The Extraordinary Transformation of a City and Its Schools—Pt 1

When the pandemic struck Reading, Pennsylvania, its school system was already under enormous strain. The Reading School District—the poorest in the state—served 16,000 students, many of whom faced daunting barriers long before COVID arrived. Hundreds were homeless. Thousands stopped showing up to class. Teachers and principals were stretched thin. Community trust was low. And after years of missed opportunities and stalled reforms, many inside and outside the district believed real improvement was impossible.

Part 1 of this two-episode series is a story about how that belief began to change.

Host Ken Futernick speaks with Rich Harwood, founder of the Harwood Institute, and a wide range of local leaders who were determined to help Reading’s schools move from crisis to renewal. What unfolded wasn’t driven by a new curriculum, a flashy turnaround model, or a mandate from the outside. It started with something much simpler—and much harder: listening to the people who rely on the school system every day.

Through dozens of conversations with parents, students, educators, and community partners in both English and Spanish, Harwood’s team discovered that residents weren’t focused on culture-war debates. They cared about whether children felt safe, supported, seen, and prepared for the future. Those conversations revealed key community priorities for improving the city’s schools.

This episode highlights:

• How Reading’s school board struggles, high poverty levels, and pandemic disruptions left educators feeling isolated and overwhelmed
• Why attempts at school reform had failed to take root—and how turning outward toward the community created space for new solutions
• The pivotal moment when Superintendent Jennifer Murray confronted stark feedback from the community, first with defensiveness, then with humility and resolve
• How her leadership helped shift the district’s mindset from “these are our buildings” to “these are the community’s schools”
• How educators, nonprofits, and civic leaders began dismantling silos that had long kept them from working together effectively

Rather than focusing solely on classroom instruction or policy changes, Reading’s transformation would come from a new civic culture emerging—one in which schools are not expected to fix everything alone, and in which community partners see themselves as co-owners of students’ success.

This is a story of a school system rediscovering its purpose by reconnecting with the people it serves. It’s a reminder that meaningful and sustainable school improvement requires trust, collaboration, and a willingness to hear the hard truths.

In Part 2, we follow the concrete initiatives that emerged from this shift, including expanded after-school programs, a reimagined approach to English-language support, and a renewed commitment to early childhood education—each led by educators and community groups working in sync instead of in isolation.

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