Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

Improve Literacy Skills and Unlock Potential with Freedom Schools® Webinar

As educators work to address pervasive student needs exacerbated by the pandemic, I invite you to join the California Department of Education (CDE) for an important virtual discussion, Improve Literacy Skills and Unlock Potential with Freedom Schools®, on Thursday, September 21, 2023, at 11 a.m.

This webinar will provide information about Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools® (https://www.childrensdefense.org/programs/cdf-freedom-schools/), a culturally responsive K–12 model that engages families in their student’s learning journey through literacy-enriched activities that improve student outcomes, address chronic absenteeism, and unlock student potential. Attendees will learn about the program and hear the specific ways Freedom Schools® have influenced literacy and other student outcomes. Participants will also learn about funding opportunities, including Expanded Learning Opportunities Program funds. Additionally, participants will learn how to apply to become a Freedom Schools® site on or before the October 2, 2023, deadline. More information is available on the CDF Sponsor a CDF Freedom Schools® Site web page at https://www.childrensdefense.org/programs/cdf-freedom-schools/sponsor-a-cdf-freedom-schools-site/.

To drive this conversation, I will be joined by Thomas Harvey, CDF California’s Executive Director; administrators from California schools who will speak about their experiences with Freedom Schools®; and Joshua Brady, Education Administrator in the CDE Expanded Learning Division’s Grant Awards, Monitoring, and Evaluation Office, who will discuss funding opportunities.

Please register in advance via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FRaoWegWRwmlG80L6kK2VA#/registration. The webinar will also be livestreamed, and the video will be archived on the CDE Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CAEducation.

For help exploring CDF Freedom Schools®, please contact Dr. Bonnie Garcia, Statewide Literacy Co-Director, Superintendent’s Initiatives Branch, at bogarcia@cde.ca.gov. You will also find more resources on the CDE Expanded Learning Opportunities Program web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ex/elopinfo.asp.

I hope you will join us to learn more about how these resources can improve student outcomes in your local educational agency.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction