November 16-17, 2009 2nd OAPCS Annual Conference, Transforming Education Crowne Plaza - Columbus North
National Charter Schools Conference
Two exciting new pre-conference programs have been added to the agenda for the National Charter Schools Conference in Washington D.C. on June 21. Teachers may attend the free all-day National Charter Schools Teacher Institute hosted by the U.S. Department of Education. Attendance is limited to 500, so sign up now. School Leaders, particularly board members, are invited to attend the half-day Charter Trustees Boot Camp sponsored by the National Charter Schools Institute. For more information and to register for the National Charter Schools Conference in Washington D.C. June 21-24, visit the conference Web site.
Grant Opportunity Enhancing Education Through Technology Grant: 46 Charters Eligible to Apply!
On February 18, 2008, eTech Ohio releases the list of new eligible school buildings and the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) grant. ODE and eTech Ohio are working collaboratively to administer and implement this program. The primary goal of the EETT program is to improve student academic achievement through the use of technology in schools. The RFP calls for eligible K-8 buildings to participate in the implementation of Web-based curriculum management and instructional design tools that allow for Web-based Learning Management Systems (LMS) off-the-shelf courses in English/language arts and mathematics.
Imagine, Every Child Reading!
You are invited to the Central Ohio Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (COBIDA) Fall Reading Conference! Friday, Oct. 16 at the Columbus Convention Center from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. is Capital Day.
Elaine McEwan-Adkins, the author of over two dozen books including, The Principal's Guide to Raising Reading Achievement, specializes in training for administrators. Her workshop will examine the twelve indicators necessary for raising reading achievement in a school and provide an opportunity for administrators to evaluate those indicators in their building and district.
Linda Carnine and Susan Hanner, authors of major Direct Instruction (DI) reading and language programs including, Corrective Reading and Reading Mastery, will present a workshop for teachers who want to use both effective assessment and effective instruction to make RTI really work.
Contact Mary Damer for additional information or continue to watch COBIDA's Web site for online registration.
- “We're forever teetering on the brink of the unknowable, and trying to understand what can't be understood.”
- Over 15,000 messages to state legislators
Science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov probably didn’t have Governor Strickland’s biennial budget and education plan in mind with his famous quote but it does seem to fit this Ohio moment.
Our sense of things at the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools is that getting all the budget numbers to add up to the satisfaction of the General Assembly and the various constituent groups, is requiring plan modifications and revised data inputs. Where does that leave charter schools? Probably somewhere behind district schools in terms of the Governor’s priorities, but we do believe that his office realizes they have a charter school problem. Unfortunately, his office and the House majority have been disappointingly opaque and remote when it comes to effectively solving these charter-school issues.
We must remain mindful of the fact that there is a process to all of this. The Governor’s budget plan is his executive recommendation. The House then deliberates, takes testimony, and then passes its version of the bill. The charter school community is not likely to be happy with the House version of the bill. But then the Senate takes up the bill where its majority has been outspoken about fair and equitable treatment of charter schools. Ultimately, things get resolved in joint conference committee. The Ohio Alliance has been and will continue to be tireless in communicating, testifying and educating lawmakers, caucuses and legislative staff on these issues, both in the House and the Senate.
In the meantime, at the grassroots level, schools leaders and parents have made a huge impact. Charter school participation at the Primary and Secondary Education Subcommittee hearings in Columbus and around the state has been wonderful. And our grassroots letter-writing campaign is pressing legislators to pay attention and hold local town hall meetings to air out these issues.
Take a look at the impressive results of your work. Through OAPCS’s advocacy tool (VoterVoice system), charter school stakeholders have generated over 15,000 messages to Ohio legislators.
Click here for more data about which lawmakers have received how many messages. These communications with legislators DO MAKE A DIFFENCE. The system will be prepped for new emails (keep an eye out in your inbox for that alert) and letters so even if you have communicated before… do it again. The right to school choice and fair funding is inalienable and our lawmakers need to hear our unified voice.
The theme for the contest is “What my charter school means to me,” which can be expressed in an essay, poetry, visual art or photography. The student’s work should outline their achievement (personal and academic) and the path that led them to the school. Students must also identify how their life would be affected if they didn’t have a choice for education in Ohio.
All charter school students, K-12, interested in promoting their charter school are encouraged to participate in the first OAPCS student contest. Essay writers, poets, visual artists and photographers will compete with their peers from across the state in their respective category and grade division (K-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12).
Submissions for the contest must be received no later than April 15, 2009 and all entries must be accompanied by an entry form. Award winners will be recognized at the statehouse during National Charter School Week in May 2009. Visual art and photography submissions will be on display. Essay writers and poets will be asked to read their submissions.
Submit your student’s work to:
Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools
33 N. Third Street, Suite 600
Columbus, Ohio 43215
E-mail: events@oapcs.org
Complete information, including forms and rules, are available on our Web site.
Teachers and administrators are reminded that ODE Social Studies and Science consultants have developed tools for use by teams of teachers to inform their interpretation of OAT data and planning for standards-based instruction. The toolkit modules include:
• Focusing on Key Concepts
• Interpreting Assessment Data
• Standards Based Planning and Instruction
• Web Resources
The OAT Toolkit features instructional PowerPoint presentations including speaker notes as well directions for accompanying activities for individual teachers or professional learning teams. Please make use of the Feedback button to let us know how you are using these tools and share suggestions for additions to the toolkits.
Federal Judge Dismisses Most But Not All Claims Against Charters
A federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio Western Division (Dayton) yesterday dismissed most (but not all) of the claims asserted by parents affiliated with the OEA against the State challenging the constitutionality of the community school program. In this case, the OEA alleged that the community school laws have an unfair discriminatory impact. With respect to the OEA's claim that the laws favor community schools by giving them a higher share of state formula aid than children at traditional public schools, the court dismissed the claim. The court also dismissed the claim that community school laws favor minority students who attend those schools over minority students who do not. Further, the court dismissed claims based upon other OEA theories, including that traditional school students are forced to rely more heavily on property taxes.
One claim did survive the motion to dismiss, however. The court held that the OEA had stated a plausible claim that the State impermissibly created two classes of students allegedly based upon race: one class that is predominantly minority and one that is predominantly white. According to the OEA, the former is treated worse than the latter, as predominantly minority districts must use state formula aid to pay to educate students at community schools, while predominantly white districts do not. It is important to note that this is a holding and it does not mean that the OEA's remaining claim would survive summary judgment, which happens after the parties have the chance to exchange documents and undergo depositions.
As you know, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was created to kick-start the national economy through investments in a variety of areas. Gov. Strickland created a virtual headquarters for information regarding ARRA and submissions for the money. To better assist your efforts, the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools has been monitoring the governor's virtual headquarters.
Federal Stimulus funds to be distributed by the State of Ohio include:
National School Lunch Act Grants: Competitive grants to school food authorities based upon participating schools' need for equipment assistance. Priority is given to schools in which no less than 50 percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced price meals under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.
Education Technology: Assists school districts in their efforts to implement school technology plans and to assist districts with the integration of technology into curricula and instructional practices. Funds can also be used to provide ongoing professional development to teachers. Fifty percent of the available funding must be distributed by formula using Title I funding criteria. The remaining funds must be distributed through a competitive process developed by the receiving State Education Agency.
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance: provides additional funding to districts to support the unique needs of homeless students. Activities can include tutoring, coordination of non-academic support services, school supplies, and homework assistance. Districts are expected to coordinate with other organizations such as shelters and food banks.
There are many requests for “21st century” technology needs, such as installing Smart Boards and fiber optics, replacing servers and computers, purchasing graphing calculators, creating a school leader web site, expanding use of EasyTech software, implementing classroom response systems, etc.
Facilities requests range from smaller projects – installing energy efficient lighting and windows and upgrading security, resurfacing and repairing parking lots and fixing roofs, to very large projects – such as constructing sports complexes and updating science rooms based on the new Ohio Core requirements.
Programming requests include funds for After-School programs, replacement for the recently canceled Jobs and Family Services’ family intervention specialists, expansion of career tech programs and career guidance programs, financial literacy programs, among others.
Athens City Schools asks for $900,000 to create an Alternative Education Program. Communities in Schools and the Middletown School District request funds for dropout prevention.
Proposals specifically mentioning charter schools include:
Cleveland Schools that Can asks for $5,000,000 to develop 15 new high-quality charter schools in Cleveland;
Cleveland’s Center for Children and Families proposes a pre-school charter school;
Citizen’s Academy has asked for $2,500,000 for a middle school expansion;
ePrep has asked for $500,000 in building renovations;
ISUS and Mound Street Academies ask for funds for dropout recovery initiatives;
ECOT partners with Groveport Madison for a hybrid school;
Par Learning Center asks for funds for a preschool;
Sciotoville asks for school renovation funds; and,
Summit Academy Akron Elementary asks for classroom materials.
Significant opportunities for schools or groups of schools exist under the ARRA stimulus competitive "Incentive" and "Innovation" grants. RFPs for these grants will probably not be available until early summer, but schools and education non-profits should bone up on what these competitive grants are designed for and ready their proposals in anticipation of the request for proposals. USDOE has information about all aspects of the ARRA.
