July 02, 2009
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Upcoming Events
2009 Community School Training
August 14, 2009
The University of Akron
Student Union
303 Carroll Street
Akron, OH 44325
Or
August 18, 2009
Courtyard by Marriott
Springfield Downtown
100 South Fountain Avenue
Springfield, OH 45502
Register here
Click here for a list of course descriptions.
2nd OAPCS Annual Conference, Transforming Education
November 16 - 17, 2009
Crowne Plaza - Columbus North
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Contact Us
Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools
33 N. Third Street,
Suite 600
Office: (614) 744-2266
Fax: (614) 744-2255
www.oapcs.org
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State Budget and Charter School Funding
At press time for this edition of Insight Online, we still have a budget stalemate. Until the stumbling- block issues get resolved we can only speculate about outcomes for charter schools. However, if media sources are to be believed, the conference committee of the General Assembly and the governor’s office have reached agreement on charter school issues. What we hear and understand is that all charter schools will:
1. Be funded at 2009 levels
2. Remain in the state foundation formula line of the budget (not separated out)
3. Be funded, as before, through the school districts
4. May experience very slight funding cuts due to budget constraints but if so, on a percentage basis, no more or less than our public district counterparts.
We also hear that there may be some tightening of the provisions around the closure of chronically poor performing schools. These are truly tough economic times for the State of Ohio. If in fact the charter school community is able to essentially realize 2009 funding levels, we can be truly thankful. Members will be kept completely up to date through our OAPCS Legislative Alerts.
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Over 60 people attended OAPCS’s “Know Your Accountability Data” workshop this week at the State Library. Yes, schools’ end-of-year data submissions are coming due and test scores are in and everybody is focused on these obligations, but there also seems to be a fresh focus on accountability, the data and data systems that can make a difference in student and school performance. The Alliance will continue with a workshop series on related topics so stay tuned to announcements; space may be limited. We were at capacity this week.
In the charter school community, we have a wonderful new wind beneath our wings, and it blows from the White House to the U.S. Department of Education to our state charter schools. But there’s a catch.
As eloquent as President Obama and Secretary Duncan have been in their support of charter schools, their message has also had its admonishments. To the states the message is that any attempt to stifle charter school growth will have serious consequences in terms of state access to significant amounts of federal stimulus money. To charter schools the message is, quality matters.
Secretary Duncan spoke at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools Annual conference in Washington, DC last week along with Howard Fuller, founder of the Black Alliance for Educational Options. Their message was unmistakable. Charter schools that are chronically underperforming and not living up to their promise of innovation and quality performance need to close. And simultaneously, resources need to be poured into those charter schools that are leading the way in performance, innovation and reform. Look to our web site in the next few days for Howard Fuller’s speech to the conference attendees.
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We are very pleased to announce that Jennifer Brzoski will join OAPCS as Senior Manager of Membership and Community Services on July 8, 2009. Jennifer’s responsibilities will include membership, membership services, marketing and project management.
As head of State Reporting Services at Charter School Specialists, Jennifer managed a team of four State Reporting Coordinators providing services to nearly 30 schools. For more than two years at Ace Software, Jennifer Brzoski worked as the EMIS Coordinator for over 30 community schools. Jennifer is regarded in the charter school movement as one of the foremost experts in providing and managing EMIS services for community schools. Jennifer expertly assisted schools in fulfilling their State reporting requirements to The Ohio Department of Education.
Bill Sims, president of OAPCS, commented that “Jennifer not only brings a deep and technically rich experience in the charter school world to the Ohio Alliance, but an eagerness to promote lively and interactive relationships with our member schools. We want to know what our members are thinking, what their needs are and how we can most effectively build the scaffolding of support that will best serve them. Jennifer will bring great energy to our organization and we’re thrilled to have her.”
Jennifer Brzoski received her Bachelor's Degree from Wittenberg University in Ohio.
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As your fiscal year comes to a close and a new one begins, don’t forget to make plans to attend our 2009 State Conference “Transforming Education” on November 16-17 in Columbus. This year we are offering a full CEU credit to anyone who attends all sessions of the conference and are excited to offer even more workshops especially designed for teachers.
The cost of this year’s conference remains the same as last year, $250 for early-bird OAPCS members, $350 for early-bird non-members. When early-bird registration ends October 26th, registration fees will be $350 for members / $450 for non-members)
For some schools planning to bring several staff and/or board members, your savings in “member” costs could override the cost of membership. For information on becoming an OAPCS member please visit our website
Registration for the conference will open later this summer. For information on exhibiting or sponsorships, please contact Becky.Leija@gmail.com. Stay tuned for more exciting details!
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