Empowering Ashford Park Community Through Charter School Initiative

1. Ashford Park Community Planning Overview May 2013

3. Why Charter? • Teachers want to teach. The charter provides an opportunity for the school to divest itself of a multitude of unnecessary and unproductive administrative and instructional practices. It will enable resources to flow more directly to the classroom. Furthermore, it will give educators a substantial voice in decision making. • Children want to learn. The charter provides an opportunity for the school to establish a learning community most conducive to learning – whether that be through an even higher level of parent and community engagement or a more effective and responsive discipline process. • Parents and community members want to be competitive. The charter, by providing innovation and a greater focus on school based priorities and decisions that will continue to raise achievement, will attract and retain AP students and families.

4. What does the Charter Mean for Ashford Park?

5. Core Planning Teams (Pre-Charter) 1 • Organizing Committee– Consists of parents, teachers, and community members. Primary responsibilities: • Follow petitioning procedures required by law and district policy • Organize stakeholder groups to plan the charter framework • Draft the charter petition and budget based on stakeholder work groups’ outlines • Facilitate establishment of the first qualified Governing Board

6. Core Planning Teams (Pre-Charter) 2 • 4Stakeholder Groups – Consists of parents, teachers, and community members. • Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment • Operations • Governance, Finance, Parent & Community Engagement • Innovations, Waivers, & Performance Objectives • Primary responsibilities • Research • Use stakeholder surveys to plan the charter framework • Use stakeholder surveys and research to outline components of the petition • Provide outreach to parents, staff, and the community related to planning • We WANT and NEED your participation – in a big or small way, so please sign up to join

7. Core Planning Teams (Pre-Charter) 3 • 4Stakeholder Groups cont. • Format for the Work: • Follow an established Critical Path Plan (to be discussed a little later) • Meet once weekly for approximately 1.5 – 2 hours • Collaborate as needed between meetings either in person or on-line • Individual assignments can be done at home • Utilize surveys for stakeholders as much as possible to get ongoing feedback as the groups plan • All work and decisions will be published on the website We WANT and NEED your participation – in a big or small way, so please sign up to join one or more groups.

8. Implementation - if awarded charter • Implementation Teams • Implementation Teams will be developed to plan implementation of the charter. • The teams will consist of administration, teachers, and as appropriate, other faculty parents and community members. Charter provides the WHAT. The Implementation Teams will provide the HOW. For example … the charter could request a waiver to choose its own text books and instructional materials. Implementation teams would evaluate and select them.

9. Operations - if awarded charter • Governing Board • Will demonstrate appropriate qualifications/credentials to govern (education, legal, business, finance) • Selected by school stakeholders • Will have protections in place against conflicts of interest Sets overarchingcharter policy … the board DOES NOT MANAGE. • Establishes the charter budget and facilitates an annual audit • Oversees achievement of charter goals and objectives • Selects, monitors, develops, and assesses the principal – the Governing Board MAY NOT terminate the principal from employment … that is a function of the DCSS. • Serves as volunteers and is not compensated

10. Operations - if awarded charter • Principal • Selects, monitors, develops and assesses all school level staff • Manages school operations and instructional programming • Leads the school to utilizes the privilege of flexibility and waivers by thinking outside the box about how to best provide instruction and operations for the school. • Acts as a liaison between the school and the governing Board related to progress and needs • Acts as the charter's ambassador and represents the charter (in conjunction with the Governing Board) to authorizers • Implements the charter according to the needs of the school • Executes plan for achievement of charter goals and objectives

11. Operations - if awarded charter • School Staff • Works collaboratively with each other, with parents and the community to achieve the charter’s goals and objectives • Provides input into school academic, financial, and operational priorities in a variety of ways • Utilizes the privilege of flexibility and waivers by thinking outside the box about how to best provide instruction and operations for the school • Works collaboratively to meet performance goals and objectives

13. Stakeholder Buy-In • This petition CAN NOT be submitted without the support of BOTH faculty and parents…. • Public meetings called 2 weeks in advance • Secret ballot • Majority in favor is required to submit the petition to DCSD • You will see the FULL petition prior to being asked to vote. • Between now and submission of the petition, you will have many opportunities for input (surveys, 4 stakeholder groups’ weekly meetings, OC meetings, social media for output and input of info, website, etc.

14. Next Steps – Tentative Timeline

15. Thanks for your support! • Stay informed by visiting our website at: http://apscharter.wordpress.com • Take the first survey (of several) … http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Ashford_Park_ParentCommunity_Survey2