Charleston Forum and Charleston Shared Future release findings from Community Education Meeting
June 6, 2023
200+ parents, educators, and community leaders offered feedback on schools in the tri-county area
Local nonprofits The Charleston Forum and Charleston Shared Future have released a comprehensive report summarizing the views on prek-12 education that more than 200 parents, teachers, and community leaders from the tri-county area shared at and after the Community Education Meeting the organizations co-hosted on April 13, 2023. Thirteen churches and non-profits in the region signed on as partners.
The event registered more than 200 from Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties to identify and discuss a wide range of issues facing public education, including bridging achievement gaps, school innovation, school safety, teacher retention, and parent involvement. The report, which has been shared with each county school district’s leadership, provides a thorough analysis of input and potential solutions that emerged from these facilitated conversations.
“Our Community Education Meeting was aimed at capturing diverse, grassroots-level perspectives on the most pressing issues they believe our schools are facing, to identify common ground and move forward with solutions we can all get behind,” said Brian Duffy, CEO of the Charleston Forum. “We hope and expect local district leaders will see it as an opportunity to take meaningful action on these priority areas that will make our schools work for every student.”
“April 13 was a process not an event, and intended to ensure that, unlike district-lead efforts, community voices are both heard and responded to,” said Eric Thome, a convenor of Charleston Shared Future. “Our two organizations are committed to following up with districts to secure responses to what has been proposed, and inform those who participated of what districts had to say”
About The Charleston Forum
Born out of the tragedy at Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church, The Charleston Forum began in 2016 as a group of local political, business, educational, and religious leaders who wanted to provide an opportunity to share perspectives on issues of race and proposals to address those issues across many different topic areas. Along with panels throughout the year, The Forum hosts its annual event each June as part of the Mother Emmanuel commemoration and has welcomed over 40 local and national speakers and more than 1,800 guests. For more information about the Charleston Forum, visit thecharlestonforum.com.
About Charleston Shared Future
Charleston Shared Future is an organization of students, district leaders, veteran educators, business owners, and community members that works together to envision possible scenarios for the future of education in Charleston County School District. For more information, visit charlestonsharedfuture.com.
