Diverse By Design
CWC LA schools are built on the belief that the diversity of our communities, and of the world at large, is a great strength.
Diverse By Design
We are committed to preparing students to emerge as a new generation of leaders and help them become true citizens of the world.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
CWC LA schools are built on the belief that the diversity of our communities, and of the world at large, is a great strength. Through targeted outreach and recruitment, our charter schools are intentionally designed to reflect their surrounding communities and the larger society in terms of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and all other forms of diversity, both seen and unseen. By learning, interacting and growing in a diverse setting, our students are preparing to thrive in the pluralistic society they will soon join.
All our schools are united by our core values and are motivated by our purpose and commitment to DEIB. We are all accountable for our collective success.
Diversity Matters
Regional Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Belonging
Our community has documented our commitment to DEIB through the following vision statement and supporting documents. These definitions were developed through staff and caregiver community feedback. We welcomed our regional Head of DEIB Shernice Lazare in the 2022-23 school year. We also saw the creation of our Regional DEIB Leaders Council made up of staff and caregivers from each school, who meet regularly to discuss and actualize multi-year DEIB goals, as well as outline annual priorities and initiatives.
CWC LA DEIB Vision | CWC LA DEIB Definitions | CWC DEIB Commitments
How do we think about DEIB at CWC LA?
Equity Decision-Making Framework
We are adopting & adapting an equity decision-making framework to guide decisions & resource allocations across the region.
CWC LA Leaders
We are building the skill, will and capacity of CWC LA Leaders to facilitate DEIB work in their communities.
Family Accessibility
We are working to ensure communications and the school experience are accessible for families in ways and languages they understand.
Diverse Educators
We are seeking to recruit, hire and sustain diverse educators, with an emphasis on Black staff. (visit our careers page to join our team)
DEIB Funding
We have increased our DEIB funding to build programming and staffing to support the work. (visit our support page to learn more on how to support this effort)
In Our Schools
DEIB can look different with each school community. School leaders and staff work with students and caregivers to learn about, celebrate, and support diverse experiences and cultures.
Our instructional team work to develop curriculum grounded in an Anti-Bias, Anti-Racist approach. They support teachers through professional development opportunities to plan lessons that engage students in rich and meaningful learning around topics that are relevant to students, educators and the world today.
Visit our schools’ websites to find out more on how each school incorporates DEIB practices into their unique spaces.
In Our Staff
Studies consistently show that a better racial and ethnic representation of teachers and school leaders in schools helps improve educational outcomes for all students. Diverse teachers, staff and administrators can have a huge impact on the success of students that identify with their educators racially and culturally. In fact, providing students access to teachers who represent the diversity of our city, helps all students, regardless of background.
Recruiting and sustaining a diverse team of leaders, teachers and staff across the region is a priority for CWC.
In Our Community
DEIB can look different with each school community. School leaders and staff work with students and caregivers to learn about, celebrate and support diverse experiences and cultures.
Some ways our school sites do this:
- Culture celebrations
- Affinity groups
- Champions for Change
- Annual Survey feedback
A message from Head of DEIB
Dear CWC LA community,
Now more than ever it’s imperative that we focus on equity. When we do, we expand our community’s notions of who belongs and begin to create schools where everyone can thrive. By respecting and bridging our differences in ways that help us heal from harm while also building upon the strength of our differences, we can ensure that every child sees themselves reflected in the culture, climate and curriculum. In turn, they are more engaged, able to learn and feel a sense of belonging, which is why we added the “B” to “DEIB.” You can find more information on belonging here.
In an effort to move our region forward we have developed several DEIB goals:
- Making decisions that are based in equity, which amplify historically marginalized voices.
- Growing the skill, will and capacity of all stakeholders to live out our values of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
- Ensuring all families have access to and are engaged in their child’s school experience.
These are multi-year goals, which are a direct result of my past few months of listening and learning about the many diverse lived experiences and perspectives in our CWC LA community. If there is anything that my last 25+ years as an educator have taught me, there is real value in kicking off ambitious goals by going slow to go fast; starting small to go big. While we recognize that these issues are urgent, given that they are lofty, it is important that we are not acting urgently for the sake of moving fast. Rather we will take the time to be intentional before implementing. We will take a “both/and” approach which focuses on both systemic, institutional and individual strategies to meet the diverse needs of our community.
This is a community effort and will require each and every one of us to do the hard work of shifting mindsets and behaviors and continuing to challenge assumptions. I invite you to join me. One important and tangible way to get involved in our DEIB work is to apply to join our regional DEIB Leaders Council. This Council actively engages in thought partnership, accountability and communication around our regional DEIB work. Fill out the below form if you are interested in joining the Council.
I look forward to engaging with all of you over the coming weeks and months. Until then, take good care of yourself and each other.
In community,
Shernice Lazare
Head of DEIB
