Charter School Creation & Development: Navigating the Challenges

1. Charter Leadership Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

2. Who? Renee MathewsAndMore Education ServicesHR Avin Associates B.C. (Before Charters) • District Level: • Superintendent, Chief Academic Officer, Deputy Supt. Of Curriculum and Instruction • High School Principal 8 years 2A and 4A • First Female HS Prin. in County • H.S. and El. Assistant Principal • SCASA Instructional Leaders President • SC Guidance Assoc. Admin. of Year • AdvancED – Teams and Vice-Chair • Undergrad. and grad. Adjunct Instructor A.C. (After Charters) • Charter School Founder • Charter Writer and Editor • Charter Executive Director • Charter Elementary Principal • Charter High School Principal • Fiscal Service Provider • Governance and Leadership Coaching • Expanded Adept, Mentor Trainer • Language Immersion • Montessori • PBL • Classical

3. Charter School Creation, Administration, and Development is beyond a shadow of a doubt one of the most, if not the most, challenging endeavors in public education today.

4. Some Roads You’ll Travel

5. Our AgendaPart 1 of 2 • Organizational Structures • Staffing (Human Resources) • Enrollment • Student Conduct

6. Organization Members • EMO/CMO • Board of Directors (Trustees) Key Considerations - Bylaws • At least 7 board members (7,8,9…?) • 50% K12 or business • No felony convictions • Half must be elected • Elected by staff and parents • Two Year Terms staggered • May serve more than one term • Resident of SC • Executive Director • Project Manager • Director or Principal • A.P.’s or Deans • Supervisors • Coordinators • Coaches • Counselors • Instruction: Teachers, Assistants, Interventionists • Clerical and Maintenance • Contracted • Class sizes: Average vs. Cap

7. Organization Chart What is your enrollment Projection Years 1-5? Accurately Project: Reporting Days 1, 5, 45, 90, 135. What is your budget? Market costs for personnel? Benefits cost? What skill sets are on your team? Who will be direct supervisors? Roles of sponsor, board, legal, fiscal service provider, admin.

8. Org Chart Types Hierarchical – Most Common Matrix – Multiple supervisors or cross functional Terms like Flat or Tall in Org Charts refer to how many levels of management exist in the organization

9. Structures • At-Will work agreements vs contracts • Educators paid by the day but divided over 12 pay periods • Typical structure: • Students = 180 • Teachers = 190 (pay August to July) • Asst. Principals/Deans = 200 – 210 • Principals = 220 – 240 (pay July to June)

10. Organizational Chart 1

11. Organizational Chart 2

12. HR 101

13. Fill the Gas Tank Before You Start the Engine Paper or electronic application - CERRA Documented reference checks Documented SLED and National Sex Registry checks Interview protocols (telephone screening, in person interview-STAR search or team interviews, written responses, scripted questions) Know what you have to offer (insurance, retirement, benefits PD, Sunshine, locale)

14. Caution Signs and Stop Lights No-No Questions (Age, race, ethnicity/color, gender/sex, country or national origin, religion, disability, marital or family status, pregnant?) Gaps in resume or employment Generic references that seem scripted Negative statements of former employers Appearance Lack of insight

15. The Right Person in the Right Seat Pace hiring with actual enrollment! Consider all options (part-time, full-time, contracted services, international exchange, student teachers, 25% non-certified) Advertise (CERRA, PCSASC, LinkedIn, indeed.com, Schoolspring, SCASA, NASSP, NAESP, Word of Mouth, Website, Social Media) Do not pay employees before they work! Market rates, salary schedules?? My biases: Grow/promote from within;intentionally diversify

16. Off Ramps: Change • “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often” -Winston Churchill • Guard Rails • Staff Handbook (Appendices) • Parent/Student Handbook • Dropbox/Google Drive/Staff Resources • Emergency Management Plan • Communication Plan • Policies • Charter (material vs immaterial)

17. Six Secrets of Change Love your employees Connect Peers with Purpose Capacity Building Prevails Learning is the Work Transparency Rules Recognize that Systems Learn and Grow Michael Fullan

18. Evolution of Charter Schools Mission driven first generation Skewed enrollment bell curve Founder’s syndrome

19. Enrollment • Facility vs charter dreams • Key Employees: • Marketing & Communications • PowerSchool Operator • Non-Discriminatory practices – Prove it! • Fees (Technology, Athletics, Supplies…) • Skooki or other online payment system • Transportation • Marketing plan and distribution area

20. Enrollment – Again & Again • Application → Enrollment package → Standardized application → Records request → Birth Certificate/Immunizations → Proof of residency → Pending expulsion → 9/1 = 5 years/5K to 21 → No Shows/Deadlines • Strategies • Direct mail, open house, info sessions, community event booths, website, social media, brochures, referral cards • Maintain a clean and aesthetically pleasing, safe and secure school environment

21. No Magical Thinking!

22. The Roundabout: Pupil Personnel • Student conduct and expectations • Don’t recreate the wheel • Look at best practices from other schools • Tailor the practices to fit your charter mission and vision • Invest in legal review for your conduct code • Design processes, forms and training • Orientation board/staff/parents and students • Positive reinforcement strategies

23. Pupil Personnel Know expulsion/hearing procedures and have templates School-Wide Rules Signage Detention/ISS? Clear and consistent consequences Academic Assistance/Attendance Recovery In class vs referral procedures Internal vs external intervention services

24. Why fit in when you were born to stand out? • IDEA/IEP Compliance • Manifestation determination review • BIP’s/Functional Behavioral Assessment • Rehabilitation Act, Section 504 • ADA Compliance • Homebound/Intermittent Homebound • ESOL/WIDA Screening • Translators

25. Attendance Attendance = $$$ & achievement 10 days of parent notes allowed Unlimited medical notes allowed 10 unexcused days per year Letter home after 5 days for intervention meeting

26. Speaking of time… Brake for Questions: End Part I

27. Part II Leadership and Vision

28. Think On It. Think about a person you know whose leadership skills you admire. This person can have any position—teacher, principal, clerical worker—it doesn’t matter. What traits or behaviors does the person exhibit that make you appreciate his or her leadership skills?

29. Discuss it. List three to five of those traits. Compare the traits you’ve identified with the ones listed by others. How many commonalities do you find? Come to agreement on five or six traits that you think are most important.

30. Explore It. To build Leadership Capacity you must build: Knowledge. What is your knowledge of effective practices? Learning styles, differentiated instruction, developmental appropriateness, and so on. What knowledge do you need to develop? Skills. What can you do? What skills are necessary to effectively lead a school toward continuous improvement? What skills do you have and what skills do you need to improve? Attitude. Another description for attitudes is will and the disposition to do what is right. What affects your attitude? How do you interact with people with different from you? Who do you trust? Who trusts you? How do you build trust?

31. Where are we going? Where have we been? Where are we now? How good is our engine (system)? Who is driving? What is the destination? How do we get or give direction? Will we know it when we get there?

32. Others have traveled before you: study their maps Who do you emulate? Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 Remember Jethro’s advice to Moses? What’s your potential de-railer (s)?

33. Interstate 100 Instructional Leadership • Set and communicate high standards • Create safe spaces for “teacher” tuning • Consider an outside coach, critical friend, consultant • Think Tank It – 3D It – Relevance and Audience • Make data speak. ID power users and create team. • Focus on effective: Doing Good vs Looking Good • Celebrate innovation: First Attempt In Learning • Observe, question, question and question • Socrates “Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.”

34. Refueling Station – Gooaall!! • SMART Goals • Specific • Measurable • Achievable • Relevant • Timely Write one now…

35. Mile markers to Effective $ Management • Seek resources EVERYWHERE • Allocate thoughtfully and with input • Plan and administer budgeting and procurement • Never forget this is public money!! • Keep inventories from day one. WATCH OUT $$$$$ Road Hazards…. • Communicate systems processes and procedures

36. Pack for The Trip Pack Idealism, Realism, Ears/Eyes, Head/Heart, Proactive Energy, Knowledge, Respect ________? • Your ethics and judgment are your compass • True North: What’s best for students? • In your survival kit you’ll need: stress tolerance, ability to delegate, sensitivity, team-building, loyalty and laughter (and dry socks??)

37. Check the Weather Leaders are vision makers and climate makers. They see the destination and create the climate for the people on the bus to get to the destination. What is the climate you are or have created?

38. Whistle Stops Norms and Absolutes • “It is the duty of government to make it difficult for people to do wrong, and easy to do right.” -William Gladstone What are our organizational beliefs and values? How do we communicate them?

39. In Sun or Rain • How will you promote collegiality and collaboration? • How will you establish and enforce standards? • How will you manage conflict and crisis? • How will you foster trust?

40. Diners and DivesInterpersonal Skills How do we create systems to: • Respect others? • Elicit and respond to feelings and perceptions of others? • Communicate effectively with ALL stakeholders? • Build consensus? • Model private correction; public praise

41. Paint the Town • “It don’t mean a thing (if you ain’t got that swing)” Duke Ellington “Those who are able to laugh-LAST”

42. Route #1-Vision How do you: • Involve and collaborate with stakeholders • Show respect for culture and history • Communicate vision, goals, plans, and priorities • Energize and operationalize the vision • Set SMART Goals

43. Vision: Seeing the Destination AND the road Leadership is making the journey and taking folks along with us…we willingly follow others if it makes us feel good to do so. CHECK YOUR REARVIEW MIRROR Who is following? Who is not? Why?

44. The Rest StopStaff & Personal Development • Collaborate on staff development to promote the achievement • Use coaching skills • Bench yourself and put in another player • Participate in staff development

45. I just kept driving… • Let people fail • “If we do bad, it’s me. If we do good, it’s you” • Go to wakes and funerals • Send cards and make calls • Value the community: join clubs and make appearances • Don’t excuse incompetence because you are scared to confront those who are

46. Brake for This • “It is not acceptable for us to know a child is failing and not do something about it. Further, conflict avoidance in the face of poor performance is an act of moral neglect.” Michael Fullan

47. Signals to Know • “They were there when you got there and they will be there when you’re gone” • You can only move as fast as the critical mass so take it slow as fast as you can… • Keep internal public with you • Recognize utility value • Build on strengths…no matter how bad your “town” may look • Teach policies, and gently remind often • Never forget the one who brung you to the dance

48. Visionary Leadership “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Muriel Strode

49. Thank you! • “When I grow up, I want to be a principal or a caterpillar.” -Ralph Wiggum Socrates said be what you desire to appear . Whether a caterpillar or a principal you will become …