Bold By Choice Podcast | S3 E1: Hear from Sonia Park & Ashley Heard

Better Together: Inside the Movement for Intentionally Diverse Schools

By Sonia Park & Ashley Heard, Diverse Charter Schools Coalition

We were grateful for the opportunity to join Season 3 of the Bold by Choice podcast to discuss a belief that guides our work every day. Schools should reflect the world students live in, and intentionally diverse charter schools can make that vision real.

At the Diverse Charter Schools Coalition, we represent more than 280 schools across 26 states and Washington, DC. These schools share a commitment to designing learning environments where belonging, academic excellence, and community come together by intention rather than accident. Our conversation on the podcast allowed us to elevate why this work matters and the impact we see across our network.

Intentionally diverse schools begin with a simple premise. Students thrive when their identities and lived experiences are honored and when they learn alongside peers who bring different perspectives and backgrounds. This requires purposeful design. It also requires leaders who are willing to reimagine how schools are built, staffed, and supported.

Our coalition exists to bring these leaders together. What began with 14 founding members has grown into a national community that learns collaboratively, shares openly, and works collectively to strengthen diversity by design models. Through communities of practice, leadership development programs, and research partnerships, we are building shared knowledge about what makes these schools successful. Our emerging High Quality Intentionally Diverse Schools Framework is one example of how we are capturing strong practices so that more schools can adopt and adapt them.

One of the most affirming parts of joining Bold by Choice was the chance to speak to both the technical and human sides of this work. Strong systems, clear instructional models, and thoughtful structures matter. But so do the relationships, the sense of belonging, and the conviction that every student deserves to be known and challenged. At their best, intentionally diverse charter schools bring these elements together in a way that expands opportunity for students and enriches entire communities.

Season 3 of Bold by Choice shines a light on several of our member schools that embody this vision. We hope listeners come away with a deeper understanding of what is possible when schools are designed with purpose, courage, and an unwavering commitment to students.

🎧 Season 3, Episode 1 – “Schools That Reflect the World”
Featuring Sonia Park & Ashley Heard, Diverse Charter Schools Coalition