2022 Convening Highlights
Care, Courage, Commitment
Care, Courage, Commitment
Deepening our vision of diverse-by-design
Schools have been experiencing unprecedented times alongside historical patterns of inequality and injustice. Our 2022 Annual Convening provided space for attendees to reflect on how to center collective care in intentionally integrated schools during the current moment. Topics and discussions courageously confronted persisting racism and disparities in educational access and breakout sessions and affinity groups reinvigorated our commitment to the mission of educational justice and building the diverse-by-design movement.
“This is one of the best conferences for educators – because we get to really talk about what’s going on in our schools – what works, what doesn’t – love it”
230+ registered
96% of survey respondents rated the 2021 Annual Convening favorably
50+ hours of programming
Watch the #DCSC2022 highlights video
Opening Panel
Featuring Gina Chirichigno, Xiomara Padamsee and Ron Rice
Moderated by DCSC Executive Director, Sonia Park
Keynote Address: Dr. Chris Emdin
in conversation with DCSC Board Member, Kristina Smith-Kyles
#HipHopEd Performance and Q&A
with a panel moderated by Dr. Chris Emdin
Parent Panel
Featuring Edith Ibarra, Danira Ortiz and Dr. Traci Terrance
Moderated by DCSC Community of Practice leader, Deborah Hanmer
“Chris Emdin was amazing, and hearing from parents what they need/want from schools was good to listen to.”
#DCSC2022 Breakout Sessions
Content and strategy sessions focused on providing attendees access to specific tools and resources to improve their practice.
Workshop Sessions
Content and strategy sessions focused on providing attendees access to specific tools and resources to improve their practice.
Centering on Instructional Equity: An Overview of the CRSP Framework (Highlander Institute)
Advancing Equitable Family & Community Engagement (Beloved Community)
Governing with Equity: Putting Words into Action (Education Board Partners)
Supporting ELs From Pandemic Response to Pandemic Recovery (The Century Foundation)
Conversations with Kids: Walking the Road to Reinvention (Transcend)
Revising Curriculum With the DEI Lens Tool – A Collectivist Approach (Uncommon Schools)
What Works in DEI? Research-Based Practices to Advance DEI Work in Education (Promise54)
Equity Includes Ability: Building and Sustaining Anti-Ableist Schools (Center for Learner Equity)
Centering Identity and Inclusion as Compassion (RootsConnectED)
Dilemma Discussions
Dilemma discussions will present a persistent challenge schools commonly face. Attendees will listen to the presentation of the problem, offer suggestions, questions, and further exploration.
Reimagining talent: How do we remove barriers limiting pathways from paraprofessional to lead teacher? (Inspired Teaching Demonstration Public Charter School)
Strategic Planning: Keeping Our Students, Mission & Values @ the Heart of Our Work (Central Park School for Children)
School Showcases
School visits have always been a cornerstone of the DCSC Convening. This year, attendees were shown a specific feature, program, approach, and/or component of the diverse-by-design school(s) model.
Affinity Groups
We know that leading diverse-by-design schools is a singular experience. However, that experience is not the same for us all. For our 2022 Annual Convening, we partnered with Embracing Equity to facilitate three separate racial affinity breakout spaces for tailored dialogue and anti-racist skill building for educators and leaders during this national racial reckoning and beyond.
Materials and handouts are from workshops, school showcases, dilemma discussions, and affinity groups. Recordings of whole-group programming (keynote and panels), workshops, and school showcases are available on Whova for registrants until April 28, 2022.
Culture
Affirm a sense of belonging among all our true authentic selves.
Operations
Build systems and tools that care for the human needs of our schools.
“I found some really concrete strategies I can use to engage families and examine how we are already doing this (or not doing it).”
2022 Member of the Year
Two Rivers Public Charter School (Washington, D.C.)
“Two Rivers joined [the Coalition] to find another group of schools that were willing to give us feedback and push us…and we found a home with DCSC.”
#DCSC2022 Networking
and film screening by EPIC Theatre Ensemble
Friday also included a film screening premiere by EPIC Theatre Ensemble, Default. We encourage DCSC members to invite EPIC to your school as part of their 50 State Conversation campaign.
“[PLACEHOLDER QUOTE]”
#DCSC2022
2022 Convening Sponsors
Our committed sponsors help make this convening happen. Thank you!
DCSC would like to thank this year’s planning committee in helping the Coalition’s staff, board and funders prepare for the 2022 Annual Convening:
- Valerie Braimah, Executive Director of City Charter Schools (Los Angeles, CA)
- Alisha Gripp, UnifiED Alumnus and Dean of Middle School of Citizens of the World (Kansas City, MO)
- John Heffernan, Executive Director of Central Park School for Children (Durham, NC)
- Jeff Heyck-Williams, Director of the Two Rivers Learning Institute (Washington, D.C.)
- Robyn King, Director of Admissions and Community Outreach of Académie Lafayette (Kansas City, MO)
- Dana Mulwanda, UnifiED Alumnus and Founding Principal of Windsor Terrace Elementary, Prospect Schools (Brooklyn, NY)
- Emily Wood, UnifiED Alumnus and Director of Operations and Strategy of Yu Ming Charter School (Oakland, CA)
