This CACSA Update has information on:

1. Challenge to Littleton Public Schools’ exclusive chartering authority

2. Updated CACSA website now live;

3. Materials from the recent CACSA/CDE quarterly authorizer meeting;

4. NACSA accepting applications for virtual authorizer bootcamp;

5. Question from the field: advice when converting a district-run campus to a new charter;

6. New CACSA members welcome; and

7. Upcoming events.

 

If you would like to communicate with the entire list, reach Alex directly by phone at 720-635-8329 or by email at Alex.Medler@coauthorizers.org. Also reach me if you would like to unsubscribe or if you have additional colleagues you would like to add to this list.

 

Wishing everyone happy holidays!

Alex

 

1. Challenge to Littleton Public Schools’ exclusive chartering authority

The Colorado League of Charter Schools (CLCS) has submitted a challenge to Littleton Public Schools’ (LPS) exclusive chartering authority (ECA) on behalf of Littleton Preparatory Charter School and Littleton Academy Charter School. According to coverage in the Denver Post, the League’s application, “claimed the district withheld grants and money from voter-approved bonds and mill levies from the two charter schools, and alleged administrators also denied access to district facilities and made it difficult for parents to find information about the charter schools.”   We will share more information as it becomes available.

2. Updated CACSA website now live

CACSA’s full website is now live. You can view the site at: coauthorizers.org. The new site has several new features, including a resource library where more than 70 authorizer-related materials from Colorado and around the country are now available for you to review and download.  If you want to add materials to share or things you would like to see added to the resource library, please send them to Lisa Jarvi – Lisa.Jarvi@coauthorizers.org . You will also find a calendar of events, and information on the organization.  Let us know what you think.

 

3. Materials from the recent CACSA/CDE quarterly authorizer meeting

The latest CACSA/CDE quarterly authorizer meeting was hosted by Jefferson County on Friday, December 13, 2019.  Attached are some materials that were shared at the meeting. Highlights of the meeting included:

• Information from CDE on the oversight of CSP grants by districts and the upcoming charter school evaluation by CDE. This includes interesting information on differences in performance of charter high schools, that breaks out the data for on-line schools, Alternative Education Campuses (AECs) and high schools that are not AECs or online; and
• Information on the Charter School Institute’s (CSIs) special services screener. This resource is used by CSI to communicate with the schools they oversee about students with disabilities and 504 plans, English Learners, and Gifted and Talented Students. CSI can make this resource available to districts for use with their own charter schools at a nominal cost.
• A discussion of upcoming CACSA work on a model charter school contract.  Alex shared documents, including a side-by-side analysis of various charter contracts, including comparisons of the 2014 Colorado model contract, recent contracts from CSI and DPS, and an annotated contract used by Caplan and Earnest that reflects their latest work with several districts. These materials are now available on the groupsite. If you would like to receive any of these contracts or the analysis, please reach Alex directly.  Working groups will be following up on this in January.

 

4. NACSA accepting applications for virtual authorizer bootcamp

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) is accepting applications for their latest virtual bootcamp for authorizers. This 9-week online course is free to NACSA members and $125 for non-members. It provides an excellent introduction to best practices and is full of resources that will be helpful to anyone new to authorizing or hoping to get a solid grounding in materials and practices. You can learn more about the course or apply here.  Acceptances will be given on a rolling basis through January 31 or until all seats are filled.

 

5. Question from the field: advice when converting a district-run campus to a new charter

A CACSA member has a question for everyone. They recently approved a charter that will be operating in an isolated community and taking over the district facility. The district will be closing the district-run school this spring and the charter will begin operating in the same facility next fall. The district is looking for advice for all aspects of such a transition. If your district has gone through something similar, please reach Alex directly and we will arrange a conference call so people can talk together and share ideas.

 

6. New CACSA members welcome!

CACSA’s membership has grown in the past few months.  As our membership grows, we expand the network of peers that can help each other and our impact. Please let me know if there are other districts that we should reach out to. New members in the past few months are Durango 9-R, Elizabeth School District, Harrison School District 2, Huerfano School District Re-1, and Montezuma-Cortez RE-1.

 

7. Upcoming events

Please join us for the following events. You can also view an updated calendar of events at on the CACSA website.

• January 6, 2020 – CACSA Board of Directors Meeting: 10:00 am to 12:00 noon
• January 17, 2020 – Monthly informal CACSA Lunch, 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm, Sasafras American Eater, 321 Colfax, Denver
• January 21, 2020 – CACSA Committee on Individualized Education Workshop on Charter Contract Language Regarding Special Education: 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
• February 3, 2020 – CACSA Board of Directors Meeting (if needed)
• February 5-7, 2020 – CASE Winter Leadership Conference (Breakout Session on February 7)
• March 11, 2020 – CACSA/CDE quarterly authorizer meeting 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
• May 1, 2020 – CACSA/CDE quarterly authorizer meeting: 9:00 am to 3:00 pm