Starting+a+Charter

E=MC2 (Empowerment through Multimedia Communications & Creativity Charter High School) _ CHSAE ( _ Charter High School for the Arts and Empowerment)
 * Possible School Names:**

Can we use change.org for getting the petition signed by locals?


 * CA Charter Law**

@http://www.calcharters.org/starting/
 * STEPS TO STARTING A CHARTER:**


 * Recruit a Team:**

1. Curriculum 2. Business 3. Fundraising 4. Facilities 5. Technology 6. Human Resources 7. Community Outreach (Do these go w/ CPSELS?) Maybe look at some of the Adult School teachers to help (like w/ language and cooking courses)?

1. Mission 2. Curriculum 3. Budget 4. Governance Structure 5. Staffing Levels
 * Make a Plan / Timeline for:**


 * Write Charter Petition Addressing 16 Elements:**

1. The Educational Program 2. Employee Benefits 3. Method for Measuring Outcomes 4 Governance Structure 5. Dispute Resolution Procedure 6. Health and Safety Procedures 7. Means to Achieve Racial and Ethnic Balance 8. Employee Qualifications 9. Annual Audits 10. Suspension and Expulsion Policies 11. Admissions Requirements 12. Attendance Alternatives 13. Return Rights of Employees 14 Measurable Pupil Outcomes 15. Employee Representation 16. Procedures for Closing

Plan on 6 months to write petition + 12 months to get it approved

Compilation of Selected Laws and Regulations Applicable to Charter Schools

From CA Ed Code 47605-47608: code 47605. (a) (1) Except as set forth in paragraph (2), a petition for the establishment of a **charter** school within a school district may be circulated by one or more persons seeking to establish the **charter** school. A petition for the establishment of a **charter** school shall identify a single **charter** school that will operate within the geographic boundaries of that school district. A **charter** school may propose to operate at multiple sites within the school district, as long as each location is identified in the **charter** school petition. The petition may be submitted to the governing board of the school district for review after either of the following conditions are met: (A) The petition has been signed by a number of parents or legal guardians of pupils that is equivalent to at least one-half of the number of pupils that the **charter** school estimates will enroll in the school for its first year of operation. (B) The petition has been signed by a number of teachers that is equivalent to at least one-half of the number of teachers that the first year of operation. code code (2) A petition that proposes to convert an existing public school to a **charter** school that would not be eligible for a loan pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 41365 may be circulated by one or more persons seeking to establish the **charter** school. The petition may be submitted to the governing board of the school district for review after the petition has been signed by not less than 50 percent of the permanent status teachers currently employed at the public school to be converted. (3) A petition shall include a prominent statement that a signature on the petition means that the parent or legal guardian is meaningfully interested in having his or her child or ward attend the the teacher is meaningfully interested in teaching at the **charter** school. The proposed **charter** shall be attached to the petition. (4) After receiving approval of its petition, a **charter** school that proposes to establish operations at one or more additional sites shall request a material revision to its **charter** and shall notify the authority that granted its **charter** of those additional locations. The authority that granted its **charter** shall consider whether to approve those additional locations at an open, public meeting. If the additional locations are approved, they shall be a material revision to the **charter** school's **charter**. code code (b) No later than 30 days after receiving a petition, in accordance with subdivision (a), the governing board of the school district shall hold a public hearing on the provisions of the shall consider the level of support for the petition by teachers employed by the district, other employees of the district, and parents. Following review of the petition and the public hearing, the governing board of the school district shall either grant or deny the **charter** within 60 days of receipt of the petition, provided, however, that the date may be extended by an additional 30 days if both parties agree to the extension. In reviewing petitions for the establishment of **charter** schools pursuant to this section, the chartering authority shall be guided by the intent of the Legislature that **charter** schools are and should become an integral part of the California educational system and that establishment of **charter** schools should be encouraged. The governing board of the school district shall grant a **charter** for the operation of a school under this part if it is satisfied that granting the **charter** is consistent with sound educational practice. The governing board of the school district shall not deny a petition for the establishment of a **charter** school unless it makes written factual findings, specific to the particular petition, setting forth specific facts to support one or more of the following findings: (1) The **charter** school presents an unsound educational program for the pupils to be enrolled in the **charter** school. (2) The petitioners are demonstrably unlikely to successfully implement the program set forth in the petition. (3) The petition does not contain the number of signatures required by subdivision (a). (4) The petition does not contain an affirmation of each of the conditions described in subdivision (d). (5) The petition does not contain reasonably comprehensive descriptions of all [16 parts of the petition] code code (d) (1) In addition to any other requirement imposed under this part, a **charter** school shall be nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies, employment practices, and all other operations, shall not charge tuition, and shall not discriminate against any pupil on the basis of the characteristics listed in Section 220. Except as provided in paragraph (2), admission to a **charter** school shall not be determined according to the place of residence of the pupil, or of his or her parent or legal guardian, within this state, except that an existing public school converting partially or entirely to a **charter** school under this part shall adopt and maintain a policy giving admission preference to pupils who reside within the former attendance area of that public school. (2) (A) A **charter** school shall admit all pupils who wish to attend the school. (B) However, if the number of pupils who wish to attend the existing pupils of the **charter** school, shall be determined by a public random drawing. Preference shall be extended to pupils currently attending the **charter** school and pupils who reside in the district except as provided for in Section 47614.5. Other preferences may be permitted by the chartering authority on an individual school basis and only if consistent with the law. (C) In the event of a drawing, the chartering authority shall make reasonable efforts to accommodate the growth of the **charter** school and in no event shall take any action to impede the **charter** school from expanding enrollment to meet pupil demand. (3) If a pupil is expelled or leaves the **charter** school without graduating or completing the school year for any reason, the **charter** school shall notify the superintendent of the school district of the pupil's last known address within 30 days, and shall, upon request, provide that school district with a copy of the cumulative record of the pupil, including a transcript of grades or report card, and health information. This paragraph applies only to pupils subject to compulsory full-time **education** pursuant to Section 48200.
 * charter**school estimates will be employed at the school during its
 * charter** school, or in the case of a teacher's signature, means that
 * charter**, at which time the governing board of the school district
 * charter** school exceeds the school's capacity, attendance, except for

code code (g) The governing board of a school district shall require that the petitioner or petitioners provide information regarding the proposed operation and potential effects of the school, including, but not limited to, the facilities to be utilized by the school, the manner in which administrative services of the school are to be provided, and potential civil liability effects, if any, upon the school and upon the school district. The description of the facilities to be used by the **charter** school shall specify where the school intends to locate. The petitioner or petitioners shall also be required to provide financial statements that include a proposed first-year operational budget, including startup costs, and cashflow and financial projections for the first three years of operation. (h) In reviewing petitions for the establishment of **charter** schools within the school district, the governing board of the school district shall give preference to petitions that demonstrate the capability to provide comprehensive learning experiences to pupils identified by the petitioner or petitioners as academically low achieving pursuant to the standards established by the department under Section 54032 as it read prior to July 19, 2006. (i) Upon the approval of the petition by the governing board of the school district, the petitioner or petitioners shall provide written notice of that approval, including a copy of the petition, to the applicable county superintendent of schools, the department, and the state board. (j) (1) If the governing board of a school district denies a petition, the petitioner may elect to submit the petition for the establishment of a **charter** school to the county board of **education**. The county board of **education** shall review the petition pursuant to subdivision (b). If the petitioner elects to submit a petition for establishment of a **charter** school to the county board of **education** and the county board of **education** denies the petition, the petitioner may file a petition for establishment of a **charter** school with the state board, and the state board may approve the petition, in accordance with subdivision (b). A **charter** school that receives approval of its petition from a county board of **education** or from the state board on appeal shall be subject to the same requirements concerning geographic location to which it would otherwise be subject if it received approval from the entity to which it originally submitted its petition. A **charter** petition that is submitted to either a county board of **education** or to the state board shall meet all otherwise applicable petition requirements, including the identification of the proposed site or sites where the **charter** school will operate. code code 47607. (a) (1) A **charter** may be granted pursuant to Sections 47605, 47605.5, and 47606 for a period not to exceed five years. A **charter** granted by a school district governing board, a county board of renewals by that entity. Each renewal shall be for a period of five years. A material revision of the provisions of a **charter** petition may be made only with the approval of the authority that granted the observe any part of the **charter** school at any time. (2) Renewals and material revisions of charters are governed by the standards and criteria in Section 47605, and shall include, but not be limited to, a reasonably comprehensive description of any new requirement of **charter** schools enacted into law after the **charter** was originally granted or last renewed. (b) Commencing on January 1, 2005, or after a **charter** school has been in operation for four years, whichever date occurs later, a prior to receiving a **charter** renewal pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a): (1) Attained its Academic Performance Index (API) growth target in the prior year or in two of the last three years, or in the aggregate for the prior three years. (2) Ranked in deciles 4 to 10, inclusive, on the API in the prior year or in two of the last three years. (3) Ranked in deciles 4 to 10, inclusive, on the API for a demographically comparable school in the prior year or in two of the last three years. (4) (A) The entity that granted the **charter** determines that the academic performance of the **charter** school is at least equal to the academic performance of the public schools that the **charter** school pupils would otherwise have been required to attend, as well as the academic performance of the schools in the school district in which the **charter** school is located, taking into account the composition of the pupil population that is served at the **charter** school. (B) The determination made pursuant to this paragraph shall be based upon all of the following: (i) Documented and clear and convincing data. (ii) Pupil achievement data from assessments, including, but not limited to, the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program established by Article 4 (commencing with Section 60640) for demographically similar pupil populations in the comparison schools. (iii) Information submitted by the **charter** school. (C) A chartering authority shall submit to the Superintendent copies of supporting documentation and a written summary of the basis for any determination made pursuant to this paragraph. The Superintendent shall review the materials and make recommendations to the chartering authority based on that review. The review may be the basis for a recommendation made pursuant to Section 47604.5. (D) A **charter** renewal may not be granted to a **charter** school prior to 30 days after that **charter** school submits materials pursuant to this paragraph. (5) Has qualified for an alternative accountability system pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 52052. (c) A **charter** may be revoked by the authority that granted the of substantial evidence, that the **charter** school did any of the following: (1) Committed a material violation of any of the conditions, standards, or procedures set forth in the **charter**. (2) Failed to meet or pursue any of the pupil outcomes identified in the **charter**. (3) Failed to meet generally accepted accounting principles, or engaged in fiscal mismanagement. (4) Violated any provision of law. code From: [] Authorizers California empowers three public governing boards with the authority to approve charter schools: local district school boards (most common, check w/ Redondo and Lawndale to see if they would be receptive to the idea), county school boards (harder to get) and the State Board of Education (hardest to get). **(Do CMO's take the place of a local district school board or work in conjunction with them?)**
 * education** or the state board, may be granted one or more subsequent
 * charter**. The authority that granted the **charter** may inspect or
 * charter** school shall meet at least one of the following criteria
 * charter** under this chapter if the authority finds, through a showing

Local District School Boards: Question:code (6) Commencing January 1, 2003, a petition to establish a **charter** school may not be approved to serve pupils in a grade level that is not served by the school district of the governing board considering the petition, unless the petition proposes to serve pupils in all of the grade levels served by that school district.
 * Lawndale ESD: []

code So, if Lawndale ESD is only K-8, can a charter high school be started through them?
 * Redondo Beach Unified School District: []

CMO's: (See CMO Study here:[] )
 * Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools (7 LA charters + 2 more coming)
 * Aspire Public Schools (18 schools in Bay Area & LA)
 * Bright Star (2 schools)
 * Camino Nuevo (2 schools)
 * Crescendo (6 schools)
 * Green Dot Public Schools (10 LA-area charters + 21 new small high schools over next 4 years)
 * Inner City Education Foundation (View Park elem, middle, and high + 20 more schools in South LA soon)
 * Magnolia Science Academies
 * Options for Youth (1 in Burbank)
 * Partnerships to Uplift Communities (mostly Lakeview Terrace)

CA/Los Angeles CMO's (as of fall 2006):

[] (Grades K-12, 16 schools, 4700+ students) 3 K-6 schools LA 90003

[] (Grades 9-12, 10 schools, 2900+ students)

[] (Grades 6-12, 14 high schools / 6 middle schools, 8500+ students, all E of 405)

[] (Grades K-12, 7 schools, 1500+ students, NE LA)

[] (Grades K-12, 6 schools, 1200+ students, South LA)


 * CHARTER SCHOOL FINDINGS**

USC Center on Educational Governance on Charter Schools Findings