Dream Talk: Krystal Thomas of Detroit Academy of Arts & Sciences

The 2025 Michigan Charter School Symposium featured three “Dream Talk” speakers, who told stories of bold ideas and innovative projects that changed the way we view education. This was the speech delivered by Krystal Thomas of Detroit Academy of Arts & Sciences.

In 2022, I arrived in Detroit with two suitcases and a dream — to leave a lasting impact on the education landscape.

Coming from New York, I knew established charter networks. They had resources, name recognition, proven models. The safe choice was clear.

But when I walked into Detroit Academy of Arts & Sciences, something felt different. Something felt special. This was where I was meant to be.

I started as a 7th-grade teacher, and within a year became the district’s science and social studies coach. Not because I was climbing a ladder, but because I could expand my impact — supporting more scholars and teachers at once.

Here’s where the story gets interesting: DAAS gave me something most schools don’t — permission to dream.

They didn’t just hand me a curriculum and checklist. They empowered me to reimagine what coaching could be. They gave me time to innovate, space to experiment, and autonomy to build. That trust changed everything.

I co-developed new observation tools tailored to our teachers’ needs.

I was invited to tables where bold ideas began — like bringing forest school programming to Detroit. That conversation sparked Earth to Nature, LLC — an environmental science program where nature becomes the classroom. Students touch soil, observe ecosystems, and see themselves as part of something larger.

Through leadership fellowships, I dreamed even bigger. Not just one program — but a movement across Detroit.

But then I realized something important: Impact isn’t just about programs. It’s about people.

I watched talented educators arrive with fire in their hearts, only to leave two or three years later — burned out, isolated, unsupported.

So I founded 313 Dreamers to build community among transplants — because dreams need community to survive. Staying isn’t just about commitment; it’s about belonging.

We also designed a Vision of Excellence with clear goals and indicators.

And then, in February 2025, my daughter was born. Suddenly, my dream wasn’t just about impact — it was about legacy. What world was I building for her?

Today, I’m the Founding Principal of Detroit First Early Middle College.

Let me be clear: I didn’t have all the answers when I arrived with those two suitcases. I didn’t know I’d become a coach, a founder, a mother, an entrepreneur, a principal. But DAAS gave me the autonomy to discover it.

Here’s what I learned: Your dream doesn’t need to be fully formed to be powerful. It just needs to be big enough to scare you a little.

So here’s my challenge to you as leaders:

How are you creating space for your educators to dream? Not just implement your vision — but discover their own?

Because when teachers have time to innovate, autonomy to reimagine, and permission to dream — they don’t just change classrooms. They change landscapes.

Every educator in your building arrived with their own two suitcases — full of dreams they haven’t unpacked yet.

Detroit taught me this: This city doesn’t need people who play small. It needs people who see what’s special and have the audacity to build something worthy of it.

Your districts need the same.

Two suitcases.

One dream.

Infinite possibilities.

Now go help your teachers unpack theirs.