2007 CS Showcase: Selected Breakouts

A group representing a cross-section of Hawaii’s charter school and educational communities braved rare April snow flurries in Washington, DC to attend the National Charter Schools Program Showcase, here are their notes from selected breakout sessions.

Center of Education Reform — The Importance of Model Charter Legislation and Fiscal Equity  [Read the notes]

Three most important laws states need to embrace:
1. multiple authorizers
2. blanket waivers
3. equitable funding

Next big focus: replicate and grow successful charter schools

Do Different Rules Mean Different Strategies? The Recruitment of Teachers and Administrators and the Role of State Policy [Read the notes.]

Ways state policies mater for HR strategies

• Teacher certification
• Collective bargaining
• State pensions...

Ways charter school teachers differ from regular public school teachers (in general)

• Less experiences
• Less likely to be fully certificated
• Earn a lower base salary...

Building Capacity in the Charter School Support Sector: State by State, Person by Person [Read the notes.]

• Charter Support Organizations (CSO) are a new sector for charter schools
• The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is working on building the capacity of CSOs
• CSOs are important because they support new schools and disseminate best practices