Success Story: Bronx Charter School for the Arts Building a Culturally Responsive Learning Framework for Future-Ready Classrooms

Challenge:

Bronx Charter School for the Arts found itself at a pivotal moment. As the school’s community evolved demographically and culturally, so too did the need for an instructional approach that met students where they were, while guiding them toward a greater understanding of themselves and one another. The leadership team recognized the importance of preparing both teachers and students to have meaningful conversations, cultivate self-awareness, and develop the skills necessary for thoughtful civic engagement.

While educators were eager to lead classrooms that embraced this vision, many expressed uncertainty in how to navigate difficult discussions, audit their current curriculum, or effectively integrate new strategies in a way that was both skill-based and supportive.

Solution:

To support this vision, Bronx Charter School for the Arts partnered with Multicultural Classroom® to implement the Textured Teaching® framework. Rooted in student-centered pedagogy and culturally grounded teaching methods, Textured Teaching offered a powerful way to help educators enhance classroom experiences through intentional reflection, instructional design, and content delivery.

The partnership involved seven key engagements, including large group workshops and small group coaching sessions for instructional leaders, delivering an end-to-end model for strategic growth.

Program Overview:

Session 1: Unpacking Ourselves & Designing a Vision

Educators began with a journey inward, exploring their own educational backgrounds, personal experiences, and implicit biases. This foundation laid the groundwork for understanding Textured Teaching and its emphasis on reflective, inclusive practice. Teachers worked in departments to audit current practices and begin shaping a school-wide vision for a more intentional instructional approach.

Session 2: Planning & Creating

Building from their initial reflections, teachers collaborated in small groups to create unit plans and develop strategies for integrating critical thinking, personal relevance, and academic rigor into classroom content. These strategic planning sessions allowed for peer feedback and iterative design in a safe, solution-focused space.

Session 3: Classroom Culture Workshop

In this interactive workshop, educators explored how to foster a classroom culture rooted in mutual respect, curiosity, and challenge. Participants used real-life roleplays and scenarios to practice facilitation techniques, build confidence, and troubleshoot difficult conversations with support from the facilitators and one another.

Sessions 4–6: Leadership Coaching for Instructional Teams

Recognizing the importance of long-term sustainability, Multicultural Classroom led three virtual coaching sessions tailored specifically for Curriculum and Instruction leaders. These sessions addressed unique implementation challenges and helped leaders craft support plans for teachers that were practical, measurable, and scalable.

Session 7: Reflection & Growth

The final workshop emphasized growth through guided self-assessment and reflection. Educators evaluated their own progress, shared lessons learned and explored ways to continue developing their practice using the Textured Teaching framework. Feedback and evaluations helped shape ongoing support and captured the program’s impact.

Summary of Benefits:

By the end of the seven-session engagement, Bronx Charter School for the Arts had:

• A shared vision and framework for thoughtful, culturally grounded instruction
• A growing library of revised lesson plans and resources aligned with that vision
• Educators equipped with the confidence and tools to address complex topics
• Instructional leaders empowered to guide implementation across departments
• A replicable structure for sustained learning and professional growth