About
I’m always trying to figure out and invent what I’m doing now. I’m a mom and consultant in Vermont working to strengthen partnerships between families, communities and schools. I believe that we are on the edge of a new frontier in public education — one that requires us to figure out how to transform the underlying system to effectively serve an incredibly diverse group of students in a rapidly changing world.
I’ve been thinking that to make a major leap forward — to connect learning to real world, engaging opportunities tied to student-interest AND provide support structures for all kids — REQUIRES that we work collaboratively to tap into both the power of community — relationships and place — AND the power of technology. Oh, and while we’re at it, somehow we’ve got to realistically define and agree on what it is our kids need to get out of school!
I am a community organizing contractor with Voices for Vermont’s Children and a family-school-community partnership contractor with the Burlington School District. I’m currently working to build the capacity of marginalized families and youth in Burlington and Winooski to actively engage in school reform efforts alongside families and students with power. I’ve helped launch new partnership teams in Burlington Schools , develop grade-level summaries for parents, coordinate outreach to hundreds of parents and residents to create a community vision of Excellence and Equity for Burlington , interview over 100 teachers to gain their insight and create a University service-learning project to provide a glimpse into 90 of Burlington’s classrooms. I work closely with Vermont’s Parent Information Resource Center. This year, I’ve also enjoyed learning from the Vermont-based Youth and Adults Transforming Schools Together, the National Network of Partnership Schools, the Nellie Mae Foundation, and the Annenberg Institute for School Reform.
My daughter and husband inspire me to keep asking questions and learning. I spent 10 years working in non-profit community and economic development before getting actively involved in the field of education. Prior to that, I worked in marketing and business planning for large corporations and start-ups. I formally became an education activist in 2006, when Burlington schools engaged the community in conversations about socio-economic integration. I organized families to share their educational values which helped to shape a community-based plan.
You can reach me by email at dawn.moskowitz (at) uvm.edu
