Over the past year, NCSD been engaged in its first-ever strategic planning process to help us focus on how to uphold policies we helped advance during the last administration and to build on the momentum of the expanding school diversity field, particularly in light of the passage and initial implementation of ESSA and, later, an abrupt change in leadership and direction at the federal level.
The goal of this process was to engage and hear from members, advocates, and allies so that NCSD can formulate a clear strategic roadmap for the next three years. As such, the strategic planning process was developed to be comprehensive and heavily centered on engaging members.
The resulting strategic plan, which can be found here, focuses on the following six goals:
- Serve as the central convener of the school integration field.
- Connect constituents through learning exchanges, information sharing, and peer networks.
- Elevate a critical research agenda that is directly linked to work on the ground.
- Develop a comprehensive and strategic communications agenda.
- Monitor, influence, and protect federal policy.
- Implement a regional outreach strategy to highlight and support grassroots efforts.
We have also updated our mission and vision as follows:
VISION: America’s public education system is the centerpiece of a diverse, interconnected, and just democracy that is free from individual, institutional, and structural racism. The education system is inclusive of the individual and collective histories, perspectives, and voices of the communities it serves. This system values, supports, and equips all young people with the resources and skills they need to thrive. Our policies and social structures reflect a deep, unwavering commitment to our young people, our communities, and our democracy.
MISSION: Here at NCSD, we challenge common assumptions that segregation in our nation’s communities and schools is natural, harmless, or inevitable. NCSD supports brave, bold, visionary changemakers and bridgebuilders as they tackle the root causes of educational inequity and injustice. Our members work to design, enact, implement, and uplift K-12 public school integration policies and practices so we may build cross-race/cross-class relationships, share power and resources, and co-create new realities.
We are deeply grateful to the Ford Foundation for providing support for this process; and to our consultant (Melissa Hewitt, Forward Movement Consulting) and strategic planning committee for all of their hard work on this plan.