Collaboration for Impact
When education-focused organizations come together to create change great things can happen. In late September, the Equitable Facilities Fund (EFF), City Education Partners (CEP), and LEAL – Latino Educators Advancing Leadership combined their efforts to host an event focused on engaging leaders of color at the annual Texas Public Charter School Association (TPCSA) Conference. The event took place onsite at the JW Marriott Crooked Branch venue in San Antonio, Texas. The goal of the event was to bring together leaders of color in the public charter school sector, a sector driven by communities of color across the state.
Highly Attended, Highly Engaging
The event was attended by over 50 attendees, from across not only Texas but regions across the country. High attendance led to engagement, connections, and future collaboration, all in service of serving charter school success and growth.
Anand Kesavan, CEO of Equitable Facilities Fund, shared, “In order for EFF to truly actuate our mission and respond to needs we are uniquely positioned to meet, we must strive to support and serve a broader spectrum of schools. Working with our partners at LEAL and City Education Partners to create such an authentic and productive space for charter school leaders of color has been truly inspirational.”
Nearly 100% of attendees reported in the event survey they are interested in future events like the Leaders of Color Reception held September 27th last month.
“I have been to this conference for multiple years and I have yet to be in a space like the one we created tonight for and by Leaders of Color. We are here, we are leading in the charter sector and we represent the families choosing charter schools over and over again across the state,” said Nella Garcia Urban, Board Chair of LEAL, a newly formed nonprofit organization focused on Latino leadership.
Representation Matters
We know that representation matters, especially in education, where decisions are made that impact the lives of students and families every day. The Leaders of Color seeks to engage and celebrate the leaders working to achieve equity and access for students in charter schools. Building community for leaders at a large, statewide conference continues to emphasize that representation matters.
“It is events like this that amplify the significant impact Leaders of Color have in our local school communities. To co-create a space alongside partners inviting Leaders of Color to show up in their full selves connecting with peers sharing in expertise, lived experience, and thought partnership supporting and strengthening one another is at the root of our work,” said Gladys Karen Hernández, M.Ed., MBA, Director of Talent at City Education Partners.
