Tuesday February 3, 2026

Time

Title

Location

4:00pm-6:00pm ET

Opening Reception

Waterside 1-2

Wednesday February 4, 2026

Time

Title

Location

8:30 ET

Breakfast

Waterside 1, 2 & 3

9:00 -10:30

Opening Remarks and Epic Theatre’s The Next Bell

Waterside 1, 2 & 3

10:30 - 11:00

Networking Break

Potomac

Time

Title

Description

Organization/Facilitators

Location

11:00-12:30

 Building Strong Teams: Equity-Centered Approaches to Strategic Staffing

This interactive session, led by CitySchools Collaborative, explores strategic staffing through an equity-centered lens, sharing field insights and practical strategies K–12 leaders can apply immediately in their schools.

CitySchools Collaborative

Seaport 2

Today’s Landscape, Today’s Leadership: Leading Inclusive Schools in a Rapidly Shifting Climate

Amid today’s polarized climate, this session convenes school leaders and advocates from red, blue, and purple contexts to share how they are sustaining diverse, equitable, and inclusive schools while navigating shifting policies and community pressures.

Ary  Amerikaner, Brown’s Promise

Shernice Lazare, New School San Francisco

Sarah Ranney,Lafayette Preparatory Academy

Ashish Kapadia,  Central Queens Academy

Seaport 1

Building the HQID Framework: Research, Reflection, and Real-World Practice

Explore and inform the emerging DCSC High Quality, Intentionally Diverse (HQID) Framework, considering its components through the lens of “Leading Culturally Responsive Change: Learning from Leaders of Intentionally Diverse Public Charter Schools,” a research study recently published by Dr. Karen Drezner.  Reflecting on the study’s findings and your own experiences, help continue to iterate our Framework, ensuring it is designed by you, for you.

Christina Cancelli - Program Lead DCSC

Karen Drezner PhD

 -  UPENN

Marina

Supporting Attendance and Belonging for Immigrant and Mixed-Status Families

The past year has been tense for schools working with immigrant communities. This session examines how shifting political climates shape immigrant families' safety, campus belonging, and school access. Participants will hear authentic educator and family voices and walk away with rights-affirming community empowerment strategies that strengthen safety, equity, and consistent engagement.

Amy Held, Larchmont Charter

Stephanie Mintz, Briya PCS

Conor Williams, The Century Foundation

Bethany Robertson,

Alejandra Vázquez Baur, The Century Foundation

Grase Oleaga Cala, EL Haynes

Harbor

Time

Title

Description

Location

12:30-1:00

Lunch

Awards Programming: 2026 Member of the Year

Waterside 1, 2 & 3

1:00-2:00

Lunch

Lunch Panel:  Schools Worth Bragging

About Live! with Vashanta Harris (National Charter Schools Institute)

  2:00-2:30

Break

Coffee / snacks available

Potomac

Time

Title

Description

Organization/Facilitators

Location

2:30-4:00

Insights from MIT Blueprint Labs: The Long-Term Effects of Intentionally Diverse Schools

This session shares emerging findings from MIT’s Blueprint Labs study, Benefits for Life: Effects of Intentionally Diverse Charter Schools on Long-Term Social and Academic Student Outcomes, exploring how attending an intentionally diverse charter school influences post-secondary success, civic engagement, neighborhood diversity, and overall well-being

Rebecca Shmoys - Columbia University

Seaport 1

 Inclusion in Practice: What It Looks Like in Intentionally Diverse Schools

Session that explores the varied approaches and perspectives to defining inclusion in an intentionally diverse school model that is grounded in best practices and current landscapes from the perspective of members in a coalition.

Toni Barton - EL Haynes

Jenn Coco - Center for Learner Equity

Harbor

Wellness That Works: Equity-Minded Strategies to Boost Staff Retention

Facilitated by EmpowerU and grounded in data from DC PAVE and member schools such as DC Bilingual and Washington Latin, this session explores how intentional wellness strategies strengthen staff retention and translates those insights into practical, equity-minded approaches for sustainable school communities.

EmpoweU

DC Bilingual

Washington Latin

DC PAVE

Marina

The Policy Landscape Today: Making Sense of a Changing Education Environment

Join national policy and advocacy experts for a timely look at the forces influencing K to 12 education. This session provides a big picture view of legislative, regulatory, and political developments and offers guidance on how these trends impact diverse school communities.Participants will build a stronger understanding of how to navigate and respond to a rapidly evolving context.

Amanda Fenton, Capitol Advocacy Partners

Veronica Brooks-Uy, NACSA

Seaport 2

Time

Title

Facilitator

Location

4:00-6:00

Closing Reception

All Attendees

Potomac Hall