Your Voice, Your School: Area D Students and Parents Make an Impact Through the District Advisory Council
This article is part of a recurring series highlighting parents and guardians who serve on the District Advisory Council (DAC) and School Site Councils (SSC) across San Diego Unified School District. Each article covers a different area of the district, 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.
This Month: Area D
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.
“We want our families to know that their time on the SSC is priceless, and this meeting was about giving them the tools to move from observers to active advocates,” said Keashonna Christopher, the council’s chair. “When parents understand the budget, understand the data and feel confident speaking up, that is when real change happens for students.”
Meet the Student Leader Making a Difference in Area D
This month, we head to Area D to highlight something the district is especially proud of: student voice in action. San Diego Unified’s Goals and Guardrails call for creating the conditions where students feel they belong, can thrive and have a meaningful seat at the table. Nathan Williams, a 12th grade student at San Diego High School and DAC Executive Board member, is doing exactly that. His commitment to leading and representing student voice on a council traditionally made up of parents and staff is an example of what it looks like when students step up to help shape the decisions that affect their schools.
Nathan Williams, DAC Executive Board Member, San Diego High School
Nathan Williams, DAC Executive Board Member, San Diego High School
Williams is a 12th grade student at San Diego High School and serves as the DAC’s Second Vice Chair. As a member of the DAC Executive Board, he has been focused on improving how information reaches families at the school site level.
“I strongly feel that the work we as the DAC Executive Board have done to improve the communication aspect to our constituents has to be highlighted,” Williams said. “I’m able to speak to this due to my role in creating the new and improved Take it to Your SSC document that many have utilized to better inform their School Sites.”
Williams believes access to clear, timely information is key to helping schools make strong decisions about Title I funding.
“I believe that it is crucial for sites to have as much information as possible to better make their decision on how Title I funding should be allocated, respectively,” Williams said.
What Happened at the Latest DAC Meeting
The latest DAC general meeting took place on March 18, 2026 and focused on giving families the tools to move from observers to active advocates. Here is what was covered:
- Family Engagement: Dr. Pamela King from the SDUSD Family Engagement Department led an interactive session on identifying the key players in a student’s life and the importance of involving support networks in every phase of learning. Members were also asked to review the district’s Family Engagement Policy and bring site-specific suggestions back to their SSCs.
- Share Your Story: DAC Chair Keashonna Christopher announced a new initiative calling for parent testimonials to amplify the DAC voice. Families can submit their story through the DAC testimonial form. Who knows, you might just be featured in our next article.
- Budget Transparency and Financial Literacy: Ryan Brock, SPSA Department Resource Teacher, walked members through SSC budget overviews, including how budget transfers work and how Title I realignments balance site-specific budgets. Brock also highlighted the DAC Executive Board’s collaboration with the SPSA department last year, which produced uniform SSC templates and timelines now hosted centrally on the SPSA website.
- Data-Driven Advocacy: Senior Director Eileen Moreno presented updates on upcoming student assessments. These evaluations give SSC members the data they need to identify where interventions are most needed, make mid-year adjustments and build stronger goals for the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA).
- Summer Learning and Enrichment: Tobie Pace, Senior Director of Extended Learning Opportunities, shared updates on summer enrichment options. Parents seeking academic or recreational supports for the upcoming break are encouraged to ask about specific options at their school site.
For more information, visit the DAC meeting materials and slide decks
How to Get Involved
The DAC meets once a month and anyone can attend. Upcoming meetings: 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.