Wouldn't it be interesting if charter school opponents led sessions at the WA Charters conference in May?
/I have an idea.
The Washington Charter School Association opened up a call for proposals to present at their annual conference in May. The theme is “Fulfilling the Promise: Advancing Excellence and Equity.”
The charter school sector in Washington, as we know, has now survived multiple legal attacks and continues to grow slowly and steadily.
In other words, charter schools officially have their foot in the door. Parents across the state have chosen a charter school for their children. A couple thousand children across the state have found a new school home in a charter school in the past few years.
It’s time to move past the “us vs. them” mentality that has developed around charter schools. With that in mind, rather than battling against charter schools, which are themselves public schools, I’d like to urge any charter school opponents to submit a proposal to present at this conference. More pressing than any thoughts of charter schools versus traditional public schools is the deep inequity of our public school system. We should be sharing knowledge even across lines of disagreement, as we know we are all in this together.
Take this opportunity to tell the charter folks what they’re doing wrong by teaching them what they don’t know. You know? Or at least share your expertise as an olive branch.
I don’t know. It’s just an idea.
Here’s the relevant info from the WA Charters call for proposals. Wouldn’t it be interesting if we all started to come together instead of continuing to point fingers and argue across lines in the sand?
On May 3rd and 4th, 2019, WA Charters will host our Fifth Annual Conference in SeaTac, WA.
As the largest Washington state charter public school convening of the year, our conference brings together national, regional, and local experts and is a great opportunity for charter school leaders, teachers, board members, parents, advocates, and students to share, learn, and be inspired.
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
We are looking for talented presenters to engage our audiences with thought-provoking and practical content.
In the spirit of our 2019 theme “Fulfilling the Promise: Advancing Excellence and Equity,” we are looking for high-quality sessions that approach our collective work with an intentional focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage you to express these themes not only through your session content, but also in your selection of session panelists, case studies, and materials referenced.
Based on feedback, this year we are looking for content that spans—but is not limited to—the following topic areas:
Gap-closing teaching and learning practices
Equity-driven leadership
Innovative school design
Fundraising and facilities
Introduction to charter public school board governance
School law best practices
Differentiating instruction for diverse learners
Finding, recruiting, and retaining top talent
District-charter collaboration
Effective advocacy in the charter public school space
Parent leadership
Preparing Washington students for the future workforce
Culturally responsive community and family engagement
Storytelling with data
MORE INFO
Registration: Registration will be open in mid-January. Save the dates!
Program: The conference will officially kick off with an opening reception on Friday, May 3rd from 4-6 PM, and will be followed by a full day of inspiring speakers, breakout sessions, and networking on Saturday, May 4th. Stay tuned for program details.
Childcare: Free childcare will be provided for children ages 4-12 on Saturday, May 4th.
