10 Years as a Community of Learners
From the Executive Director
School Reform Initiative affiliates, we are in our tenth year of fierce commitment to equity and excellence! I am continuously inspired by the passion and dedication of the affiliates of our organization to do the work of achieving racial equity in schools. Each of us has a story to share of how we have personally witnessed the impact that our tools and processes have had on quality learning for adults and children in our schools.
The affiliates of this organization have come to Fall Meeting and other events passionate about: collaborating with others to improve their work, becoming culturally proficient, examining their beliefs, and challenging assumptions that hinder equitable outcomes for all students. We all have left these learning spaces and shared our new knowledge and energy with others to expand our mission’s impact. Not only have you shared your knowledge, you have also made numerous financial contributions that have allowed more individuals with a passion for equity to attend our events.
I’m sure you will agree that there is strength in numbers. One of the ways we are celebrating our tenth anniversary is by making a fierce commitment to increase the number of individuals who advocate for equity and excellence in schools by providing access to high-quality professional development for educators. As we commit to do the work of building capacity, we hope you will join us and commit to making a special contribution this 10th year. Our ambitious goal is to raise $100,000 with donations of $10, $100, $1000 or more that will enable us to impact more educators who will ultimately impact more children. Your gift, of any size, moves us closer to achieving this goal and bringing SRI tools and resources to educators throughout the country.
Be on the look-out for other special Tenth Anniversary events, opportunities, and stories – we would not be the organization we are now without you! Thank you for all you do for the students in our schools, our communities, our country and beyond.
– Deirdre Williams, SRI Executive Director
Two-Weeks Left – Fall Meeting Pre-Conference Proposals Due March 29
Do you have an idea for a pre-conference session for the 2019 Fall Meeting that you would like to offer? Are you using SRI tools and practices in exciting ways that you’d like to share with others? Pre-conference sessions may be full or half-day and can be on-site in one of our conference rooms or off-site at a school or other location within the city.
Pre-conference sessions take place on Wednesday, the day before the start of Fall Meeting and provide an opportunity for participants to extend their learning while in Cambridge.
There are just two weeks left to submit your proposal! All pre-conference proposals are due by March 29th, 2019, and selections will be made by April 12th, 2019.
If you are interested in proposing a pre-conference session, please utilize the pre-conference proposal form, and submit it no later than March 29th, 2019. Have a request for a pre-conference that you would like to attend? Email Deirdre Williams (deirdre@schoolreforminitiative.org) and she will try to find facilitators to prepare a pre-conference session that meets your needs!
Carrie Brennan Named Woman of Influence in Education
Carrie Brennan is a long-time affiliate of SRI and a current Board Member. Last week she was named the 2019 Woman of Influence in Education in Tucson.
From the City Center for Collaborative Learning Blog:
For more than a quarter century, Carrie Brennan has had a deep impact on the Southern Arizona education sector and on generations of students. She is a leading education innovator in our community and played key roles in launching two of our region’s most interesting and innovative schools: Catalina Foothills High School and City High School.
Carrie came to Tucson in 1992 to join the founding faculty at Catalina Foothills High School, where she served as a classroom teacher and teacher leader for 11 years. She then became the founding principal of City High School, leading the efforts to establish the nonprofit organization in 2002 and opening the doors as principal in September 2004.
Carrie continues to lead CITY Center for Collaborative Learning, whose flagship programs include City High School and the Paulo Freire Freedom middle schools. CITY Center for Collaborative Learning’s mission is ‘to design, implement and advance exemplary practices in teaching and learning that transform the lives of young people and their educators.’ In addition to providing high quality education to over 325 students annually in its three secondary schools, CITY is a leader regionally for teacher professional development.
Gain Skills for a New School Year and Enjoy Disney World
Our friends at the Pegasus Springs Foundation are hosting a summer retreat at Disney World for educators. SRI affiliate and founding board member Gene Thompson-Grove will be the facilitator.
Take a look at this awesome opportunity.
Do you have news to share? Interesting things happening in your area? Please let us know so we can share with our community! Email Chris Jones, chris@schoolreforminitiative.org.
Thank you,
Deirdre Williams, Kari Thierer, and Chris Jones
On behalf of School Reform Initiative
