*Updated 10/27/2020: At this time, we are no longer accepting proposals from members to lead affinity groups.
For release: October 7, 2020
Deadline for proposal submission: November 11, 2020
Notification from DCSC: November 20, 2020
Confirmation from Facilitator: November 25, 2020
By Sonia Park, Executive Director - Diverse Charter Schools Coalition
DCSC 2021 Annual Convening
Breakout Session Leader Request for Proposal
January 28-29, 2021 - Virtual Convening
The Diverse Charter Schools Coalition represents, advocates for, and supports 65 member schools and networks, which includes over 190 individual charter schools that serve over 60,000 students in 22 states and the District of Columbia. DCSC’s Annual Convening brings together 200 leaders from member schools and networks as well as partners from across the nation. Click here to view highlights from last year’s convening in Washington, DC.
Our theme for this year is Interrupting Inequity: Creating anti-racist and liberatory practices at intentionally diverse schools.
Review the strands and session types below, which provide structure for the different formats of our 2021 Annual Convening. We hope these strands help elicit strong proposals with a good mix of form and content that support attendees to deepen their practice, inspire their commitment to the work, and provide thought provoking conversations for leaders of diverse-by-design schools and networks. True to our name, we aim to welcome a diverse group of participants in January in regard to race/ethnicity, national origin, gender, religious affiliation, socio-economic status, different abilities, sexual orientation, education, and additional identities. Thank you for including all dimensions of this term when considering attending and leading a session.
Interrupting Inequity Creating anti-racist and liberatory practices at intentionally diverse schools | |
Strands | |
Academics | Teach and learn with all students while rejecting traditional, oppressive frameworks |
Operations | Build systems and tools that care for the human needs of our schools |
Culture | Affirm sense of belonging among all our true authentic selves |
Community | Foster sustaining relationships with external stakeholders and uplift grassroots expertise |
The deadline to submit a proposal is November 11. We will inform you on the status of your session proposal by November 20, in which you will need to confirm your participation by November 25. All approved session leaders must register for the Annual Convening before their session is on the official agenda. DCSC is not in a position to offer workshop session leaders any monetary support for registration. Thank you for your understanding.
Please reach out to Seon Britton with questions at sbritton@diversecharters.org. You may also request to set up time via Zoom to discuss any questions you have before you submit your proposal.
75-min Breakout Sessions At a Glance | ||
To accommodate participation for our 2021 Annual Convening which will be held virtually, there will be three 75-minute breakout cycles where participants can attend either a workshop session, school visit, or affinity group. | ||
Session type | Facilitation commitment | Facilitation eligibility |
2 of the 3 cycles | Any attendee | |
Workshop Sessions
Workshop sessions will last for 75 minutes and are most similar to traditional breakout sessions at our past convenings. Workshop sessions should contain a mix of facilitated discussion as well as participant-led activities. Facilitators of workshop sessions will commit to facilitate their sessions twice (either twice on Thursday or once on Thursday and once on Friday). DCSC members and external partners are eligible to submit a proposal for a workshop session. Workshop sessions will have an audience limit of 15 participants.
Strands and sample topics | |
Academics | Topics under this strand could include (but are not limited to): • anti-racist and liberatory curriculum and instruction • student-centered approaches • ways to reconsider grading/assessment • inclusivity for special education and/or English learners |
Operations | Topics under this strand could include (but are not limited to): • addressing school systems that result in inequity (transportation, attendance policies, etc.) • compensation and HR policies • how to increase inclusive decision-making |
Culture | Topics under this strand could include (but are not limited to): • programs that create safe and affirming spaces • how to address acts of racism • reconceptualizing “discipline” - ways to approach misbehaviors • identifying and addressing white supremacy |
Community | Topics under this strand could include (but are not limited to): • how to connect school to larger community • who is considered when a school says “community” • global citizenship • considering how work with external partners affect equity |
Workshop Session Preparation
In addition to any individual planning needed to submit your proposal and prepare for your workshop session, each facilitator will attend a 45-minute workshop session leader planning call between November 30 and December 4 going over the content of the session. There will also be a 60-minute group call the week of January 4 going over the technical capabilities of our virtual platform.
Click here to view Workshop Session Proposal Questions
Appendix: Proposal Questions
Workshop Session Proposal Questions
Submit all responses at https://forms.gle/iWeWSL79XTB6r4p98
- What organization (if any) is affiliated with this proposal?
- Please share the full name and a 2-3 sentence bio and an updated photo for each facilitator included in this proposal
To be published on our program and marketing materials. 500 characters max
- Which strand is primarily applicable to your proposal?
For additional details on the distinctions between strands, please review the sample topic descriptions above.
__ ACADEMICS: Teach and learn with all students while rejecting traditional, oppressive frameworks
__ OPERATIONS: Build systems and tools that care for the human needs of our schools
__ CULTURE: Affirm sense of belonging among all our true authentic selves
__ COMMUNITY: Foster sustaining relationships with external stakeholders and uplift grassroots expertise
- Session title (100 characters max)
- Please share a 2-3 sentence description on your session and its connection to your selected strand and our theme: Interrupting Inequity
500 characters max
- Format details: Describe your plans for the 75-minute session, as far as how all participants will be engaged with relevant content.
Please include your ideas for timing, activities, and any media/resource sharing (2500 characters max)
- Participant experience and goals: What are your desired objectives or outcomes for attendees in your session? How will you consider to what extent those objectives are met?
500 characters max