Charting Our Future brings together diverse voices from K-12, higher education, philanthropy, policy, and community organizations to share insights, build partnerships, and advance solutions that create lasting change. This year’s theme celebrates a fundamental truth about how transformative change happens. It recognizes that our most significant breakthroughs occur not in isolation, but through the collective wisdom and action of communities working together. From classroom innovations that spark student success to policy changes that reshape entire systems, real progress emerges when we unite our diverse perspectives, experiences, and strengths toward a shared vision.
If there is one thing that Jeff Duncan-Andrade knows for sure, it’s this: If you find something that’s not working, change it. And that’s exactly what he has done. The longtime urban educator, researcher and activist felt that students in his community in East Oakland, California, who are mostly Black and Latinx, weren’t getting the education they deserved. So Duncan-Andrade, a teacher and professor of Latina/o Studies and Race and Resistance Studies at San Francisco State University, co-founded a new school—the Roses in Concrete Community School. It’s a school that centers the wellness of its students above everything else—responding to the unique needs of the community as the pathway to social and academic rigor. Duncan-Andrade also co-founded the Community Responsive Education Group and the Teaching Excellence Network (TEN) to support schools and districts to build and support similar practices in their communities
Erin Jones has worked in and around schools in different capacities for over 30 years. She has worked and done consultation for non-profits, government agencies and businesses. She has worked and lived in 5 states, from the East Coast to the Midwest to the West Coast, in communities that were predominantly White communities to communities that were predominantly Black communities to those that boasted dozens of languages and cultures. She has been recognized locally and nationally for her work in education and equity. She has also received recognition as an athlete and was invited to try out for two WNBA teams. After 20 years of playing soccer and 35 years of playing basketball, Erin now runs long distances and is devoted to regular Orange Theory workouts. Erin and her husband, James, have been married for almost 30 years and have three adult children – two who work in education and one who designs video games.
In 2025, COF brought together youth-centered organizations, thought leaders, and passionate advocates from across the education ecosystem to harness the power of community-driven initiatives to drive systemic change.
In 2023, the third annual COF conference focused around opportunities to scale efforts throughout the county to create conditions for success. Speakers and workshops explored what it would take to create a truly equitable education system.
In 2022, the Foundation for Tacoma Students brought together over 300 community partners, for the first time post-pandemic. We were joined by nearly 60 speakers leading powerful discussions around Changing Systems, Changing Lives.
In April 2021, the Foundation for Tacoma Students hosted its first inaugural Charting Our Future conference. Over 500 educators, partners, leaders, and community members joined the 3-day virtual event to focus on one theme: Race, Justice & the Education System.
