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Update on Big Goal 5: Position DSST for Future Growth

Beginning in Q3, we are formally reporting progress on Big Goal 5, made possible by the generous support of partners who want to expand access to excellent schools for families.

Introducing DSST Lab Classrooms: A new pilot program that focuses on learning from real classrooms

When we talk about great teaching, we often describe it through frameworks, videos or carefully curated examples. But the reality of teaching lives in the middle of a lesson, with real students, real curriculum and real decisions unfolding moment by moment.

A Message to the DSST Community: Reflections from the Fall Network Listening & Learning Tour

DSST Community,

Feature Friday: Raul Castillo Ontiveros opens doors through language and leadership

At DSST: Elevate Northeast High School, Raul Castillo Ontiveros teaches more than AP Spanish. He teaches students to see themselves as bilingual scholars. He teaches them that the language they already speak at home, the one they might have been told to leave at the door, is actually their superpower.

Ten DSST seniors earn full-ride scholarships through QuestBridge

DSST Public Schools is proud to celebrate ten outstanding seniors who have earned full-ride scholarships to some of the nation's top universities through the QuestBridge National College Match.

Feature Friday: Laurie Pochette on teaching with intention, adapting with purpose & staying the course

And after nearly eight years at DSST, science teacher Laurie Pochette (pictured far right) found something rare in education: a place where she can grow, lead and make a lasting impact without ever leaving the classroom.

"My unwavering commitment to the communities we serve anchors my work," Pochette said.

That commitment has taken her from DSST: College View Middle School, where she spent five years, to DSST: Conservatory Green Middle School, where she's been since November 2022. She started as an associate teacher in her first year and has been an eighth-grade integrated science teacher ever since. She's served as a house leader, taken on the role of science data lead and now mentors new teachers as they find their footing in the classroom.

It's the kind of career trajectory that reflects what Pochette values most: continuous growth in service of students.

"My mindset lays the foundation for what I can accomplish," she said. "Hope, and the understanding that difficult seasons pass, keeps me grounded."

That mindset was forged early. In her first year at DSST, Pochette kept a student after school for science tutoring and forgot to log it in Compass. When the front office called, she brought the student down to find her mother visibly distraught. The student's father had recently been deported, and her mother feared ICE had taken her daughter to a detention center.

"In that moment, I fully grasped the gravity of what I had assumed was a small oversight and learned how essential clear, consistent communication with families truly is," Pochette said.

It's the kind of moment that could break a first-year teacher. But for Pochette, it became a defining lesson in what it means to serve the communities DSST works with. And it's why she's stayed.

"How much you love your students, content or coworkers can't be the only thing that keeps you at DSST," she said. "You have to create your own happiness with what is in your locus of control."

For Pochette, that means setting boundaries, making time for herself and being intentional about where to put her energy. But it also means finding purpose in the work itself.

"I love that the mission statement has evolved to allow educators to encourage students to lean into their interests," she said. "Yes, we want to give the real world young adults who are capable of reading, thinking critically, questioning ideas and validating information, even if college isn't the end goal."

Pochette believes deeply in preparing students for a world that's changing faster than ever. She knows a college degree doesn't guarantee a secure job anymore, and she sees her role as helping students develop the skills and mindset to navigate whatever path they choose.

"As the dynamics of this world are shifting, a lot of traditional trades are being lost,” she said. “Yes, college isn't for every single person, but there's something out there for everyone."

That philosophy shows up in how she teaches and leads. As the science data lead at Conservatory Green, Pochette helps her colleagues use data to drive instruction, supporting the kind of continuous improvement that makes schools stronger over time. And as a mentor teacher, she's helping the next generation of educators find their footing, offering the kind of support she wishes she'd had in her first year.

"Instead of complaining and holding onto the past, I operate with the mindset that change is inevitable and I expect it to come at any time," Pochette said.

After nearly eight years at DSST, Pochette has learned that staying in this work isn't about finding the perfect conditions. It's about building the internal resources to weather difficult seasons, creating your own sense of purpose and showing up with hope, even when things feel hard.

It's that adaptability, combined with her deep commitment to students and her work as a mentor teacher, that makes Pochette the kind of educator every school needs.

DSST Center Program students get into the holiday spirit at the 2025 Winter Carnival (Clone)

Our 2025 Winter Carnival was an unforgettable celebration! Students from Center Programs across the DSST network came together for an afternoon filled with music, joyful games, creative crafts, tasty treats and the always-popular moon bounce!

DSST High School STEM Pathways give hands-on learning experiences that lead to real-world success

At DSST Public Schools, preparing students for college isn't just about academics; it's about opening doors to careers that can change students’ futures. That's where DSST STEM Pathways come in.

Families get into the holiday spirit at the Cole Winter Wonderland Craft & Community Fair (Clone)

On Saturday, Dec. 6, our DSST: Cole campus hosted their Cole Winter Wonderland Craft & Community Fair. They welcomed families from all over the area for a festive day packed with fun activities, including a hot chocolate bar, shopping from local vendors - including DSST families - and adorable family portraits.   

Where every student thrives: One DSST family's story

Meet Kathy, a first-generation American whose four sons all graduated from DSST.

Kathy Duda experienced the richness of an ethnically diverse school from a young age. As the daughter of Polish immigrants in Chicago, she attended Polish school on Saturdays, but spent weekdays at her neighborhood school with friends from Greek, Italian, and Jewish backgrounds, just to name a few.

Fast-forward to 2008. When her oldest son Nathaniel was in 5th grade and it was time to think about middle school, DSST: Montview MS had just opened in their Central Park neighborhood. 

Duda wanted her children to “have the same cultural enrichments I had,” and it was at DSST: Montview that she found exactly what she was looking for.