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Charter Authorizing Boot Camp

Board members learn how to be charter school authorizers

Kentucky School Advocate

March 2018

By Madelynn Coldiron
Staff writer

“There could be some trepidation in the room,” said Heather Wendling with the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, as she opened a three-hour, pre-conference “boot camp” on charter school authorizing at KSBA’s annual conference March 2.

There was probably some of that. And some curiosity. A bit of confusion. And, in some quarters, resentment, as school board teams settle into their new role as charter school authorizers, thanks to a 2017 law that made Kentucky the 45th state to authorize charter schools. Wendling and her co-presenter, Morgan Powell, received many questions from attendees.

Raceland-Worthington Ind. school board member Sandra Loperfido, right, talks with (l-r)

Heather Wendling and Morgan Powell with the National Association of Charter School

Authorizers during a break at a three-hour pre-conference Charter Authorizing Boot Camp.

Wendling, director of Learning and Knowledge Management for NACSA, encouraged board members to keep an open mind if a charter applicant offers something “that will add value for your students.” She outlined the authorization process, starting with the application, which she noted “is a really hefty and fraught process.”

“The more rigorous the application review process, the more likely it is to produce a successful school,” she said. “You are the gatekeepers for quality and maintaining the standards for what you want your charter to look like.”

In addition to maintaining high standards, charter school authorizers should uphold school autonomy and not infringe on the school’s greater freedom; and protect student and public interests.

The application itself should explain the proposed charter school’s educational program design and capacity, its operations plan, financial plan and governance. Applicants must be able to show they can execute the model they describe, Wendling said.

In Kentucky, school boards don’t have to worry about devising an application: There is a single, statewide standard application for opening a charter school, said Earl Simms, director of the state education department’s Division of Charter Schools. He described the document as “weighty on purpose.” KDE also is preparing a model rubric for district authorizers to use when reading a charter school application, a model contract for district authorizers and charter schools to use, and a model rubric for charter school performance oversight.

However, at this point, the legislature has not approved funding for charter schools, so, Simms said, “I seriously doubt you’re going to see anyone apply.” Apart from state funds, charter schools could raise money on their own, seek funding from national philanthropies or apply for federal grants.

Evaluating the application
In Kentucky, applicants may be a parent, teacher, school administrator, resident of the district or a public/nonprofit organization. The applicant may also be assisted by a management organization, though state law does not permit a for-profit organization to be an applicant.

Core elements of a quality application process

Wendling said objective, external evaluators can assist the district team that reviews applications, with an eye toward expertise in examining the fiscal and legal aspects of the proposal, or any specialized program the charter would offer. The team also should verify the legitimacy of the applicant, any other schools it has operated, and the proposed charter’s governing board. After this input, if the application is sound enough to move forward, NACSA recommends an in-person interview. The paperwork may be excellent, Wendling said, but the interview enables the team “to probe deeper,” to get a feel for whether the applicant really can operate a charter school.

The school board may also do some legwork, she added. “The more active the board wants to be, the better,” she said.

In making the decision to authorize a charter school, a board should provide written feedback and ratings. If the application is rejected, the deficiencies should be explained, Wendling said. If approved, a contract – in Kentucky, the length is five years – should establish expectations like enrollment numbers, graduation rate and state exam performance; and affirm compliance with the laws and required reporting, among other things.

“The contract is the backbone of accountability” for the charter school, Wendling said. Her organization also recommends authorizers adopt a performance framework that covers academic, financial and organizational performance measures for a charter school.

Steps after approval
Once the charter is awarded, the authorizer should monitor the start-up activities, from the planning process to the actual opening, Wendling said. This can include site visits, regular contact with the operators, and desk audits.

Primary reasons for first-year charter school closures

Once the charter school opens, it should provide reports on a regular basis to the authorizing school board and makes an annual report. Wendling said the authorizer also should make site visits, talk to leaders and teachers, and visit classrooms. Feedback is fine, she said, but not directions.

When renewal time rolls around, a formal review application again should be part of the process. NACSA recommends providing the charter school a “public, cumulative performance report” before the renewal application. It says that renewal decisions should be based only on “merit and objective evidence,” and not promises to improve or community pressure.

“Ninety-five percent of a renewal decision should be about data,” Wendling said.

Besides nonrenewal, a charter also can close voluntarily, or its charter can be revoked. NACSA also outlines conditions for revoking a charter, including evidence of extreme underperformance or violation of the law or public trust that “imperils students or public funds.”