Welcome to the Leaders Roundtable

Networking Breakfast and Coffee Sponsored by

AUGUST 2012 LEADERS ROUNDTABLE

Agenda

9:30 to 10 am – Welcome Continental Breakfast and Networking - Sponsored by University Instructors

10 to 10:50 am Introductions & Hot Topics.  After introductions (lots of new faces!) we will discuss implementing changes in the charter law including board elections and upcoming legislative priorities.

11 to 12:20 pm Human Resource Law for the Charter Leaders with Elizabeth Speidel of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd. We will discuss your questions about hiring/firing at-will, employee handbooks, etc…

12:30-1pm Lunch with a discussion about your next steps in Facilities Finance with Scott Rolfs of Ziegler.

1-2pm FY 2013 Finance Updates with Mellanie Jinnette of SCDE.  Mellanie is ready to share all of this year’s updates and answer questions about changes.

2-2:45 pm Charter School Leader Evaluation – Discussion of what is going on at our schools and how to work with our boards to align our annual evaluation to the mission of the school and our professional needs.  Dennis Dotterer of SCDE will join us to discuss what is happening with Leader Evaluations with SCDE.

2:45 to 3:00 pm Wrap Up

 

Lunch provided by Ziegler, an Alliance Business Partner.

INTRODUCTIONS & HOT TOPICS 

10 to 10:50 am

Your Data

http://ed.sc.gov/data/esea/

From SCDE: This week schools and school districts will receive letter grades

ranging from A-F under federal accountability. In the fall, schools and school districts will receive ratings ranging from Excellent to At-Risk under state accountability.

The term AYP, and its all-or-nothing rating, no longer applies in South Carolina because of the USED-approved ESEA Waiver.

There is no change to state report card rating. They will be released in the fall in accordance with state law and after the Education Oversight Committee runs the data. The state report card rating system (Absolute and Growth Ratings ranging from Excellent to At-Risk) is a creation of state law. Federal accountability is a creation of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (also known as No Child Left Behind).

Keys

Review of Bill

Revolving Loan Fund

“Section 59‑40‑175. There is created in the state treasury the Charter School Facility Revolving Loan Program . This loan program is comprised of federal funds obtained by the state for charter school facilities, other funds appropriated or transferred to the fund by the state, and privately donated funds. Funds deposited to the Charter School Facility Revolving Loan Program must remain available for the purposes of the program until appropriated or reverted by the General Assembly. The State Treasurer may approve loans from monies in the Charter School Revolving Loan Program to a charter school, upon application by the charter school. Money loaned to a charter school pursuant to this section must be used for construction, purchase, renovation, and maintenance of public charter school facilities. The State Treasurer shall establish guidelines and procedures for application, approval, allocation, and repayment regarding loans from these monies. The Office of State Treasurer may be reimbursed from the program for costs associated with the administration of these loans.”

 

 Note - there is no money at this time –

just a mechanism

for the future.

Keep fixed asset inventory.

Note: Now clear that public charter schools must maintain the same fixed asset inventory – should have been doing this already.

(e) is subject to the same fixed asset inventory requirements as are traditional public schools.

Enrollment Preference

Siblings no longer counted as part of the 20%. May include siblings of students who attended within the past 6 years.

(8) not limit or deny admission or show preference in admission decisions to any individual or group of individuals, except in the case of an application to create a single gender charter school, in which case gender may be the only reason to show preference or deny admission to the school; however, a charter school may give enrollment priority to a sibling of a pupil already currently enrolled or previously enrolled, and attending, or who, within the last six years, attended the school for at least one complete academic year. A charter school also may give priority to children of a charter school employee, and children of the charter committee, if such priority enrollment for children of employees and of the charter committee does not constitute more than twenty percent of the enrollment of the charter school;

Board Composition:

Board consists of at least 7 or members, all members are residents of the state of SC, 50% have a background in k-12 education or business, and at least 50% are elected. May have 2 year terms.

Note: We will cover this more in the coming week via webinar. Some schools will amend their bylaws.

Board Composition Continued(9) elect its consist of a board of directors annually of seven or more

individuals with the exact number specified in or fixed in accordance with the bylaws. Members of a board of directors may serve a term of two years, and may serve additional terms. A choice of the membership of the board must take place every two years. Fifty percent of the members of the board as specified by the bylaws must be individuals who have a background in K‑12 education or in business, and the bylaws of the charter school also must provide for the manner of selection of these members. In addition, at least fifty percent of the members of the board as specified by the bylaws must be elected by the employees and the parents or guardians of students enrolled in the charter school. Parents or guardians shall have one vote for each student enrolled in the charter school. All members must be residents of the State of South Carolina. All employees of the charter school and all parents or guardians of students enrolled in the charter school are eligible to participate in the election. Parents or guardians of a student shall have one vote for each student enrolled in the charter school. A person who has been convicted of a felony must not be elected to a board of directors. If the board of directors consists of an odd number of members, the extra member must be an individual who has a background in K‑12 education or in business;

Notify sponsor of board meeting

Notify sponsor of any regular board meetings at least 48 hours ahead.

Note: This impacts existing schools and existing planning groups pending approval - Just send your annual schedule to the sponsor annually then you are covered. Remember if you move a date to notify them.

A board of directors of a charter school shall notify its sponsor of any regular meeting of the board at least forty‑eight hours prior to the date on which it is to occur.

Student Access to Extracurricular and Athletics at resident school if not offered by public charter attending.

Note: Please work with your local schools to make this a positive change in South Carolina. If there are grade requirements or other requirements please ensure date is properly released to the resident school in a timely manner.

(b) A charter school student is eligible to compete for, and if selected, participate in any extracurricular activities not offered by the student’s charter school which are offered at the resident public school he would otherwise attend. A charter school student is eligible to compete for, and if selected, participate in an activity governed by the South Carolina High School League offered at the resident public school he would otherwise attend if the league governed activity is not offered at the student’s charter school.(c) A charter school student is eligible for extracurricular activities at the student’s resident public school consistent with eligibility standards as applied to full‑time students of the resident public school.(d) A school district or resident public school may not impose additional requirements on a charter school student to participate in extracurricular activities that are not imposed on full‑time students of the resident public school.

(e) Charter school students shall pay the same fees as other students to participate in extracurricular activities.

(f) Charter school students shall be eligible for the same fee waivers for which other students are eligible.

Distribution of Categorical Funds from Sponsor within 10 days.

Note: Please politely notify your sponsor’s CFO of this change. Please let us know if there are any issues in the implementation of this change.

After receipt of federal or state categorical aid funds, sponsors shall, within ten business days, supply to the charter school the proportional share of each categorical fund for which the charter school qualifies. If the sponsor fails to do so, the Department of Education may fine the sponsor an amount equivalent to the withheld amounts. Fines imposed must be remitted to the charter school from which the amounts were withheld.

Annual Reporting Requirements

Note: We believe this reporting should be in the fall after student achievement data and financial audit data is available for the schools. We understand some currently do this at the end of the school year. We will discuss this further with the school leaders and submit recommendations to SCDE. (H) A charter school shall report to its sponsor and the Department of Education any change to information provided under its application. In addition, a charter school shall report at least annually to its sponsor and the sponsor shall compile those reports into a single document which must be submitted to the department. The Department of Education shall develop a template to be used by charter schools for this annual report. The report shall provide all information required by the sponsor or the department and shall include including, at a minimum,: (1) the number of students enrolled in the charter school from year to year;(2) the success of students in achieving the specific educational goals for which the charter school was established; (3) an analysis of achievement gaps among major groupings of students in both proficiency and growth; and (4) the identity and certification status of the teaching staff;(5) the financial performance and sustainability of the sponsor’s charter schools; and(6) board performance and stewardship including compliance with applicable laws.

What is next & Ways to advocate Parity in funding

including facilities and transportation. High student achievement and document actual

growth. Good stewards of public funds with clean audits Invite your legislators to your school Do not ask them to vote yes or no on something

– tell them how the bill or funding impacts public charter school students in their community.

Do not endorse candidates as a 501c3.

Resource Guide Updates

Business Partnerships and Group Purchasing

19

How can your school save money through the business partnerships of the Alliance?

Together our members have collaborative purchasing power and we can negotiate lower rates.

Together charter schools can support and expand a unified program that is valued by both PCSASC Members and suppliers.

Be excellent stewards of public funds. Be audit ready 365 days a year.

Exclusive Membership Benefit Professional Development Opportunities

20

10 Complimentary Online Courses

Discrimination: Avoiding Discriminatory Practices

Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Prevention: Complete

Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Prevention: Refresher

Child Abuse: Identification & InterventionHIPPAAFERPA: Confidentiality of Records

Sexual Harassment: Policy & Prevention School Violence:Identifying & Addressing

Conflict Management: Managing the Angry Parent

Medication Administration Basics

*For a discounted fee your school is able to sign up to access all training courses

21

As a member of PCSASC, make certain you take advantage of the tremendous savings negotiated on behalf of 26 state’s charter schools through the associations. There are over 100 core items such as copy paper priced with unbelievable savings to you as well as more than 3000 items with exceptional cost savings.  Sign up today.

Buying power $8,000,000 from charter schools across the country

Remember…

Just because it is tax free weekend, it does not mean you should go to Best Buy and purchase 40 netbooks that can not be used For NWEA testing On Inferior wifi system Etc…

HUMAN RESOURCE LAW

11 to 12:20 pm

Lunch Sponsored by Ziegler

LUNCH AND FACILITIES FINANCE

12:30-1pm

FY 2013 FINANCE  

1 to 2 pm

CHARTER SCHOOL LEADER EVALUATION

2-2:45 pm

Discussion of what is going on at our schools and how to work with our boards to align our annual evaluation to the mission of the school and our professional needs.  

Dennis Dotterer of SCDE will discuss what is happening with Leader Evaluations with SCDE.

New Trainings

Charter Catalyst Strategic Action Training  Spark action at your school to

advance your mission and accelerate student achievement.

 Focus on becoming an effective, successful public charter school with an ongoing cycle of alignment, action, and analysis.

Create data dashboards that measure what matter to use from the classroom to the boardroom.

The act of defining what is worth measuring comes down to defining mission.The Strategic Management of Charter Schools: Frameworks and Tools for Educational Entrepreneurs, 2011.

WRAP UP

Upcoming events

Save the Dates: Fall Leadership Summit

October 2-3, 2012Embassy Suites Greystone – Columbia, SC

12th SC Public Charter School ConferenceApril 22-24, 2013Columbia Marriott