It was wonderful to see so many of you at #DCSC2023, thank you for coming together, in community, to demand equity and integration in our schools.
With you all we are, indeed, intentionally integrating our communities, one school at a time.
As we look ahead to the spring, DCSC is hard at work on the following key priorities, for this quarter:
- UnifiED Explorer and Fellow recruitment: this year, DCSC is working with one fellow and 10 explorers, across five communities. We are actively looking for next year’s Explorers and Fellows. Space is limited and the priority deadline for expressing interest for folks, in either program, is April 1, 2023.
- Advocacy strategy (new this year!): our research phase for the DCSC advocacy strategy concluded in January and we are happy to hear your feedback on it, at the from the convening. Moving forward, you can expect a community of practice focused on building up our collective knowledge and skills on advocacy and storytelling.
As part of our advocacy work, we are also looking to get the word out on DCSC, in collaboration with partners across the sector. Accordingly, check out and share KIPPs blog post featuring Sonia Park as a woman making an impact in the public charter school space and join the call for CSP funding.
- Strategic planning: It’s almost time for our annual member meetings and this year, we will use some of our time together to get your ideas regarding DCSC’s next five year strategic plan. We look forward to these strategy focus groups in order to ensure our next five years meet your needs and continue to push the envelope for school integration, across the country.
Finally, this quarter we are focused on our core value of community and highlight one of DCSC’s newest members, Learning Comunity Charter School. Learning Community Charter School was founded by parents and educators in 1997 and, thanks to support
from the New Jersey State Charter Association, joined the coalition in January 2023.
“Learning Community Charter School is the most diverse school in the entire state of New Jersey in regard to stude
nt population and faculty. We consider that a source of pride and one of our greatest points of pride as a school. At the same time having this leve l of diversity requires constant reflection, professional development, and establishing ongoing partnerships. Joining an organization like DCSC allows us to share what we’ve learned but more importantly to learn from others as well. We want to continue to enhance our students, families, and faculty’s lives and that can only be done with great partners like the schools at DCSC.”
Learning Community Charter School, Head of School,Colin Hogan