Community-Based Organizations and the Sustainability of Indigenous and Latinx Educators During COVID-19: Academia Cuauhtli Case Study

Abstract

Schools often experience rapid turnover among teachers of color. Yet research and practice highlight the importance of teachers of color in the K–12 education system. As such, school and district-level administrators, educational leaders, and students need to conceptualize and develop new approaches aimed at sustaining Indigenous and Latinx public school teachers. This case study describes a community-based organization’s efforts to support and sustain new and established Indigenous and Latinx teachers during COVID-19. Recognizing the problem with retention about 7 years ago, two university professors decided to create Academia Cuauhtli, a community-based organization in Austin, Texas. In addition to serving as a cultural and language revitalization Saturday school program for students from third to fifth grade, the space also promotes the curricular recognition of alternative epistemologies and the development of culturally relevant pedagogies that foster students’ culture, language, and funds of knowledge via teacher professional development pláticas. Since its inception in 2014, Academia Cuauhtli has been able to successfully train and sustain more than 60 public school teachers. However, COVID-19 has created a new set of challenges for teachers and, in particular, for Indigenous and Latinx teachers.