Your Voice, Your School: Parents Making a Difference Through the District Advisory Council
Your Voice, Your School: Parents Making a Difference Through the District Advisory Council
This is the first in a recurring series by San Diego Unified School District highlighting parents and guardians who serve on School Site Councils and the District Advisory Council (DAC) across the district. Each article covers a different area of the district (A-E), features local parent leaders and recaps the latest DAC meeting. The purpose is to encourage participation and increase access to opportunities that uplift parent and guardian voice.
What is the DAC
The District Advisory Council for Compensatory Education (DAC) is a group of parents, school staff and community members who advise the Board of Education and district leaders on programs and funding for students who need extra support. Every district that receives this type of funding is required to have one.
Each school that gets Title I funding picks one parent from its School Site Council (SSC) to represent the school on the DAC. SSCs are elected parent and staff groups at every school that help decide how money tied to the School Plan for Student Achievement is spent. The DAC is where those school-level voices come together for training, information sharing and input on how funding is used across the district.
“The DAC exists so that parents have a real voice in how resources reach their children,” said Keashonna Christopher, the DAC chair. “When parents understand how funding works and how decisions are made at the district level, they can better advocate for their students and hold leadership accountable.”
This Month: Meet the Parents Leading the Way in Area E
Danielle Miller, SSC Chair, Porter Elementary
Danielle Miller, SSC Chair, Porter Elementary
Miller has children in 3rd grade and transitional kindergarten. She went to the same school when it was called Kennedy Elementary.
“I was inspired to get involved because I had growing concerns about student outcomes, particularly in literacy and overall academic performance,” Miller said. “This campus has had a lasting impact on my life. That history made it important for me to stay engaged and ensure that today’s students are receiving the support, resources and opportunities they deserve.”
Her involvement has helped bring attention to how Title I money is spent at Porter and started conversations about budget transparency.
“When families understand how decisions are made, and how funds are allocated, they are better positioned to advocate for meaningful change,” Miller said.
Lesina Parker, SSC Chair at Crawford High School, DAC Rep at Mann Middle School
Lesina Parker, SSC Chair at Crawford High School, DAC Rep at Mann Middle School
Parker has children in 11th grade at Crawford High School, 7th grade at Mann Middle School and 1st grade at Carver Elementary. She got involved three years ago because of the lack of leadership and parent involvement at her children’s schools.
“There has been a huge increase in parent involvement since I started three years ago,” Parker said. “Greater transparency gave parents a deeper understanding of bylaws, budgets, acronyms and the overall structure of the school system. As a result, participation increased significantly, along with the sharing of new ideas.”
That work contributed to changes this year in how information is organized and accessed on the district website. Her philosophy: “Lead with love.”
Keashonna Christopher, DAC Chair, SSC Member at Lincoln High and Porter Elementary
Keashonna Christopher, DAC Chair, SSC Member at Lincoln High and Porter Elementary
Christopher has children in 10th and 12th grade. She grew up in Southeastern San Diego, went through SDUSD schools herself and now works as an educator.
“Over decades, I noticed the neighborhood schools I attended as a youth still needed significant improvements and conscious school leadership willing to close the gaps,” Christopher said. “I am inspired to serve as a bridge and driving force to advocate for and support adequate student progress and a thriving school climate.”
Last year, she helped put out a resource link called “Show Me the Money” that lets any family view school budgets, including Title I and LCFF funding. Her team also pushed for a new platform to make it easier to manage SSC paperwork like bylaws, minutes, agendas and SPSAs.
“This school year, we are continuing to increase parent involvement efforts in our unified school district,” Christopher said.
What Happened at the February DAC Meeting
The February 18, 2026, meeting had a strong showing of parent leaders. Christopher reviewed DAC goals and shared Executive Board updates. Here is what else was covered:
- Dr. Pamela King (San Diego Unified Family Engagement Department) shared ways families can keep their kids motivated from TK through 12th grade, focusing on building strong habits early and helping students become more independent learners.
- ParentTeacher Association (PTA)partner Amy Woods walked the group through the six PTA Standards of Family Engagement, a national framework used to support quality education.
- The district shared its mid-year check-in on the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). There were gains in attendance, lower suspension rates and improvements in math and reading in some areas. The review also pointed to gaps that still exist for students with disabilities, homeless and foster youth, and English learners.
- Resource Teacher Ryan Brock gave tips and tools to help SSC members build the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) at their schools.
- Governmental Relations Director Sierra Cook shared that Congress passed a final budget with no cuts to TK-12 education and some modest increases.
Special thanks to Dario, Stacie, Brandon, Ryan and Eileen for supporting the DAC.
For the full meeting recap and resources, view them here.
How to Get Involved
The DAC meets once a month and anyone can attend. Upcoming meetings: March 18, April 22 and May 20. All meetings start at 6 p.m. on Zoom.
Join the meeting: sandiegounified.zoom.us/j/81572141573
Or call in at (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 815 7214 1573.
For more information, visit the DAC website.
Article written by a communications team member on behalf of the San Diego Unified School District Strategic Communications and Information Department.