Authorizing Practice - The authorizer develops/maintains protocols for the effective oversight and support of charter schools.
Proficiency: Create/refine a plan and procedure for reviewing new charter school applications in alignment with authorizing vision.
Legal - The authorizer works to understand and implement appropriate legal practices including autonomy and accountability measures within the charter school(s) under their authorization.
Proficiency: Develop/refine authorizer's understanding of legal and philosophical roles and responsibilities.
Strategic Planning - The authorizer ensures an authorizing strategic plan is in place to guide expectations of governance board(s) for the future.
Proficiency: Develop/enhance a strategy and protocol for soliciting new charter school concepts.
Learning
School Board's Role as Charter School Authorizer This PowerPoint document will be the guiding document for all of your learning in this course. The activities and videos that follow all reference this document. Keep this document open, use it as a guide, and refer back to it as you work through this course. Format: PDF Length: 78 pages
Introduction to Policymaking for District School Board Authorizers This video covers slides 1-11 of the legal policies ppt. from above. This video provides basic information all district school boards need to know about authorizing charter schools and policymaking around this authorization. Format: YouTube Video Length: 8:47 minutes
Policies: Application Process This video on the charter school application process with an authorizer covers the initial stages of charter school authorizing, from initial applications and petitions through school board approval of the charter school. This video covers slides 12-28. Take note of legal requirements and local policy options and review sample policies for examples of local control. Format: YouTube Video Length: 9:55 minutes
Policies: Charter School and Authorizer Contract Negotiations Charter school contract negotiations are a critical stage of the authorization process where the education program, charter school autonomy and authorizer oversight powers are documented and agreed to by the charter school and school board authorizer. There are many legal requirements for the charter school contract, but within the confines of those legal requirements, school boards have significant discretion regarding the terms of the charter school contract. Boards exercise that discretion and provide guidance to administration and staff through the adoption of policies. This video reviews slides 29-54. Format: YouTube Video Length: 14:53 minutes
Policies: District School Board Monitoring and Oversight of Charter Schools School boards are required by law to monitor and oversee the charter schools they authorize. Oversight authority comes from the charter school contract. District School Boards have considerable discretion regarding how oversight is conducted. District School Boards can and should express choices regarding how oversight will be conducted in board policy. This video covers slides 56-64 in the PowerPoint from above. Format: YouTube Video Length: 4:06 minutes
Policies: Contract Revocation, Renewal and Nonrenewal, and Annual Reports Part of the school board’s oversight responsibility is making hard choices regarding contract revocation and renewal or non-renewal. Boards should set standards for contract revocation, renewal and non-renewal decisions, and processes for revocation recommendations and renewal applications. Boards are also required by law to submit annual reports to the DPI and legislature. This video covers slides 65-77 in the PowerPoint. Format: YouTube Video Length: 7:13 minutes
Authorizing Policy Example Language Use this WRCCS policy resource to review example authorizer policies from school districts across the state of Wisconsin. This resource will help you with the Applying section of this course Format: Google Doc Length: 11 pages
Applying
Applying
Review charter school policies from one of the Wisconsin school districts listed in this Authorizing Policy Example Language resource. Other school district policies are available on the district websites, usually in the part of the website covering the school board.
Using the work done in #1 and information from the course, develop a list of questions that describe policy choices that your school board may make into a policy covering charter school authorization.
Using the set of questions developed in #2, draft a policy or revise an existing policy to better support your role as a charter school authorizer.
Evidence of Learning
The goal of this workshop is to equip school boards with the information that they need to write charter school authorization policies that both comply with the law and express local policy choices that reflect community needs. Pick one of the four main subsections of a charter school authorization policy (the application process, contract negotiations, monitoring and oversight or contract revocation, renewal and nonrenewal) and draft policy language that reflects the choices you would make as a school board authorizer.
