“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.