Equity Fellows 2

CSTA is creating a new teacher-led CSTA Policy Committee, with 8-12 volunteers who meet regularly (virtually) to develop and refine recommendations and resources. Their purpose is to:

  1. vet, develop, and/or adopt a set of endorsed policy recommendations; and 
  2. develop a toolkit to support CSTA chapter leaders and members on effectively advocating for these policy recommendations at the state level. 

The committee will focus on policies that increase entry, retention, and course/degree completion of groups historically underrepresented in CS. They will present recommendations and resources annually at the CSTA Chapter Leadership Summit (professional development for and convening of Chapter Leaders across the entire network, held in conjunction with the CSTA Annual Conference).

Draft Teacher Advocacy Kit

CSTA Policy Committee - Draft Advocacy Toolkit

Policy Committee Members

  • Todd Beard – Cultural Innovations Organizer at Flint Cultural Center Academy
  • Daryl Detrick – CS Teacher at Warren Hills Regional HS
  • Chris Dovi – Executive Director at CodeVA
  • Rudy  Escobar – STEM & Computer Science Coordinator at Stanislaus County Office of Education
  • Gina Fugate – Lego Engineering & Technology Teacher at Maryland School for the Blind
  • Alexandra Holter – Computer Science Coordinator at Bloomington Public Schools
  • David Lockett – K-16 Outreach/Grants Development at School of Applied Computational Sciences at Meharry Medical College (past chair)
  • Kerri Murphy – CS Teacher at Norton High School
  • Carla  Neely – Albert Einstein Fellow; STEM Teacher at Warner Girls’ Leadership Academy (current co-chair)
  • Sonal Patel – Digital Learning Innovation Coordinator at San Bernardino County Office of Education
  • Henry Ramirez – Retired Teacher & Central Region Chapter Support Coordinator at CSTA (current co-chair)
  • Dominick Sanders – Computer Science State Supervisor at South Carolina Department of Education
  • Lawrence Tanimoto – CS Teacher at Seattle Public Schools (past chair)
  • Amber Williamson – CS Teacher at Atlanta Public Schools

Y1 Timeline

  • December 2021: Launch committee application (CSEdWeek).
  • January 2022: Select 8-10 committee members and 2 co-chairs.
  • February 2022: Hold annual, in-person planning meeting at CSTA Volunteer Summit.*
  • May 2022: Develop a draft set of policy recommendations.
  • June 2022: Develop a draft set of resources to support CSTA chapter leaders and members on effectively advocating for these policy recommendations at the state level.
  • July 2022: Present draft policy recommendations and advocacy resources at CSTA Chapter Leadership Summit co-located with the CSTA Annual Conference.*
  • October 2022: Hold annual, in-person planning meeting at CSTA Volunteer Summit. Analyze results from CS teacher landscape survey around teacher policy recommendations. 
  • December 2022: Present advocacy resources during CSEdWeek.

Responsibilities

  • Attend monthly committee meetings, estimated at about 2 hours per month.
  • Complete up to 2 hours of asynchronous work per month.
  • Participate in kick-off and planning meeting at the CSTA Volunteer Summit on Feb. 19-20, 2022 in Denver, CO.*
  • Present to CSTA chapter leaders at the annual Chapter Leadership Summit co-located with the CSTA Annual Conference on July 14-17, 2022 in Chicago, IL.*

* CSTA pays for associated travel expenses.

Qualifications and Selection Criteria

  • Resides and works in the United States
  • Current or past educator: Has at least 3 years of experience teaching CS
  • Demonstrates commitment to disrupting inequities in K-12 CS education
  • Demonstrates leadership in the K-12 CS education community (e.g., CSTA chapter leader)
  • Has familiarity with state-level policy levers or interested in developing understanding
  • Has some experience advocating for K-12 CS education at the state or national level