Charter FAQ

Hello Everyone,

First of all I want to introduce myself to everyone.  My name is Chris Rodriguez and I am acting as project manager for the charter school formation.  I understand that not everyone has been able to attend the charter meetings and wanted to give a formal update on our progress to make sure that everyone has the most current and correct information and clarify any misunderstandings that may have arisen.

This is a wide-ranging project with a lot of information to process so we’ve tried to make this FAQ as concise as possible to get you the most information in the shortest amount of time.  We anticipate that there will be more questions even after reading this document so feel free to contact any one of the team members listed below for more information.

We will also be having an events this month. They are listed on our website here

I can tell you that we have an amazing group of people with a multitude of talents and enthusiasm working on the charter.  As challenging as this endeavor is, I have no doubt that we have the team to make it possible.  If you are interested in helping please let us know.  We greatly appreciate any contribution and know that there are still more amazing people out there who can help us make this dream a reality.

Now, on to the FAQ.  It’s setup in a questions answer format so you can scan through in case there is a specific area you are interested in.

Quick Overview:

A group of parents are starting a multi-age, cooperative charter school with a target launch date of Fall 2012.  The school will be public (free) but will operate under the rules written in a charter.  The charter must be approved by an authorizing agency, in our case a school district.  Once the charter is approved a formal board will be selected that includes parents, teachers, and community leaders who have specific knowledge (i.e. HR, finance, etc.) and can properly guide the school.

Although there are families who attend Orangethorpe on the team, this is not an Orangethorpe affiliated project.  We have members on the team who have no ties to Orangethorpe.

FAQ Questions

What is a charter school?

Compiled from the following websites:

http://www.calcharters.org/understanding/faqs/

http://www.studentsfirst.org/blog/entry/understanding-public-charter-schools/#

• Charter schools are taxpayer-funded. They are non-sectarian, tuition-free and judged by public school academic standards. Public officials, usually known as charter authorizers, oversee them. Charters are open to all students, regardless of background, making them more accessible than even some district schools. (Think of selective magnet or gifted schools in many districts).
• Charter schools allow parents, organizations, or community groups to restore, reinvent, and reenergize our public school system. Charter schools are designed, tailored, and governed by each local community, rather than by a central bureaucracy.

• Charter schools are held to the same academic standards as district schools, and their students take the same tests as district students.

• Charter schools control their own staffing. That means they can hire the teachers and leaders they want, compensate them in flexible ways, and dismiss those who are ineffective. The best charter schools use this flexibility to create a professional atmosphere that is high-energy and focused on student achievement.

• Charter schools control their own curriculum and instruction. They can choose a program, then tweak or replace or expand it, based on what’s working.

• Charters schools control their own schedules. If they adopt a longer school day and/or school year, they can choose to spend more time on core subjects without sacrificing other areas of learning.

• Finally, charter schools control their own budgets. That allows them to move resources where they are most needed.

Can you tell me more about the proposed charter?

We are planning for the school to service kindergarten through 8^th grade students.  The initial year will most likely be K through 6^th.  The following year we will add a 7^th grade and the year after that an 8^th grade.

The school will have a multiage, cooperative, developmental constructivist focus.  Parent participation in the classroom will be a requirement.

Many of us have had an extremely positive experience with multiage education and feel it is a viable alternative for some families. This school will provide even more families the opportunity to experience this alternative.  In addition it will offer the multiage cooperative experience all the way through 8^th grade.

How do you know what to do to start the charter?

We have done extensive research on the charter approval process.  The most important thing we have done is purchase a paid membership to California Charter Schools Association.  CCSA is a trusted source of data and information on California’s charter schools for parents, authorizers, legislators, the press and other interested groups.

Who is writing the Charter?

The charter is being written by one of our action teams with input from multi-age educators and individuals with school administration experience.  They have done extensive research on charters of approved schools, including those with a multiage focus.

We are approximately 80% complete. Once the first draft is complete individuals with charter experience will review it.  We will then present the draft to CCSA for a formal review.  Finally it will be reviewed by a lawyer to ensure that it is educationally, procedurally, and financially sound.

What is in the charter?

The charter contains the operating rules for the school and will be used by the board to manage the school once it is in place.  There are two major parts of the charter, the educational philosophy and the operating rules of the school.  The educational philosophy outlines how you are going to teach the children.  The business section outlines how the day-to-day operations of the school will be run.

What is the time frame of this process?

We are operating on an extremely accelerated timeline.  CCSA says it typically takes 18-24 months to start a charter school.  We are trying to do it in about 15 months.  As a result we have moved VERY fast in the early parts of the process to lay a foundation to maximize our chances of making our target launch date of fall 2012.

CCSA has been extremely impressed with the progress that we have made in 3 months.  I reviewed their standard timeline for opening a charter school when we started.  We have done in 3 months what they project to take 9-12 months.

Where will the school be?

The school location is dependent on who authorizes it.  It must be within the district boundaries.

In the current educational climate school districts are not always open to charter schools.  When a student chooses to go to a charter school their ADA money gets shifted from the existing school to the charter.

In addition many teachers and administrators are upset at the attention charters get.  They often feel that public and governmental focus (and money) is shifting to these new schools and the traditional schools are being tossed to the side.

CCSA explained the best way to target a district is by seeing where you have the most connections.  We will need allies within the district that can help us champion the process because there is so much confusion about charters.

We have made several strong connections with the Brea Olinda Unified School District.  Through the connection we received information on how we should approach the district and what information we should have.  I cannot relay how incredibly lucky we were to get this information.

Some of our Charter Action Team members met with the BOUSD superintendent to broach interest.  He has told the board about our plan.  We are now planning secondary meetings.  A large part of the process now is promoting the benefits of the school and how it will help the community.  There is a lot of misinformation about charters, even in the educational system.

It is still early in the process so we don’t have a gauge on their feeling about us at this point but are feeling positive.

How many kids will attend the first year?

We are planning for a first year enrollment of 150-175 students.  That will increase a little each year as we add more classrooms.

What kinds of building will the school reside it?

Once the charter is approved we have to locate a facility for the school.  The ideal location is a school that is not being used.  Many schools however have started in commercial buildings.  Wherever we go we will have to pay rent.

I’ve heard it’s very hard to start a charter school?

The charter process is very lengthy and challenging, but possible.  Our inspiration for starting this school came when we spoke to the principle at San Diego Cooperative Charter School.  She was very encouraging and repeatedly pointed out that their school, which is thriving, was started by a group of concerned parents.

We are very passionate about this idea and are prepared to put in the work to make it happen.  As numerous people have pointed out to us, charter schools are started by rebels who are prepared to make a change in the way things are done.  We feel very strongly our team has the talent and passion to make this possible.

What is the charter approval process?

The charter will be presented to a school district sometime in the fall.  Before the charter is approved we will have extensive talks with district members.  In essence we are hoping to lobby for people’s votes before submitting so we will have a strong indication of whether or not it will be approved.

However there are no guarantees.  In the event the charter is denied we can appeal to the county and then the state. 

Who will run the school once it is started?

The charter school will operate as a non-profit organization.  It will control its own budget and staff. Once the charter is approved a formal board will be selected that includes parents, teachers, and community leaders who have specific knowledge (i.e. HR, finance, etc.) and can properly guide the school.

The board will work with the principal, staff, and parents to ensure the school is being run in accordance with guidelines outlined in the charter.  There will also be a parent organization that will support the school and fundraise.

Can we read the charter?

Yes.  We are currently compiling a draft and will post it on our website very soon.

Who is participating in the process?

A few meetings ago we developed a number of action teams that are focused on key areas of the process.  Additional members have joined at subsequent meetings.

In addition I have been acting as a project manager for the group keeping a master list of all tasks and monitoring the overall timeline.

The action teams are listed below.  We are actively seeking more parents to help in the process.  If you are interested in participating in any of the teams below please feel free to contact team members directly.  You can also email info@gotcharter.org and we will get you in contact with a team member.  Again, this is a parent driven initiative and the more help we have the better chance we have of making the school a reality.

Charter Petition Action Team

Cathy Kubo
Krista Casey
Chris Casey
Penelope Pauley
Tawny Mayfield
Chris Rodriguez

Community Outreach Action Team

Amy McCamly
Tanya Ovalle-Jiminez

Fundraising Action Team

Melissa Mendrella
Beth Kaura

Facilities Action Team

Jeff Hicks
Ty McCamly

Marketing Action Team

Chris Rodriguez
Penelope Pauley
Chris Bauer

Finance Team

Michelle Carey

Secretary

Kristal Smith

Classroom Space Design

Aaron King
Melissa Mendrella

Additional Team Members

Karla Frizler
Hilary Key
Lisa Woods
Melissa Decker
Lu Bauer