This past year has been tumultuous, especially for educators. Across the country, school leaders have had to juggle navigating a global pandemic and our nation's racial reckoning. They've transitioned to virtual teaching and learning, created space to discuss police burtality and systemic racism in their schools, and addressed the physical, social, and emotional needs of their students and families. In light of all, they have persevered through. Our School Leaders Who Inspire Series is intended to celebrate and highlight the prominent and impactful educators we have the pleasure of working with.
Over the course of this series, we will share the interviews with school leaders about their motivations to lead and teach, their biggest lessons, influences, and best advice. You will learn more about their contributions to the public school system and how they have worked to provide their students with a high quality and equitable education.
Our Conversation with Monique Daviss
How long have you been working in the charter school sector?
I've been working in the charter school sector for more than 15 years, beginning when I came to El Sol in June of 2005.
What motivated you to do this work?
I have a spent my entire career working in the fields of education and community development. As a young teacher in Compton, California, during a time of dramatic community disruption, I felt unprepared to respond to the needs of my students. So, I broadened my knowledge of community development and spent many years building my understanding of comprehensive community investments and supports. When I got to El Sol, it allowed me to weave together my education and community development experience, work with the school community, create a responsive school culture and set the platform for educational achievement AND community development. I feel so lucky.
What book, experience, or resource has had the biggest impact on how you approach this work?
I approach everything with the same frame - an opportunity to learn something new. So, I wouldn't say that any one book, experience or resource guides my approach, rather collective bits from the entirety of those elements. Having said that, I have had incredible mentors over my professional career who invested in me, expertly expanding my knowledge, building guardrails while I learn(ed) and being a voice reason.
How many black teachers or profesors have you had over the course of your own education?
While I had very few black teachers or professors over the course of my own public-school education, in my professional life, I have worked with, learned from and have been inspired by incredible black educators. In my personal life, I am privileged to call excellent black educators, family, including my husband, his parents, aunts, uncles and generations of family before them.
Does your school have any strategies that your network uses to help support student's racial identity development?
As a dual immersion school, language and culture are at the core of our curricular focus. We approach our students and families as partners.
We hire staff with three main components in mind:
- A commitment to excellence
- A commitment to accountability; and,
- A love of the community
Consequently, 95% of our staff come from the community where we serve. Our values are firmly set in people - students, families, staff, and community. We believe that is something worth celebrating. So, we celebrate by investing in the things we value - language, culture, the arts, academic excellence, and good parties!
What are the biggest lessons you have learned from your school community?
Our school community is comprised largely of immigrant families. The biggest lessons that I've learned are about the pull of the American Dream, the sacrifice of families and the perseverance of community, even in the face of incredible odds. Using those lessons of love and respect, keep us focused on our mission and prepared to do our part to contribute to their achievements.
What is the best piece of advice you have gotten in your career so far and why?
- Be accountable but don't be afraid to muddle through.
- Care about people, because relationships matter.
- Listen.
- and finally - - - keep going - - -
About Monique Daviss
Since 2005, Monique Daviss has served as the Executive Director of El Sol Science and Arts Academy. During her tenure, the schoolhas grown in both size and achievement. El Sol has been named a Bright Spot Awardee by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, the California Charter School of the Year, a California Distinguished School, a Title I Academic Achievement Awardee (twice) and California Association for Bilingual Educators Seal of Excellence Award as well as many other awards and recognitions. She has raised $40 million dollars in gifts, grants and facilities funding in support of ongoing growth and development of the school.
Prior to El Sol, Ms. Daviss was the Executive Director of a national organization that provided education, training, and employment support for residents of low-income housing communities in seven cities across the nation. She has also served as the Director of Community Initiatives for public housing residents in Los Angeles. During that time, she participated as the Los Angeles based coordinator for Jobs Plus, a national initiative funded by the Rockefeller Foundation investigating best practices in place-based strategies in public housing. Ms. Daviss also developed curriculum and mentor activities for Community Youth Gang Services and has been a classroom teacher in Lynwood and Compton, California.
Our Work with El Sol Science and Arts Academy
El Sol Science and Arts Academy is a high-performing charter school serving grades Pre K-8 that has been a LISC partner for almost a decade. El Sol was founded in 2001 and serves a primarily Hispanic and Latinx student population. El Sol's mission is to provide a rigorous academic environment that prepares students for entrance into a college preparatory track at the high school of their choice. At the same time, El Sol seeks to create a culture of kindness, creativity, courage, and honesty that encourages students to assume leadership roles in life. El Sol offers a rigorous dual immersion language program in Spanish and English with a focus on science and the arts. On state exams, El Sol students consistently outperform peers at the district and state levels, in both English Language Arts and mathematics.
The LISC Charter School Financing Team provided a $5.5 million loan to El Sol Science and Arts Academy of Santa Ana, California to refinance existing New Markets Tax Credit Financing, which financed the construction of El Sol's permanent facility.
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School Leaders Who Inspire: Denise Alexander
School Leaders Who Inspire: Traci Thibodeaux
School Leaders Who Inspire: David Spencer