an indelible role in leading the Community Control effort. One major contributor was the Parents Development Program (PDP), which adopted a militant, feminist approach to educational reform. Run by local mothers from Two Bridges, the organization embraced a feminist leadership model dedicated to the liberation of working-class Chinese and Puerto Rican women.
The PDP believed that improving the educational system required not only the active involvement of families in the classroom but also beyond it. Advocating for better facilities, culturally responsive teachers, curriculum changes, and more, the PDP demanded a complete overhaul of New York City’s education system.
“Improving schools meant empowering the very women and families the system had long excluded.”
Language access was a paramount concern for the PDP. Not only did many parents in Two Bridges lack English proficiency, making it difficult for them to advocate for their children in school, but many Asian and Latino students were not receiving the language assistance they needed in their schools. As such, the organization helped hire teacher assistants from underrepresented backgrounds, ensuring that staff better reflected the linguistic and cultural diversity of the Two Bridges student body to better support families. The PDP also organized workshops to empower working-class parents, specifically targeting Chinese and Spanish-speaking families. These workshops helped parents overcome language barriers and actively participate in their children’s education, fostering solidarity among Asian, Black, and Latino families.