So You Want to Start a Charter School in Michigan?

1. So You Want to Start a Charter School in Michigan?

2. First, make sure the concept fits: Are you . . . • committed to helping kids learn? • excited about innovative approaches to learning? • passionate about giving families more choice in how their students are served?

3. Concept check continued . . . Are you . . . • willing to comply with the full state revised school code? • willing to admit anyone who applies without exception (and hold a lottery to decide which students get it if you have more applicants than space?)

4. Concept check continued . . . Are you . . . • ready to find and hire Highly Qualified teachers (as defined by NCLB)? • prepared to accept public responsibility for bringing students to state proficiency standards even if they come to you several grades behind expectations?

5. Concept check continued . . . Are you . . . • prepared to fully serve students with special needs? • prepared to find and use a building that meets full state revised school code requirements and can earn a current Certificate of Occupancy? (Many old school facilities do not)

6. If all those answers were “YES”. . . Welcome to the challenge of starting a charter school!

7. Next step: What IS a charter? In Michigan, a charter school . . . • is organized under the State Revised School Code • as a Public School Academy [Part 6A, MCL 380.501], or • As a Urban High Schools [Part 6C, MCL 380.521] (Urban High Schools can include K-8 feeder schools as well), or • As a School of Excellence [Part 6E, MCL 380.551] • As a Strict Discipline Academy to serve suspended, expelled or adjudicated youth [MCL 380.1311b]

8. What IS a Michigan Charter? (con’t) With one exception, a Public School Academy… • gets its “charter” to operate from: • a state public university anywhere in the state, • the community college for its location, • the Intermediate School District for its location, or • the Local School District for its location. • serves any combination of Grades Pre-K through 12 as specified in the charter contract.

9. What IS a Michigan Charter? (con’t) A Public School Academy • receives “state aid” funding of roughly $7000 per child attending. • uses these operational funds to pay for everything needed, including facility costs. • may qualify for additional Title I, II, III, V and VI federal funding if the PSA serves at-risk children.

10. What IS a Michigan Charter? (con’t) A Public School Academy • is a Michigan, Non-Profit Corporation governed by an autonomous school board appointed by the authorizer and accountable under oath to act in the best interests of the children it serves. • is required to conduct its business at open, public meetings with agendas posted in advance.

11. What IS a Michigan Charter? (con’t) A Public School Academy • may hire a management company (Education Service Provider) to operate all or any part of the school. • has a fiduciary responsibility to ensure that any management services it uses are purchased at “fair market value.”

12. If it still looks good to you . . . What’s the next step? How do you get started?

13. Step 1: Build a competitive charter application Many authorizers use a similar “Phase One” application to screen applicants and select those with whom they move to a more intensive “Phase Two” set of negotiations. A sample Phase One application is available at www.mccsa.us under “Authorizer Resources.”

14. The application will require. . . • Documented evidence of need: • Community Analysis • Parent profile and preferences • An academic vision: • Curriculum decisions • Instructional design decisions • A data and evaluation design: • What information will tell the board whether their goals are being met? • How will it be collected? Reported?

15. The application will also require. . . • A business plan: • Facility plan (including obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy for the planned location and leasing costs) • Staffing plan (including recruitment and professional development costs) • Operational and Management plan • Equipment and Furnishings plan • Budget (balanced with expected revenues)

16. Step 2: Find an authorizer Approach any eligible authorizer. Even if they decline to accept applications, their board should hear from you about why you believe a charter is needed. Use statewide authorizer websites to see when any announce that they have charters available and will evaluate the applications they’ve received.

17. How long will it take? Experienced charter developers suggest that the planning and development process to successfully compete for a charter takes at least 8 to 12 months.

18. Help is Available The charter school program in Michigan has been evolving since 1994. As such, there are a number of experienced coaches and consultants available to assist you in your effort. MDE’s Public School Academies unit has experienced charter consultants on staff that can help you navigate through the processes. You can call us at (517) 373-4631, or email us at MDEPSAGrant@michigan.gov

19. Financial help is available The Michigan Department of Education offers competitive federal “Charter School Program Planning and Implementation” grants. • Application documents are posted at the www.michigan.gov/charters website. • To apply for a grant, a development team must be a Michigan Non-Profit Corporation with a federal employer Identification number and a DUNS number. • Applications are submitted and processed through the Michigan Electronic Grants System –Plus (MEGS+).

20. How do the grants work? Successful planning subgrantees receive a total of $100,000 in two stages: • Upon award, $35,000 is available for strengthening its Academic Vision and Evaluation plan. • Upon delivering those products, the grantee receives another $65,000 to strengthen the supporting business plan. • A planning subgrantee may be eligible for implementation funds once they receive a district code.

21. How do the subgrants work? Implementation subgrants may be awarded in the amount of up to $200,000 in each of two years. Both planning and implementation subgrants must be used within 36 months of the start date of the planning subgrant.

22. How do I apply for a grant? The charter school planning grant announcement and application is available at www.michigan.gov/charters Michigan has federal funds for planning and implementation grants though 2015, so a similar amount of funds may be available next year.

23. Grant Eligibility Michigan PSAs “may not be organized by … and shall not have any organizational or contractual affiliation with a church or other religious organization” [MCL 380.502], a church is not an eligible grant recipient. The grant applicant (like the school board) must be a non-profit with legitimate, arms-length distance from a church.

24. Best wishes for your success! Michigan’s kids deserve great schools!