February 04, 2011
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Articles of Interest...
Editorial
Charter schools are public schools; they should work together.
For the full article click here
Department of Education
Funding Opportunity:
The Arts in Education Model Development and Dissemination (AEMDD)
For the full article click here
Department of Education
Funding Opportunity:
Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems program
For the full article click here
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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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Notes from CEO Bill Sims
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Governor Kasich announced the appointment of his education advisor this week, Robert Sommers. Mr. Sommers doesn’t need to be educated on school choice. His previous positions as CEO of Cornerstone Charter Schools, CEO of Butler Tech, and his work as associate director at the Ohio Department of Education speak to his broad background in public education.
Some of Sommers’ professed professional goals are to: “Assist school districts with designing high-performance, low-cost systems that support quality instructional practice; design organizational systems that lead to high performance results; work with professional teams to create efficiently productive schools; and help boards of education advance their governance quality.” These quality focused goals premised on “students first,” resonates well in the school-choice community and we look forward to Mr. Sommers educational guidance in this new administration.
I (OAPCS) have been afforded the distinct privilege of serving on the Ohio Department of Education’s State Reform Steering Team. This team meets two times per year to receive updates about the progress of school districts and charter schools in implementing their local RTTT Scope of Work plans, to review stakeholder input, make recommendations regarding project adjustments as needed, and to provide insights about how each member’s respective organization is responding to the State’s RTTT work. The team also examines strategies to share Ohio’s successes around the implementation of RTTT reforms. I view this as an central opportunity to ensure that charter schools remain essential to the RTTT process and to ensure that the charter school perspective remains integral to ODE’s work with the state’s education reform agenda.
On a happy note, I would like to thank the Ohio Department of Education’s Assistant Superintendent Michael Sawyers and his RTTT team for co-hosting with the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools the recent “Best Practices in Student Data Management and Instructional Information Systems Symposium.” This symposium was attended by over 150 leaders from school districts and charter schools to learn about Instructional Information Systems (IIS) and to listen to best practice presentations from the following school districts and charters on effective implementations of these student improvement data systems: Cleveland Metropolitan; Plain Local; Bexley; DECA and Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center. The symposium was held at the Conference Center at NorthPointe funded by the Ohio Grantmakers Forum with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. For more information about these data systems and their implementation please call Marianne Lombardo, OAPCS’s VP for School Performance and Accountability - 614-744-2266.
Finally, there is much happening on the policy front in Columbus with Governor Kasich’s team putting together the state’s biennial executive budget, the legislature welcoming new members into the Capitol and bills being introduced on a variety of issues, including some relevant to charter schools. The Ohio Alliance has been engaged with the Governor’s office and key legislators including this week with Rep. Gerald Stebelton’s office, the new chair of the House Education Committee.
With so much on the table and such a critical focus on the state’s alleged $8 billion budget hole, our central focus and advocacy has been on charter school funding and facilities. We are also advocating for alternative teacher certification, tax exemption for charters leasing from commercial property owners, hybrid schools, lifting the geographic caps on charters, calamity days among some other issues. But the priority has to be on school funding because charters already operate on 58-66% of district per-student funding without facilities funding, cushioning bureaucracies and district economies of scale. To say that they are much more vulnerable to funding cuts is a monumental understatement. You need to let your state representatives and the governor’s office know. You can send messages to your legislators and the governor’s office very easily and directly by going HERE. For the message body you may create your own or feel free to use all or parts of the text below (cut and paste). It will only take 2-3 minutes. Take action now for your schools!
Sample text: I know that the state is in a difficult budget situation, but public charter school students are currently receiving 58-66% of what public district school students receive. They have the additional burden of no facilities funding. For charter schools, facilities payments come directly out of student funding. For the most part charter schools don't have the cushioned bureaucracies to absorb 10-15% funding cuts, nor do they have the ability to compensate for cuts with increased local property taxes. Cuts of such magnitude would close some of Ohio's best performing charter schools. Please hold the line on charter school funding and use this opportunity to close the funding gap between charters and district schools. Thank you.
– Bill Sims
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Best Practices in Student Data Management - A Very Successful Event!
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As we readied for our symposium last Thursday afternoon, we nervously watched as snow blanketed most of Ohio. We were pleasantly surprised the next morning to have all presenters and a full house of attendees – both charter and traditional district guests – arrive safe and ready to share and learn. Don Ginder, of the Center for Education and Learning Technology, explained the elements of an Instructional Improvement System, and how the state is gathering requirements to create a workable system for Ohio’s schools. School presenters included: Bexley City Schools, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Plain Local, the Classroom Assessment Project, and Dayton Early College Academy. OAPCS extends warm gratitude to these presenters for braving the weather and sharing their hard work and progress with schools across Ohio. We will be compiling these presentations, along with profiles of data management practices in a wide variety of Ohio schools in a publication. Let us know if you would like to participate and have your school included! Contact Marianne at (614) 744-2266 ext. 201 or mlombardo@oapcs.org.
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Legal and Advocacy Roundup
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OAPCS has been busy meeting with state senators and representatives, along with other charter school allies, to ensure that charter schools make it through the budget cycle unscathed—and hopefully with a bit more money! Our top priorities are funding and facilities. We are working hard to ensure that charter schools are spared from any funding cuts. We are pushing for backpack funding, which allows the money to follow the student to whichever school he or she attends. We also are advocating for more money for facilities.
Also important to us are issues including alternative teacher certification, lifting the geographical caps on charter schools, fixing the “proven operator” provision, allowing authorizers to sponsor more schools, and getting calamity days for charters.
Please let us know what we’re missing! Call Stephanie Klupinski, VP of Government and Public Relations, at (614) 744-2266, ext. 203, or email her at sklupinski@oapcs.org
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National Best Cooperative Practices Conference releases publication
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The Alliance has published a compilation of charter and traditional public school cooperative practices featured at the national conference. Titled the “Proceedings Publication 2010”, this compilation also features highlights from the national conference, as well as information about the Gates Foundation’s District –Charter Collaboration Compact. To purchase a published copy of the “Proceedings Publication 2010” for $15, please contact Amy Black, National Conference Manager at ablack@oapcs.org or call 614-744-2266, ext. 226. To learn more about the conference, please visit www.oapcs.org.
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Voices in Action National Youth Summit
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SAVE THE DATE
U.S. Department of Education’s
Voices in Action
National Youth Summit
February 26, 2011
Washington, D.C.
8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Please join us for an historic event to engage middle/high school students from across the nation in transforming our nations’ schools and in meeting the President’s challenge to lead the world in college completion by 2020.
This is an event designed to engage middle and high school students. If your organization is interested in sending youth representatives* or have any questions please contact Robert Gomez at robert.gomez@ed.gov
More details such as hotel, location, registration information will be available in the coming week.
*Students must be sponsored by a non-profit organization or school district. Organizations are responsible for minors and in providing appropriate chaperones.
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Assessment Updates
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Test Administration in 2011
The OAA test administration in 2011 will begin on April 25. In 2011, Easter is on April 24 and many districts have scheduled, or are considering scheduling, spring break the week of April 25. Spring break during the week of April 25 will mean the district has the week of May 2 for the initial administration and the week of May 9 for make-up testing only.
Districts cannot use the week of May 9 for initial administration. To meet the results deadline in June, the scorable materials need to be picked up during the “rolling” pickup period: May 6, May 9 and May 10. If this does not happen, the return of test results in June would be jeopardized.
Please consider scheduling spring break the week before Easter. If time off is required after Easter, perhaps the Monday following Easter also could be included in the spring break. This still would allow districts time to administer tests the week of April 25.
Reminder – Suspension of Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAA) in Writing and Social Studies
The development and administration of the OAA grades 4 and 7 writing assessments and the grades 5 and 8 social studies assessments will continue to be suspended for the school year 2010 – 2011 due to budget cuts. The OAA-Alternate Assessment for Students with Disabilities in the areas of writing and social studies also will continue to be suspended for the school year 2010 – 2011. At this time, we do not know if these tests will be returned to the assessment program. Development and administration of assessments for these subjects is dependent upon funding available in the next state biennial budget.
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Workshop for Available CEU Credits
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Educating All Our Children: Bringing "What Works" to Scale
Conference Date: February 25, 2011
Conference Time: 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Cost: $65 for CEU; $50 without CEU
Keynote speakers include Sonia Nieto and Marc Lamont Hill and all participants will receive a free copy of a book by each speaker!
Participants can receive CEUS and attend specialized, selected breakout sessions relevant to their work. CEU credits are available for educators, psychologists, guidance counselors, and social workers.
If you know anyone who might be interested in attending, please pass along this information.
Online registration can be found here:
http://csuohio.edu/cehs/partnershipconference/
This workshop is offered by Smart Solutions.
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OAPCS Membership News
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Attention Authorizers! Free Membership in the Ohio Alliance?
For authorizer/sponsors whose schools are all members of the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools, your membership is FREE! If you are currently a member, you will receive a certificate for your renewal in the upcoming year. Please contact our offices to be notified of how many of your schools are currently members of OAPCS and how many of are still ready to join. We look forward to hearing from each of you shortly.
OAPCS is now on Twitter, be sure to follow us to receive the latest news and updates!
Parent Membership Program – Be A Brick
The Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools (OAPCS) firmly believes that quality performance is the key to the healthy growth and sustainability of the community charter school movement in Ohio.
Quality performance cannot be achieved without parental engagement. Parents deserve to be able to choose the best school for their child, and they need to be involved, informed and active with organization that can help with school choice. So it stands to reason that we want charter-school parents to be knowledgeable and engaged on matters that relate to their children’s schools. So parents: “Be a Brick.” If every parent becomes a “brick,” we can build strong walls that stand firmly for charter schools.
OAPCS is now offering a Parent Membership program that allows individuals to join our organization. Benefits of being an individual member:
• An association of quality values
• Legislative “Updates” and “Alerts”
• Bi-monthly newsletter
• Content-rich website
• Parent Networking/Newsletter
• Discount on products at all Staples Stores
• E-mail bulletins
• Access to OAPCS Community Boards
Please contact Jennifer Brzoski-Wall at jbrzoski@oapcs.org or at (614) 744-2266 ext. 205 to become a Parent Member or for any other membership questions.
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Best Practices
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Staff Appreciation at Horizon Science Academy Dayton
Horizon Science Academy and Concept Schools show their appreciation of the amazing staff they employ through various ways throughout the year. These gestures come in many forms whether it is a staff dinner, shirts, or staff activities. Horizon works hard to promote camaraderie among its staff and administration. On November 22nd, 2010 the school staff was honored by going to dinner with the school’s Assistant Treasurer, Mr. Yilmaz, Mr. Herman, Representative of our Sponsor Lucas County, and Mr. Deger, a Board Representative. It was one of the ways Horizon Science Academy and Concept Schools promote partnership throughout the company.
The Tomorrow Center Integrates the Arts
Mrs. Seckel, a Science and Intervention Specialist at the Tomorrow Center, has created a lesson where her students are using their creative skills in art to develop very large scale periodic table to be displayed on the wall outside her classroom. Mrs. Seckel feels by implementing movement within the classroom and hands on activities, students will be provided with a more meaningful experience.
Mr. Smith has also used art in connection with math. Students have used painting in their math classes as well as the health classes. The paintings were done as alternative way for students to express their knowledge of particular math concepts in their art work. Other art work in math has been for students to take nets of geometric figures and fold them in order to get the idea of how three dimensional objects are constructed.
During health classes students were studying the effects of color on human emotion. During this research the students were instructed create an office with a color scheme that would promote a relaxed environment and work productive environment.
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Customized Insurance Package for OAPCS Members
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OAPCS members have access to an exclusive program for their schools’ insurance needs. CharterSafe is the first insurance program designed specifically for charter schools by school leaders and school insurance experts. CharterSafe was created as a direct response to schools’ needs of finding insurance options that provided the correct coverage at group reduced rates.
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Ohio Charter School Teachers: Resources Available for Your Classroom!
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Need classroom materials to teach and support your students this year (lab equipment, calculators, novels, etc.) Sign up for a free teacher account on DonorsChoose.org to begin requesting these resources now!
How do I participate?
1. First, log in to your teacher account on www.donorschoose.org/DonorsChoose.org (if you don't have one, any public school teacher can sign up at www.donorschoose.org/teacher).
2. Once you're logged in, submit a request for the classroom materials you need (microscopes, math manipulatives, models, notebooks – you name it!).
Note: Teachers are especially encouraged to submit projects this summer, as many DonorsChoose.org funders are eager to support requests in the late summer and early fall.
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Apple in Education
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Apple offers special education pricing on Apple computers, software and select third party products to College Students, or Teachers, Administrators and Staff of all grade levels. Call 1-800-MY-APPLE for more information and to register your school and start saving today.
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