The Carnegie Educator Advisory Panel consists of nine secondary teachers and school based leaders all across the nation, and is new this year. English Department Chairperson Christoper Bronke has been selected to serve on The Carnegie Educator Advisory Panel. The current panel advisors will serve during the 2023-2024 school year, in which they will share educational experiences, ideas, initiatives, and transform America’s education system.
Bronke is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the Carnegie Foundation and is eager to begin making a difference.
“The chance to have an impact on the future of education is super important to me, so to know I have a voice even if it’s a small one, at tables where those conversations are happening is also exciting, the chance to learn from eight other amazing educators,” Bronke said. “and to better understand the ways in which education here at North is or isn’t similar to education all over the nation. Whenever I have an opportunity like this I’m left blessed to push North to grow and be more”.
Founded in 1905, The Carnegie Foundation is a US based education policy and research center. The organization’s mission is to “catalyze transformational change in education so that every student has the opportunity to live a healthy, dignified, and fulfilling life”. Bronke’s previous success in an advisory role with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was a major reason for his selection.
Bronke and the newly added Carnegie advisors will focus on highschool redesign initiatives and important discussions about the frontlines of America’s education system. Bronke specifically hopes to create a change in the “traditional” way students are taught.
“Both with the work at Carnegie and here at North, I think it’s long overdue that we start to reimagine school. One of the big projects the foundation is working on is that time in a desk does not equal learning”, Bronke said. “That’s the thing I want to see North embrace more. I think it’s time educational leaders locally and nationally start rethinking how we go about supporting students learning the things we say need to be learned”.
Bronke has been the English Department Chairperson at DGN since 2012. Aspects of the job include teaching, overseeing the literacy program, plans and institutes professional development, and working with other district leaders on integration and implementation.
“I want to continue to support the English department in their journey to help every student here. I often say as an English department chair I get the best of both worlds. I get to work with my own class everyday and I get to help support this group of English teachers who work with every student in the building,” Bronke said.
Through his passionate teaching, Bronke has inspired hundreds of students here at DGN. Whether it’s through writing, literature, or just challenging their knowledge, Bronke certainly has made an impact and will continue to do so with his experiences through the Carnegie Foundation.
“Mr. Bronke is very caring about his students and he trusts us to do things on our own time and learn at our own pace which is really cool. He really deserves to be a part of a national role in education”, current Bronke student and senior Jenna Soelberg said.
