Post on 19-Jan-2016
Casting Call: Roles of the Board and Staff in
Charter School Authorizing
CARSNetSan Diego, CA
October 1, 2015Presented by:
David Patterson, Ed. D.
Faris Sabbah, Ed.D.
Devon B. Lincoln, Esq.
INTRODUCTION
Board Member
Assistant Superintendent
Legal Counsel
= Differing perspectives on the complexities of charter school authorizing What’s your perspective?
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO AUTHORIZE A CHARTER SCHOOL?
• The Charter Schools Act of 1992
• The Wilson case:
one unified public school system
• Which agency provides oversight?
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WHAT IS THE PURPOSE AND ROLE OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL AUTHORIZER?
• What an authorizer does
• What an authorizer does not do
• What an authorizer shouldn’t do, but sometimes does…
• Who does what
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THE ROLES
Board of trustees:
• Decision making based on the criteria of the law
• Relevant laws:
– Education Code section 47605 (approval)
– Education Code section 47607 (renewal/revocation)
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THE ROLES
What a board needs:
• High quality, unbiased analysis from staff
• Guidance about options, including feasibility/risk assessment
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THE ROLES
Superintendent:
• Implement board decisions
• Advise/guide/support the board
• Manage the authorizing process
• The relationship between the Board and the Superintendent at district/county level 7
THE ROLES
Staff:
• CBO?
• Ed Services?
• Other?
• Designated charter coordinator?
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THE ROLES
Staff:
• Reality - may have many other jobs
• Need a level of support in order to meet responsibilities
–Application review process more demanding and time sensitive than oversight
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THE TOOLS
The Law:
–Approval–Renewal–Revocation
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THE TOOLS
Board policy and regulations
–How they help–What they don’t do
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OTHER TOOLS
• Charter review matrix
• Charter oversight matrix
Other tools?
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ACADEMIC OVERSIGHT
• Student achievement is the single most important component of authorizers oversight
• Within the context of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and Accountability Plan (LCAP)
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AVOIDING SURPRISES
•Communication between all parties
• Creating a dialogue
• Building relationships
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COMMUNICATION
• Presentations by petitioners at board meetings
• Meetings between petitioners and district staff during review
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BEFORE THE BOARD
• Staff draft findings – timing and communication to petitioners
• Providing options for the board
• Outside Resources; legal, fiscal and educational program
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BEFORE THE BOARD
What the Board needs to know during:
• Approval
• Term of Charter
• Facilities Requests
• Renewal
• Revocation (and before!)
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WHEN PROBLEMS ARE IDENTIFIED
• Violations of the law, violating the terms of the MOU, violating terms of the Charter Petition
• Investigative process
• Steps to resolve identified issues
• What happens if issues continue without resolution
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Questions
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CONTACT INFO FOR PRESENTERSDavid Patterson, Ed.D.
Vice President, Placer County Board of Education
dpatterson@placercoe.k12.ca.us
916-801-2454
Faris Sabbah, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent, Student Services, Monterey County Office of Education
fsabbah@monterey.k12.ca.us>
(831) 755-1405
Devon B. Lincoln, Esq.
Partner, Lozano Smith
dlincoln@lozanosmith.com
831-646-150120
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