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BESE UPDATEBESE met Tuesday, June 29th to July 1st, 2010.
The most
significant agenda item included consideration of charter extensions for schools
finishing their third year of operation.
Charter Renewals & Extensions
The only charter school whose five year charter was up was Capdau Elementary School in New Orleans. The school was granted a three year renewal.
The eight New Orleans schools that were due for three year evaluations were as follows:
- Arthur Ashe Charter School
- Abramson Science & Technology School
- Langston Hughes Charter School
- McDonogh 42 Charter School
- Andrew Wilson Charter School
- New Orleans College Prep
- KIPP Central City Charter School
- Algiers Technology Charter School
All of the schools were granted one year extensions due to financial reasons, with the exception of New Orleans College Prep, which was granted a two year extension for meeting the academic and financial standards used to evaluate the schools.
Only one school, Esperanza Charter School, was not renewed. The school's management organization, the United Neighborhood Organization, voluntarily forfeited it's charter and the school was approved for new management under the Choice Foundation, which currently operates Lafayette Academy.
BESE will not meet in July, and scheduled to meet next August 17-19, 2010.
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Charter Chat with Erin Bendily of LDOE Charter Office
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ERIN BENDILY NAMED NEW DIRECTOR OF LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CHARTER SCHOOLS OFFICE
Paul Pastorek recently named Erin Bendily the new Director of the Charter Schools office in the Louisiana Department of Education. Here, we chat with Erin about her background and new position.
1.) Welcome to the LDOE Charter Schools Office! Tell us a bit about your background.
I'm a proud native of Louisiana and a graduate of our state's public
school system. My interest in education began when I was in college. I
became very involved as a college student leader at Southeastern
Louisiana University and had the opportunity to represent my fellow
students across the state in higher education policy matters. Upon
graduating, I began my career in state and federal government,
including roles with the Board of Regents, where I helped to administer
university research grant programs, and the Office of Congressman Bobby
Jindal, where I managed constituent services for our state's third
congressional district. During this time I attended LSU in the evenings
to earn my Master's Degree in Public Administration, with a
concentration in Higher Education. Most recently I served as Governor
Jindal's Education Policy Advisor, where I worked extensively with the
Pre-K-12 and postsecondary education communities to advance reform. I'm
also still a college student, working to complete my Doctoral Degree in
Educational Leadership and Research. Between work and spending time with my husband and our 1 year
old son, I try to find time to work on my dissertation proposal. It's
important to me that I finish what I start, and I'm actually thinking
of changing my dissertation to a topic related to charter schools.
2.) What was it like to work as Governor Jindal's Education Policy Advisor?
Serving on the Governor Jindal's Policy Team was a great honor, and it
provided me with an invaluable experience and perspective that I
believe will help to advance a quality charter movement and other
parental options across our state. I was able to work with many
stakeholders from around Louisiana, including students, parents,
teachers and school leaders from both public and private schools, home
school students and parents, college and university officials, state
agency heads, school board members, legislators, and business
representatives, to advance the Governor's agenda for education. We
were successful as passing key policy changes related to
accountability, curriculum, education finance, discipline, teacher
evaluations, and governance, and we made tremendous steps forward,
especially during this past legislative session.
Governor Jindal is a strong proponent of using innovative practices in
our schools and empowering parents and communities in the education of
our children, and this aligns closely with the work we are doing
through charter schools. I'm excited to be able to continue working to
advance those reforms in a meaningful way.
3.) What compelled you to take the position as the Director of Charter Schools at the LDOE?
Over the past several years as I've worked to improve education in our
state, it has become evident to me that while Louisiana has significant
challenges, the extent to which we can effectively address those
challenges is largely dependent on our level of courage. Courage to
actually do what we know works, and to do what is in the best interest
of children. Under Superintendent Pastorek's leadership, our state has
implemented a number of education reforms that, while not always
popular with the status quo, are producing great results for children.
Many of those results have been achieved through charter schools
directly or by replicating some of the best practices and features of
charter schools in traditional public schools. I'm thrilled to be a
part of that and am looking forward to even greater success as we stay
the course.
4.) What are your top three priorities as Director of Louisiana's Charter School Office?
My first priority is to strengthen the quality of charter school
authorizing in our state. Louisiana is regarded as a leader in this
area, but there are additional steps we can take to promote high levels
of performance in our charter schools. We can institute a more rigorous
charter school application process, set higher expectations, and hold
schools more accountable for outcomes.
This, however, requires a greater level of support, which is a second
priority. Charter schools are autonomous, but they need our support as
they start up, encounter challenges along the way, and work to sustain
long-term growth in student achievement and overall school performance.
Replicating successful educational models and engaging more individuals
is a third priority, which will involve considerable outreach, creative
partnerships, and technical assistance. We desperately need more
parents, educators, business and community leaders to step forward and
take an active role in increasing the educational options available to
our students. We want to increase the number of high-quality schools
and learn from their implementation of innovative practices. But we
also want to stimulate healthy competition to motivate all public
schools to achieve higher levels of school performance. I'm looking
forward to cultivating more of these opportunities.
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3rd Annual Louisiana Charter Schools Conference
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Registration is officially open for the 3rd Annual
Louisiana Charter Schools Conference to be held October 15-16 at the
Hilton Riverside Hotel in New Orleans.
Special conference rates at the hotel are $149/nt. (Limited
availability; Rate available until
on September 10th). Click HERE to reserve a room.
Thank you to all of you who submitted proposals to present at the conference. Our conference planning committees will meet and decide on presentations in the next few weeks.
Award Ceremony Nominations
We are pleased to
announce the 2nd Annual LAPCS Charter School Awards.
These awards are designed to recognize the contributions of school
leaders, teachers, board members, schools, and community leaders in
their efforts to advocate for, support, or enhance Louisiana's public
charter schools. Nominate a charter school leader, board, teacher,
student, and champion to be honored at this year's event. Also, we
have added a "vendor" category this year so you can share with your
fellow charter schools who the best company in Louisiana is that you
work with! Click HERE to access the online submission form. Deadline for nominations is September 15, 2010.
Exhibit / Sponsor
We are officially sold out! If you would like to be placed on a waiting list in the event that we have cancellations, please contact Elizabeth Garrett (contact info below.)
Keynote Speakers
Peter Groff, President, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
We have confirmed our first keynote speaker, and we pleased to announced that Peter Groff, the new president of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools will address our attendees on Friday, October 15th, 2010.
Before joining the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Groff
served as the director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood
Partnerships at the U. S. Department of Education. Prior to accepting
that position, Groff was the founder and executive director of the
University of Denver's Center for New Politics and Policy (formerly
Center for African American Policy), and lectured at the University's
Public Policy program.
Groff also served as the 47th president of the Colorado State Senate
and was the first African-American in Colorado to hold that post, and
only the third African-American in the nation's history to hold the
gavel as state Senate president. Senator Groff, who was called the
"Conscience of the Senate," served in the Colorado General Assembly for
nine years and passed landmark legislation creating visionary education
reform measures, prohibiting racial profiling and requiring booster
seats for young children.
Born in Chicago, Groff was raised in Denver. He has a Bachelor of Arts
from the University of Redlands (Calif.), a Juris Doctorate from the
University of Denver College of Law and an honorary Ph.D. from the
University of Denver.
Stay tuned for more keynote speakers and presenters!
_____________________________________________________________________
Questions? Contact Elizabeth Garrett at [email protected] or 504-274-3651
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New Orleans Type 5 Facilities Meeting
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Last Thursday, July 17th, 2010, the RSD
Superintendent Paul Vallas and RSD officials hosted a meeting for Type
5 New Orleans charters to announce current and future facilities
assignments and to present site selection criteria. Type 5 charter
school leaders and board chairs may stop by our offices to pick up a
copy of the draft recommendations. The RSD welcomes feedback from
charter school leaders and board chairs. Please contact Ramsey Green
at <
[email protected]>.
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Job Listings On LAPCS Website |
Please note that the LAPCS website now has a statewide job vacancy posting page on our website. Please let your HR or recruiting staffer know that this resource is available. To access the page, click HERE.
The Eastbank Collaborative of Charter Schools also has a New Orleans job vacancy page available. To access this site, click HERE. |
New School Members
JK Haynes Elementary Charter School (Baton Rouge) Imagine Schools (School Developer)
New Vendor Members
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The LAPCS is pleased to bring you a comprehensive list of grant opportunities that may be of interest to Louisiana's charter schools. The list is updated daily with new and interesting grant opportunities, so check back often! To visit the list click HERE.
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Members Advisory Council MeetingsNew Orleans Members Advisory Council Meeting August 10, 2010 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Location TBA
Baton Rouge Members Advisory Council Meeting August 17, 2010 4:00 - 5:30 P.M. Location TBA
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1st Annual Green Schools National Conference October 24-26, 2010 Minneapolis, MN
Please take advantage of discounts by
registering by July 31st as we have established a special Early Bird
registration rate for teachers/parents/university student at the rate of
$215.00. Individual rate for administration and other school personnel is
$280.00.
We have also established a
special discount code for Green Charter Schools Network members. To join the GCSN please log onto www.greencharterschools.org
By joining the GCSN the rate for teacher/parent/university student is
$195.00 which is $20 off the lowest rate.
Individual rate for administration and
other school personnel will be $195.00 which is $85 off the lowest rate.
We are encouraging both comprehensive and
emerging Green Schools from across the United
States to participate in this Green
Schools historic event. The Green Charter
Schools National Network is hosting the 1st Annual Green Schools National
Conference, October 24-26,
2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Please check out the conference website at http://www.greenschoolsnationalconference.org
the time is right for this groundbreaking event to bring together
public, public charter, independent school leaders, educators, students,
business, community leaders and policymakers to focus on the overall topic of
greening our nation's schools.
The theme of the conference is "Growing
Green Schools Across America" This event will provide a unique forum and opportunity for the national K-12
education community to meet, network, learn and share ideas around greening our
nation's schools. The projects and experiences shared at this event will
lay the groundwork for preparing future generations of green citizens who will
make the world a better place to live in.
We are encouraging all comprehensive and emerging Green Charter Schools to
participate in this inaugural event. Green Schools have developed and
implemented models that can be replicated in all schools. They have
developed sustainability models for their schools by reducing energy
consumption resulting in reduction of operating expenses. Sustainability
for their students by providing Green & Healthy facilities which include
healthy eating programs, along with sustainability for our Earth; by recycling,
reducing waste and Earth restoration projects.
REGISTER BY JULY 31 FOR EARLY BIRD RATES
For general conference questions please email: [email protected]
Or call
1-800-280-6218
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"New Charter School for Children With Severe Disabilities" ABC 4 News July 8, 2010
A new charter school opening next month and it's the first of it's kind in Charleston. Caring for a child with a
severe disability is a full-time job. Just ask Linda McRae who cares
for her six-year-old grandson, Raidon. "He will always be on the level of a 5 or 6 month old," said McRae.
He's been going to
Pattison's summer camp for the past four years and will be one of the
32 students for the first year with the charter school, Pattison's
Academy for Comprehensive Education, or PACE.
Read More...
"Louisiana Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek on the New Orleans School Choice Revolution" Reason TV July 8, 2010
Paul Pastorek has served as the Louisiana State Superintendent of
Education since his appointment in 2007, less than two years after
Katrina ravaged the region. The storm appeared to be the final blow to
an already failing public school system. But then something amazing
happened. In the wake of Katrina, reformers like Paul Pastorek decided
to seize the opportunity to start fresh with a system based on
choice.Today, New Orleans has the most market-based school system in
the U.S. View Video Interview...
"Big Bucks Fund Better Schools" Miami Herald July 12, 2010
Have you noticed
the number of billionaires whose foundations have been investing their
massive wealth in public education reform? If not, you should. Read More...
"Who is in charge at charter schools: Six Criteria for Ensuring the Quality of Governing Boards" Education Week July 14, 2010
As the deadline for round two of the federal Race to the Top grant
competition loomed in May, the New York state legislature passed a
contentious bill that symbolizes the nation's hopes and fears for the
charter school movement. New York raised the cap on the number of
charter schools allowed in the state from 200 to 460, expanding future
educational opportunities for thousands of children. And it prohibited
new charter schools from hiring for-profit companies to manage those
schools, thus constricting the range of the new opportunities. Read More...
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MISSION
The mission of the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools (LAPCS) is to increase student achievement by supporting, promoting, and advocating for the quality charter school movement.
WHO WE ARE
Caroline Roemer Shirley, Executive Director
Andrea Chen, Membership & Programs Director
Elizabeth Garrett, Communications Director
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GOOD NEWS! | Charter school students complete Power Ties program
Students from Samuel J. Green, Arthur
Ashe Charter School, and McDonogh City Park Academy attended seminars
on resum�-writing, interview skills, dress and office behavior.
Students also participated in a Career Day and job-site visits. Read More...
NOLA clinics offer affordable healthcare at charter schools
Tulane also offers services for children ages 0-24 via the New Orleans Children's Health Project. The New Orleans program has locations at MLK Charter School, Esperanza
Charter School, Andrew Jackson Elementary, and P.A. Capdau School. Read More...
Lanier Elementary in Baton Rouge to be featured on new NBC reality TV show School Pride
| The new NBC show will completely remodel the ADVANCE Baton Rouge run charter school. Read an article in The Advocate HERE.
New Orleans area LEAP scores are up
Leslie Jacobs appeared on WWL's morning show to discuss Educate Now's analysis of the scores. View the interview HERE.
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Interested in saving 15-85% off the list-price on office and classroom supplies?
Learn more about our STAPLES Statewide Charter Schools Buying Program open to all LAPCS members! Click HERE!
Questions? Email | [email protected] | |
| BECOME A FAN ON
| Click HERE to become a fan of the LAPCS Facebook Page!
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| CHECK OUT LAPCS ON
FEATURING VIDEOS LIKE OUR BATON ROUGE PSA, CHARTER SCHOOLS DAY AT THE CAPITOL, SAND INTERESTING NEWS CLIPS!
http://www.youtube.com/user/lacharterschools
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