Community of Practice Convenings
"The people make this learning community something truly special. There is a willingness to share ideas, a vulnerability not always found in cross district groups, and a deep dedication to transforming learning for all kids. The way people enter in to equity conversations, with great reflection and a passion to learn from one another, is inspiring." - DLD Participant
Convening #1 - Cambridge, MA
The 1st Deeper Learning Dozen Community of Practice Convening was held at the Harvard Graduate School of Education on October 15-17, 2018. Twelve district superintendents and their teams from California, Colorado, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Vermont, and British Columbia convened for two and a half days of intense learning and sharing. The initial convening focused on building strong relationships, establishing the community of practice, design thinking and inquiry cycles, district journey mapping (who are we and how did we come to be this way?) and roadmapping (where are we headed with this work now?), and a deep learning dive into one of our three principles, “leadership accelerates emergence.” Districts also took time for planning and giving each other feedback as they continue their work on equitable access to deeper learning for all young people and adults.
Convening #3 - Cowichan, BC
The 3rd Deeper Learning Dozen Community of Practice Convening was held in Cowichan, British Columbia, on April 29 - May 2, 2019. Ten district superintendents and their teams from California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Vermont, and British Columbia convened for two and a half days of intense learning and sharing. Our third convening paralleled a place-based inquiry into the work of one of our districts, Cowichan, British Columbia, with a deeper exploration of the theories of action and “fractal challenges” of our other districts. With a particular focus on our third principle, “Student learning and adult learning are symmetrical,” we explored the leadership stances, equity imperatives, and learning experiences driving our host district to nurture and respond to emerging innovations to transform themselves systemically in support of deeper learning for all adults and students. Elders and Knowledge Keepers from the Cowichan Tribes co-facilitated with us, introducing us to ways that their communities have been bringing Indigenous learning principles and content into the education of the young people in Cowichan school district.
Convening #5 - Monterey, CA
The 5th Deeper Learning Dozen Community of Practice Convening was held in Monterey, CA, January 22-24, 2020. Eleven district teams from California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Vermont, Wisconsin, and British Columbia convened for two and a half days of intense learning and sharing. Building on our work at DLD #4, together we focused on this essential question: “What is the strategic leadership role in leading an equity seeking emergent process based on an overarching commitment to deeper learning, and our three DLD principles?”
Convening #12 - Abbotsford, BC
The 12th DLD Convening (and the first in-person since the beginning of the COVID pandemic) took place May 3-5th 2022, in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Ten teams from California, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Vermont, and British Columbia convened for three days of intense learning and sharing. We engaged in place-based inquiry facilitated by Abbotsford team, exploring the ways that they have led the strategic direction and created spaces for the DLD Principles, Leadership Accelerates Emergence, and, Adult Learning and Student Learning are Symmetrical. Additionally, DLD district team to brought evidence of their own work “with a bias towards action” focusing on cycles of inquiry. We were challenged in cross-district consultancies, and explored Indigenous pedagogies and ways of knowing in partnership with the Semá:th Chief and Elders of the Stó:lō Nation.
Convening #2 - Oakland, CA
The 2nd Deeper Learning Dozen Community of Practice Convening was held in Oakland, California on January 29-31, 2019. Twelve district superintendents and their teams from California, Colorado, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Vermont, and British Columbia convened for two and a half days of intense learning and sharing. The convening focused on strengthening the Community of Practice relationships and practices we began to build during the first convening, exploring systemic oppression from the personal to the systemic, exploring the equity leadership needed in complex systems change supporting liberatory design, and a deep experiential learning dive into the ways that deeper learning can be an equity strategy for adult learners and our students. Individuals crafted an equity leadership identity statement. District teams also took time for planning and giving each other feedback as they continue their work on equitable access to deeper learning for all young people and adults.
Convening #4 - Burlington, VT
The 4th Deeper Learning Dozen Community of Practice Convening was held in Burlington, Vermont on October 1 - 4, 2019. Eleven district teams from California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Vermont, Wisconsin, and British Columbia convened for two and a half days of intense learning and sharing. In addition, we were fortunate to welcome students and teachers from the Burlington District to participate on day one of the convening. Together we explored deeper learning pedagogy, supportive district conditions and structures, and equity-based design thinking processes.
Convenings #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, and #11 - Virtual
The 6th-11th Deeper Learning Dozen Community of Practice Convenings were held virtually between March 2020 and April 2022. Together we focused on this essential idea: Covid is a fractal challenge. Being strategic in the short term is being strategic in the long term. We came together as a community to find support as we navigated the COVID crisis, developed a vision of what deeper learning can mean in both in-person instruction and virtually, reflected on has been productively learned (and what might be “hospiced”) during COVID. In between convenings, we also offered virtual “DLD+ workshops” led by facilitators such as Shane Safir, Ron Berger, and John Watkins, which were open to all staff at our participating districts to help spread the work.
Convening #13 - Lexington, KY
Convening #14 - Revere, MA
