A coalition of churches and education advocates has launched the Texas MicroSchools Collective (TXM).
TXM is a new faith-based education initiative that leaders say draws inspiration from the historic efforts of Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald to expand school access for Black students.
The New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, the Black Mothers Forum of Arizona, and the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas announced the collective. The group’s first business meeting is scheduled for September 9 at 7 p.m. at New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth, hosted by Pastor Kyev Tatum, Sr.
Microschools — typically serving fewer than 15 students — are designed as small, flexible learning environments that emphasize personalized instruction, parent involvement, and independence from school district bureaucracy. Proponents describe them as modern descendants of the Rosenwald Schools of the early 20th century.
Between 1912 and 1937, educator Booker T. Washington and Sears executive Julius Rosenwald collaborated to fund and construct over 5,000 schools for Black children across the South, including 464 in Texas. Families often contributed land, labor, or funds to the projects, creating what advocates today refer to as an early model of school choice.
Pastor Tatum has previously drawn this parallel, writing in a March 19 blog post: “Just as Washington and Rosenwald gave parents direct say over their children’s education, microschools are returning control to families and communities.”
The Black Mothers Forum has already implemented a microschool model in Arizona, focused on Black and Latino students who face persistent achievement gaps in traditional schools. Their success helped inspire the expansion into Texas.
Organizers of the TXM Collective plan to “plan, plant, and promote” microschools across Texas, anchored in churches and community spaces, as part of what they are calling the “Circle of Churches Collective.”
A recent survey by Rice University, the University of Houston, and Texas Southern University found nearly 70% of Black Texans support universal school choice, including vouchers — a level of support leaders like Tatum argue reflects a long-standing tradition of educational self-determination.
More information on the initiative can be found through the Black Mothers Forum or at New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth.