Monthly Digest with Coalition Updates, Must-Read News, and Upcoming Events
Dear Coalition members, friends, and partners,
We are excited to announce that we are preparing for our 5th Annual Convening that will take place in New Orleans from January 31st to February 1st. This convening is an opportunity for all of our member schools to come together to share what has been working in their school communities and to also receive insight and support in creating more equitable systems and practices across our schools. We will have sessions led by our member schools, board members, and partner organizations, a panel discussion on the current educational landscape in Louisiana, and we are also looking forward to visiting some of our member schools in New Orleans. If you haven’t RSVP’d yet, be sure you do so today!
I also wanted to take a moment to share some news on an important transition. Our Deputy Director Elsa Duré’s last official day with the Coalition will be Friday, November 30. Elsa first joined the Coalition as an advisor/board member and helped to shepherd the Coalition into the vibrant, full-fledged organization it is today. We are grateful for the huge impact she has made both for the Coalition directly and on behalf of the students we serve. We will miss her and we wish her the best in her new endeavor as Director of Strategic Partnerships and Development at Chiefs for Change. With this, we are also welcoming a new member to the team! Seon Britton has just joined the Coalition as the Program Coordinator who will oversee a new project you can read more about in the updates section below. You can also read more about Seon here, and get to meet him at the convening!
We can’t wait to see you at the convening, and we will be presenting a school with the Coalition’s School of the Year award again this year, so be sure to cast your vote.
Sincerely,
Sonia C. Park
Coalition Updates
Updates from the Coalition:
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Grant
A fundamental aspect of our vision is supporting research and analysis on the impact of diversity on the academic and social outcomes of our students attending diverse schools across the nation. In support of our research, the Coalition is pleased to announce that we have been awarded a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant to fund this work.
Over the next two years, our project will: 1) collect and analyze data about the key practices of our member schools and 2) share out best practices with other schools (members, non-members, charter and district) to support our efforts to promote, advocate and develop policies that expand diversity, equity, and inclusion in all schools.
DCSC’s new Program Coordinator, Seon Britton, will work with members and help coordinate implementation of the project. In the next few months he’ll be reaching out to member schools to collect data and discuss best practices.
We’re excited to welcome Seon to the team and to initiate the research. If you have any questions and/or would like to say hello to Seon, contact him at sbritton@diversecharters.org.
UnifiED Fellows Program
We have launched recruitment for the second cohort of UnifIED Fellows! UnifiED is for school leaders to launch their own diverse-by-design charter school after a year-long residency under the guidance of a DCSC member school. You can read more about the UnifiED program on our blog.
To apply for the UnifiED Fellowship, to host a Fellow, or to recommend a Fellow, email Ashley Heard, Managing Program Director, at aheard@diversecharters.org.
DCSC Annual Report
We are happy to reveal our first annual report that goes over everything that the Coalition has done in the past year – and what a year it has been! You’ll be able to read more about the expansion of our network in adding more member schools, the UnifiED program we were able to launch to support the development of new diverse-by-design charter schools, and our advocacy efforts across the country.
Read the annual report here.
DCSC School of the Year Award
We invite member schools to submit nominations for the School of the Year award which is awarded to the member school that best exemplifies the Coalition’s values. Nominated schools must be members of the Coalition to be considered.
Nominate a school!
A Word from Brieanna and Liam!
We want to acknowledge the work of our interns and let them know how much we appreciate their efforts in contributing to the work of the Coalition. It is nice to see that our awesome former interns will use their experience working at the Coalition to continue to work towards achieving educational equity for all of our students. We wish them both all of the best, and would like to share some of their words.
Read Brieanna’s post here Read Liam’s post here
From the Field: Hard Words – Why aren’t kids being taught to read?
Scientific research has shown how children learn to read and how they should be taught. But many educators don’t know the science and, in some cases, actively resist it. As a result, millions of kids are being set up to fail.
Read the report here.
From the Field: Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships
Packed with tips from principals and teachers, checklists, and an invaluable resource section, Beyond the Bake Sale reveals how to build strong collaborative relationships and offers practical advice for improving interactions between parents and teachers, from insuring that PTA groups are constructive and inclusive to navigating the complex issues surrounding diversity in the classroom.
Read more here.
From the Field: Who Is Here to Help Me? The Work-Related Social Networks of Staff of Color in Two Mid-Sized Districts
Despite the benefits of educators of color to various outcomes for students of color, large-scale research has not explored these educators’ on-the-job interactions with colleagues outside of large urban districts. Using social network analysis, this study examined the work-related social interactions of staff (teachers and administrators) of color in two mid-sized school districts. Where staff of color were likely the only faculty members of color—and where math professional development and curricular change were district-wide foci—staff of color were less likely to seek out colleagues for math advice. Staff of color were generally not sought for advice any more or less than White colleagues. Implications for policy and practice related to staff of color are discussed.
Read the study here.
From the Field: School Leaders of Color Action Initiative
The National Alliance is accepting nominations for individuals to join us for the 4th Annual School Leaders of Color Capitol Hill Action Initiative in Washington, D.C., February 25-26, 2019! We are looking for talented African-American, Latinx, Asian-American, and Native American charter school leaders to join the leadership program. Participants will join a network of other school leaders of color from across the country to discuss the issues facing their schools and students, receive communications and advocacy training, and meet with congressional leaders. Please send nominations to Ron Rice by Friday, November 30. (ron@publiccharters.org)
From the Field: The Emerging CMO Fund is accepting applications for the 2019 Cohort.
The Charter School Growth Fund (CSGF) is looking for the next generation of entrepreneurs from across the country to join the 31 talented leaders of color who have received support through the Emerging CMO Fund to date. Through the Emerging CMO Fund, CSGF will support the growth of the next cohort of high-performing, early-stage charter school networks led by entrepreneurs of color. This program is available to entrepreneurs of color who currently lead a single-site or an early-stage charter school network and want to grow one to two more great schools.
Read more about the CMO Fund here.
CMO Fund Application Process
Application Deadline: February 1, 2019
Award Notification: June 2019
Online Application: Applicants should create an account and submit an online application at submit.chartergrowthfund.org
Applicants will complete several essay questions and submit academic data demonstrating the performance of their current charter school. Top applicants will be named semi-finalists and undergo a thorough due diligence process. We will learn more about semi-finalist’s leaders, academic and organizational models, and potential to scale in spring 2019 and announce finalists in June 2019.
If you have any questions about the process, please contact us at emergingcmo@chartergrowthfund.org.
Upcoming Conferences & Events
National Summit on Education Reform
December 5th to 7th in Washington, DC
Register here
The National Summit on Education Reform convenes the nation’s leaders in education policy to share what works, what doesn’t and what’s next in education reform. Join our chairman, Governor Jeb Bush, as we host more than 1,000 legislators, state superintendents, policymakers and advocates. The packed two-day event will feature notable keynote speakers and in-depth strategy sessions on evolving laws, new trends, successful policies and the latest innovations that are transforming education for the 21st century.
DCSC 5th ANNUAL CONVENING
January 31st to February 1st in New Orleans, LA
Register here
The theme for our 5th Annual Convening is ‘Our Diversity is Our Strength,’ in which we recognize the power of bold change, and still acknowledge that we must go further and do more if we are to realize truly inclusive and equitable schools for all children. The convening will include sessions on individual member’s best practices, discussions to push thinking on diversity, equity, and inclusion, school visits, and other opportunities to meet and network with peers. We hope to see all of our member schools at this year’s convening in New Orleans in order to celebrate, reflect, and continue to learn.
News Roundup
“Can a more diverse charter school help students feel at ease in college? IDEA takes first step toward finding out” by Francisco Vara-Orta
Chalkbeat — November 14, 2018
“‘I just want to be brutally honest’: When Markieff Morris speaks to kids, nothing’s off limits” by Candace Buckner
Washington Post — November 14, 2018
“OPINION: ‘The racial disparities in our schools are extreme’” by Nancy Gutiérrez
The Hechinger Report — October 23, 2018
“The Stories We Tell About Disability: What will it take to include disability in our future debates about diversity?” by Kenny Fries
How We Get to Next — October 30, 2018
“Infographic: Fifty years after Fair Housing Act, segregation persists” by Robert David Sullivan
America Magazine — November 02, 2018
“Closing the Diversity Gap” by James Patterson
Teaching Tolerance — Issue 60, Fall 2018
“A New Name Pronunciation Tool Promotes Inclusive Classrooms” by Alejandra Salazar
WNYC News — November 7, 2018
