After two years of virtual convenings, we are back in person for the 2022 National Charter Schools Conference in Washington, DC, June 19-22. 

But it isn't business as usual. We are moving to sessions that foster more connection, engagement, and interaction. Our annual call for proposals will focus on critical topics to charter schools and address the changing needs of public education.  

This year, we are shaping NCSC22 content around three areas of focus:

  • COVID's Impact on Learning Outcomes and Mental Health 
  • The Future of Teaching, Education, and Charter Schools
  • Building Diverse and Engaged Advocates 

Thank you for submitting a session proposal—the call is now closed. See below for more information and other important dates.

The 2022 conference will center around three content focus areas. These focus areas will allow attendees to dive deeper into relevant and timely content with experts and peers and come away with practical tools and techniques they can implement at their schools and organizations.

Based on audience feedback and trends in the field, these are the themes and topics:

Pandemic’s Impact on Learning Outcomes and Mental Health

  • Student mental health resources and services
  • Restorative leadership during and post-pandemic
  • Fostering post-traumatic strength and resilience in students
  • SEL and academic outcomes
  • Covid academic impact and recovery
  • Reengaging missing and disengaged students
  • Teacher and staff mental health resources and services
  • Impact of Covid on early childhood care and providers
  • Promoting whole school experiences for SEL
  • Adaptive and transformational school leadership

The Future of Teaching, Education, and Charters

  • Future of the teacher workforce
  • Educator mental health challenges
  • Teacher and staff retention strategies
  • EdTech and the future of learning
  • Pipeline for black teachers and leaders
  • Diverse by design schools
  • Developing students for the future of work
  • Building inclusive childhood-to-career pathways in STEM
  • Academic equity through accelerated learning
  • Increasing access and representation in tech fields

Engaged and Diverse Advocates

  • Parent power at the voting box
  • Advancing equitable family and community engagement 
  • Teacher voice 
  • Parents and students as advocates 
  • The school/home partnership

Our new presentation types include audience engagement and opportunities for attendees and presenters to engage in meaningful dialogue and sharing:

Interactive Panels: A 60-minute panel presentation of up to 3 presenters covering a timely and relevant topic and including a combination of follow-up audience discussions, Q&A, or audience surveys during the session.

Critical Dialogues: A 60-minute presenter-led, open dialogue with a small, focused group of participants on a relevant and timely topic with opportunities to collaborate on outcomes that can be widely implemented. 

Workshop: An in-depth subject-focused session with up to three presenters that develop specific professional competencies. These 90-minute sessions will allow presenters to lead participants through interactive activities, discussions, and hands-on activities. Sessions may be repeated over the three-day conference.

Problem Solving: A 60-minute interactive session designed to get a new perspective and independent feedback from conference attendees to address a widespread challenge. Presenters briefly introduce the issue they wish to explore and open the discussion for input and exchange of ideas among participants.

Fishbowl: A 60-minute facilitated discussion taking place between 2-3 presenters, on a timely or controversial topic, observed by the audience and including a combination of audience Q&A, or opportunities for audience members to rotate into the fishbowl, adding their take on the topic. This session requires strong facilitation skills.

Bright Spot: 15-minute presentations highlighting successful and innovative school programs, community partnerships, achievements, research, and more. Three related sessions are presented back-to-back during one 60-minute time block, followed by questions and discussion.

Identify your focus area and topic

Review the content focus areas and topic suggestions. Within the three content focus areas, is there a topic that aligns with your professional expertise? Is there an unlisted topic that you can lead a deeper discussion on and provide diverse perspectives? Content should be advanced-level and have clear learning outcomes participants can implement or address a relevant need to their issues.

Narrow your target audience

Identify the audience who will get the most out of attending your session. You will have the opportunity to select up to two audience strands for your session. Review the audience strands descriptions below to determine which audience best aligns with your topic.

  • Lead: The lead strand addresses the many challenges facing charter school leaders and trains those looking to lead tomorrow.
  • Advocate: The political landscape impacts charter schools immensely. Session in the advocate strand allows you to stay informed focusing on the latest developments in local districts, states, and federal legislation and advocacy.
  • Govern: The govern strand provides professional development for those who oversee charter schools, including board members and authorizers.
  • Operate: From facilities management to fiscal sustainability, communications, and public relations to professional development, the operate strand offers content for those who support schools with the necessary tools to ensure long-term organizational health.
  • Educate: The educate strand provides advanced content in learning strategies and other classroom-specific topics.

Select a presentation format

Select the presentation format that fits best with your content. Please keep in mind your audience and the needs of attendees. All sessions are 60-minutes long unless otherwise stated and are scheduled concurrently with other sessions. 

Reach out to co-presenters

We believe it is important to select diverse speakers to share their perspectives. Speaker gender, racial, geographic background, school type, and school geography are considered when selecting sessions. We encourage you to be mindful of speaker diversity at all stages as you plan your proposal and not an afterthought. Please note the maximum number of presenters and time lengths for each session type.

Write your session description and title

Write a short session description of no more than 150 words. This is your chance to convince attendees to attend your session. Focus on the intended audience's needs and problems, and address the benefits of the presentation for the attendee. Consider catchy titles that appeal to what your session offers attendees and draw them to your session description. Keep your session title concise and straightforward.

Write session learning objectives

Write three one-sentence learning objectives that you want attendees to remember after your presentation. The objectives should be clear, measurable, and achievable.

1. All individuals attending or presenting at NCSC22 must be fully vaccinated, provide proof of their vaccination status, and show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of arriving for the conference.

2. All accepted presenters are responsible to:

  • Register as an attendee for NCSC22 and pay the registration fee at the discount presenter rate of $375
  • Secure and pay for travel and lodging
  • Arrive on-site and check-in at least 1 hour before your session start time
  • Promote your session using our provided toolkit
  • Follow all health, safety, and other NCSC guidance, policies, and requirements

3. Follow all COVID safety protocols and NCSC guidance, policies, and requirements.
Guidance, requirements, and policies are subject to change.

When is the conference? Where is the conference being held?

The National Charter Schools Conference (NCSC22) will be held in Washington, DC, June 19-22, 2022 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Will NCSC22 be a live, virtual, or hybrid event?

At this time, the conference plans to be a fully live, in-person event without any virtual or hybrid components.

Do all panelists need to attend in person, or can they present virtually?

Unfortunately, this year’s event is not designed to support virtual sessions or presenters. Therefore, all presenter(s) need to be present and prepared to present in front of a live audience. See our presenter terms and conditions for more information.

Do I need to be vaccinated to attend the conference?

Yes, all individuals attending or presenting at NCSC22 must be fully vaccinated, provide proof of their vaccination status, and show proof of a negative covid test within 72 hours of arriving for the conference. See more about our COVID-19 vaccination policies and additional presenter terms and conditions.

Do I need to pay a conference admission fee if I am a presenter?

Yes, all accepted presenters are responsible for registering as an attendee and pay the registration fee at the discounted presenter rate of $375, as well as their own travel, lodging, and any related expenses. See our discounted hotel room blocks and other travel info as well as additional presenter terms and conditions.

I want to do a presentation on a different subject matter than what’s listed. How do I do that?

This 2022 conference is centered around three content focus areas:

  • COVID's Impact on Learning Outcomes and Mental Health
  • The Future of Teaching, Education, and Charter Schools
  • Building Diverse and Engaged Advocates

Based on audience feedback and trends in the field, we are seeking proposals containing these themes and topics. We believe these focus areas will allow attendees to dive deeper into relevant and timely content with experts and peers and leave the conference with practical tools and techniques they can implement at their schools and organizations.

Who can I reach out to with further questions?

For questions about being a speaker or your presentation, email us at presenterinfo@publiccharters.org. For other questions, contact:

All members of the press should contact pressroom@publiccharters.org

February 28:  Acceptance notifications sent via email
June 19-22:  NCSC22 in Washington, D.C.

If you have any questions, please contact us at presenterinfo@publiccharters.org.