 
May 6, 2011
Welcome to another edition of the Friday Wire.
Let us know if your school is in the news! Please send any articles, comments, or questions to Stacy Rivera, Director of Communications at the League.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
Bullying Prevention Incentive Grant
The Colorado Legacy Foundation is pleased to announce the availability of grants for districts and schools seeking to implement comprehensive approaches to bullying prevention and improving school climate. The Legacy Foundation will award a limited number of grants of up to $10,000 each to districts, schools, or BOCES. Proposals are due June 8, 2011. For more information and to download the full RFP please click here. These grants were made possible with generous support from the Gill Foundation.
American Academy Giving Away Curriculum
American Academy has curriculum materials they are no longer using and would like to share with other schools. They have some Handwriting Without Tears books and Riggs binders. For more information or to request these items please contact Krystal Kroeker at kkroeker@americanacademyk8.org or 720-292-5200.
Weight lifting Equitment for Sale
Aspen Academy (5859 S. University Blvd., Greenwood Village, CO 80121) has 18 pieces of weight equipment available. They are $100 each or best offer. Contact Lora Crazier, Director of Operations, at 303-346-3500 ext. 104. Click here to view a photo of equiment.
Chuggin' for Charters
Run, jog, walk, or volunteer with the Colorado League of Charter Schools at the 2011 Kaiser Permanente Colfax Marathon on Sunday, May 15. Simply register for the Colfax Marathon (as a runner or volunteer), then collect pledges. All proceeds will benefit Colorado League of Charter Schools programming for member schools including advocacy, professional development, and more. Click here to learn more.
Save the Date! 18th Annual Colorado Charter Schools Conference
Mark your calendar for the 2012 Colorado Charter Schools Conference. It has been scheduled for February 23-24, 2012 at the Omni-Interlocken Resort in Broomfield. The Conference is a great opportunity to connect with, and learn from, colleagues, peers and experts from Colorado and from around the country. More information will be coming soon. |
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New Vision School receives grant for healthful meals
Reporter-Herald - May 6, 2011
New Vision Charter School is a recipient of the 2011-12 Coordinated School Health grant from the Coalition for Activity and Nutrition to Defeat Obesity (CanDo). |
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Denver School of Science and Technology gaining national attention
Fox 31 News - May 5, 2011
Public Charter schools say they are feeling the pinch of state budget cuts in the same way that traditional public schools are. Both kinds of schools are funded by the state, and per pupil funding is being slashed. |
Surprise Homecoming for Local Military Family
KKTV - May 5, 2011
Third grader Coleman Wright was ready to sing in a patriotic musical presentation at Imagine Indigo Ranch Charter School Thursday. He didn't expect his dad, CW3 Brian Wright who deployed to Iraq last year, to make the performance. |
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School Cuts 101: Gov. Hickenlooper's Plan
Fox 31 News - May 5, 2011
42nd in per pupil funding adjusted for regional cost differences, 40th in median student-teacher ratio in primary level schools, 41st in technology in our schools. |
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Loud and Proud - CIVA Charter High School
Fox21 News - May 5, 2011
What's the BEST high school in southern Colorado? How cool is your school?? Why??? Let us know! Here's your chance to have your High School featured on FOX21 Morning News. Fill out the form below to link your information, get seen and be heard LOUD & PROUD!! |
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Split between CSU-Pueblo, PSAS complete
Pueblo Chieftain - May 5, 2011
When the K-8 PSAS initially was chartered in 1993, CSU-Pueblo, then called the University of Southern Colorado, held the charter. |
Track and field signs three more athletes to National Letters of Intent
Colorado State University - May 4, 2011
Anderson, a letterwinner in both track and field and soccer at James Irwin Charter High School, was a state qualifier in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash her junior year. Anderson is a USA Track and Field member and a Speed Track and Field athlete. She was an all-state nominee for soccer her junior season. |
Senate passes bullying bill
EdNews Colorado - May 4, 2011
Nobody's in favor of school bullying, but that didn't mean the Senate acted quickly on HB 11-1254, which would expand the legal definition of school bullying, require school districts to update bullying policies and create a donation-funded grant program for district anti-bullying programs. |
In search of black teachers
EdNews Colorado - May 3, 2011
DPS recruiters on a recent tour that included stops at historically black colleges such as Spelman and Morehouse in Atlanta said the trip revealed Colorado has a steep hill to climb in luring young black educators to the state. |
Find your district's budget numbers
EdNews Colorado - May 2, 2011
Final negotiations on state K-12 funding for 2011-12 are done and the outcome for school districts isn't good - but it's better than expected. |
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Commissioner search ends
EdNews Colorado - May 2, 2011
Robert Hammond, who's been serving as commissioner of education since December, is the sole finalist for the permanent job and is expected to be formally hired by the State Board of Education next week. |
Marking five years of ProComp
EdNews Colorado - May 2, 2011
Denver Public Schools officials and education advocates marked the five-year anniversary of a pioneering teacher
http://www.ednewscolorado.org/2011/05/02/18416-marking-five-years-of-procomp compensation system Monday, though some it is intended to benefit were in a less than wildly celebratory mood. |
Boulder Prep creates American Indian focus program
Daily Camera - April 30, 2011
Faced with a choice of trying an alternative school or going to live with relatives in another state, he took a chance on Boulder Preparatory High School, an alternative charter in Gunbarrel. Along with a better academic experience, he said, the school has taught him about his Native American heritage and Plains Apache tribe. |
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Opinion & Commentary Articles |
| Please Note: The following is a sampling of opinion articles about charter schools that appeared in the media over the past week. The opinions in these articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Colorado League of Charter Schools. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | |
Robert Hammond Named Sole Finalist for Colorado Commissioner Of Education
Colorado Department of Education - May 2, 2011
Today's unanimous action by the board, conducted in a telephone conference call meeting, narrows the search to a sole finalist, but a final step remains. Hammond was first named as one of two finalists on April 21 and the board, under state law, must wait at least 14 days before making the appointment official. |
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Public Comment Welcomed On Proposed Rules For Educator Effectiveness; Summer Meetings Set In Denver
Colorado Department of Education - May 2, 2011
One year after the passage of Senate Bill 10-191 calling for a new statewide approach to measuring educator effectiveness, the Colorado State Board of Education has announced a timeline and process for public input prior to formal adoption of rules, currently anticipated for November. |
Ben Franklin Academy Groundbreaking Ceremony Recap
Ben Franklin Academy - April 29, 2011
Ben Franklin Academy is excited to announce we held our groundbreaking ceremony on April 9th, at our location at Lucent Blvd., and Plaza Drive. Over 150 people, including future families, board members and other guests attended the event. Our current location is three times larger than our last location, which will allow HighMark Construction greater flexibility in constructing our facility and fields. It will also allow parents greater ease in dropping off and picking up their children. We still have plans to begin construction the end of April, with completion by the start of school in August. |
Open Letter to the Boulder, Colorado School District
Des Moines Register - April 28, 2011
For instance, establishing a charter school for at-risk students has gathered headlines and accolades, but, at its very best, this small charter school will help an extremely small percentage of Des Moines students who are lost to today's system. It is painfully obvious that the amount of energy, resources and effort expended on the charter school would have been better spent attempting to tackle issues faced by students on a broader scale. |
One Aircard, One Child, One Dream Program comes to Pikes Peak Prep
Pikes Peak Prep - April 28, 2011
Bob Logan, President of Wireless Business Solutions, LLC., a national Minority Sprint BSP Partner will explain their program "One Aircard, One Child, One Dream Program" (O3P) and the role it is playing in helping bridge the Digital Divide for Urban Schools in (11) States. He will also present Pikes Peak Prep, and the Greater Educational Opportunities Foundation (GEO), Pikes Peak Prep's educational management organization, with the program's first 50 Dell Netbooks that utilize a Sprint Embedded Aircard. GEO has arranged for Pikes Peak Prep (PPP) to be one of the first schools in the nation to benefit from this opportunity and the Foundation will be receiving more than 1,300 machines next year to distribute to all of their charter schools. |
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Rocky Mountain Deaf School Reaching Beyond the Horizons Fundraiser
Date: Friday, May 6
Time: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Location: Fossil Trace Golf Club, 3050 Illinois St, Golden, CO
Cost: $60 per person | $110 per couple.
Registration: www.rmdeafschool.net/about-us/spring-gala/ |
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STEM School and Academy Shooting for the Moon Fundraiser
Date: Friday, May 6
Time: 6:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Location: Hilton Garden Inn, 1050 Plaza Drive, Highlands Ranch
Cost: $50 per person.
Description: 6:30-7:00pm - Cocktail Reception | 7:00-8:00pm - Heavy Hors d'oeuvres buffet and dessert | 8:00-10:00pm - Drawing and Live Auction. Funds raised will help support: Instructional Technology, Web-based Curriculum and Lockers. www.STEMHigh.org |
Pikes Peak Leader Meeting
Hosted by the Colorado Department of Education
Date: Tuesday, May 10
Time: 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM
Location: AACL (Academy for Advanced & Creative Learning), 2510 North Chestnut Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
Register on SurveyMonkey by Friday, May 6, 2011 at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H9ZN57C. After submitting the registration, a confirmation screen will appear. There is no fee to attend this lunch meeting; however, those who RSVP and fail to attend will be billed $16 for their lunch. |
KIPP Community Breakfast
Hosted by KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy
Date: Friday, May 13
Time: 7:45 AM - 9:00 AM
Location: KSPA Cafeteria, 375 S. Tejon Street, Denver, CO 80223
Description: Please contact Mandy Hughes at 303-513-1144 or mhughes@kippcolorado.org for more information. |
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Authorizer's Lunch Meeting
Hosted by the Colorado Department of Education
Date: Tuesday, May 17
Time: 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Colorado Springs School District 11 Administrative Offices
Register on SurveyMonkey by Friday, May 13, 2011, at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CDPPYXD. After submitting the registration, a confirmation screen will appear. |
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Employment Practices Seminar: Family Medical Leave Act ("FMLA")- What Every Charter School Needs to Know for FMLA Compliance
Hosted by the Colorado League of Charter Schools
Date: Tuesday, May 17
Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: TBD (will be in the metro Denver area, location will be determined depending on number of attendees)
Cost: Free
Description: This event brought to you by Colorado League of Charter Schools in conjunction with Kevin Perez and Jennifer Madsen of Kennedy, Childs & Fogg, P.C. RSVP by May 11 to Jessica Johnson at jmjohnson@coloradoleague.org. |
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New School Development Webinar: New School Budgeting
Hosted by the Colorado League of Charter Schools
Date: Thursday, May 19
Time: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Location: Online
Description: This webinar will provide an overview of the many factors you should consider in setting up your budget-class size, salaries, program needs, support services, and more. We will also talk about how to create your budget so the assumptions are obvious and can be adjusted as the school is being developed. Information will be provided on aligning your budget with the authorizer chart of accounts and other state-mandated budgeting requirements.
Click here to register for this webinar. |
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Common Formative Assessment
Hosted by the Colorado League of Charter Schools
Dates: Thursday, May 19 - Friday, May 20
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Location: TBD
Cost: $300 per person for League member schools; $400 per person, non-member schools. (Grant funds have been used to subsidize the cost of this training, which would normally cost $655/person.)
Description: Teachers learn to use assessment for learning in a collaborative process that offers students descriptive feedback and multiple measures of success. Common Formative Assessments or interim assessments, allow teachers to collaboratively design grade-level and content area assessments in order to regularly evaluate student learning and to provide consistent data to inform instruction.
Registration closes May 17. Click here to register. |
Business Manager Network (BMN) Meeting - $20 (No shows will be billed!)
Hosted by the Colorado Department of Education
Date: Friday, May 20
Time: 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Collegiate Academy of Colorado, 8420 South Sangre de Cristo Road, Littleton, CO 80127
Register on SurveyMonkey by Wednesday, May 18, 2011, at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/C27NLGD. After submitting the registration, a confirmation screen will appear. No cash. Please bring a personal check, business check or M.O. for registration fee(s). Those who RSVP and do not attend will be billed $20. |
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Rocky Mountain Deaf School 3rd Annual Golf Tournament
Date: Friday, May 20
Time: 7:00 AM
Location: Raccoon Creek Golf Course, 7301 W. Bowles Avenue, Littleton, CO
Cost: $250 per person
Registration and Information: http://rmds.eventbrite.com/ |
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REACH Education Conference
Hosted by REACH Center
Date: Thursday, June 2 - Friday, June 3
Location: Inverness Hotel and Resort, 200 Inverness Drive West, Englewood, CO 80112
Cost: Registration fee: $169. Continuing education credit available upon request.
Description: We are proud to present the REACH Education Conference in Colorado! REACH Center is an accredited 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that, for over thirty years, has helped students, educational institutions, and instructors, as well as businesses and communities acquire the skills, attitudes, and knowledge necessary to thrive in a diverse world. This Conference will provide an opportunity for you to celebrate arts and cultural diversity within the context of learning, and to discover how beneficial these elements are to the process.
Click here for more information or email Nelly at Nelly@mdcampbellassoc.com. |
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Charter School Boot Camp
Date: Wednesday, June 8 - Friday, June 10
Time: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Location: Early College High School, 4905 W. 60th Ave., Arvada, CO
Cost: $15 per day (includes breakfast, lunch and materials)
Description: Are you planning on submitting a charter school application to your district? This 3-day intensive training is a must for charter school organizers in understanding the substantive information that is required in a charter school application.
Registration: Click here. Deadline: June 6 |
Using the UIP as a Tool for School Improvement Planning: Decision-Making for Results
Hosted by the Colorado League of Charter Schools
Date: Monday, June 13 (Can be paired with Data Teams Seminar on June 14, 2011)
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Location: High Point Academy, 6750 N. Dunkirk St., Aurora, CO 80019, (303)217-5152
Cost: $175 per person for League member schools; $225 per person, non-member schools. (Grant funds have been used to subsidize the cost of this training, which would normally cost $325/person.)
Description: School leaders engage in meaningful school improvement planning, aligned to research in best practice and in state reporting requirements. Overwhelmed by the new Unified Improvement Planning process and want to make the work meaningful? Gain a deeper understanding of the template and research-based practices in school improvement planning. Registration closes June 9. Click here to register. |
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Data Teams Seminar
Hosted by the Colorado League of Charter Schools
Dates: Friday, June 14(Can be paired with Using the UIP as a Tool for School Improvement Planning on June 13, 2011)
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Location: High Point Academy, 6750 N. Dunkirk St., Aurora, CO 80019, (303)217-5152
Cost: $175 per person for League member schools; $225 per person, non-member schools. (Grant funds have been used to subsidize the cost of this training, which would normally cost $325/person.)
Description: School leaders and teachers explore effective strategies in the use of data to drive instruction through a school-wide process that engages both educators and students. School leaders and teachers explore effective strategies in the use of data to drive instruction through a school-wide process that engages both educators and students. Swimming in data but not sure how to make the best use of it school wide? Want to get teachers involved in a collaborative data process that improves student learning and teacher practice? Registration closes June 10. Click here to register. |
New School Development Webinar: Facilities Support for Developing Charter Schools
Hosted by the Colorado League of Charter Schools
Date: Thursday, June 16
Time: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Location: Online
Description: The Colorado League of Charter Schools is pleased to announce a free webinar series for new charter school developers. These 90 minute webinars are designed for people who are in the process of developing a charter school application; however, anyone is welcome to attend. Each monthly webinar will focus on an area of critical importance to groups in the process of designing a school and writing a charter application. Each webinar runs from 10 AM-11:30 AM (MST). All you need is a computer and internet access to participate! Click here to register for this webinar. |
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2011 National Charter Schools Conference
Date: Monday, June 20 - Thursday, June 23
Location: Atlanta, GA
Registration: Click here for more information and to register.
Description: The 2011 National Charter Schools Conference's theme, Because Every Child Can Succeed, embodies the charter school movement more than ever before. We hope you will join us for next year's gathering to be held June 20 through June 23, 2011, in Atlanta. |
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Bertie Kingore, Expert on Differentiation Training at Monument Academy
Hosted by Monument Academy
Date: Tuesday, August 16
Time: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Monument Academy, Monument, CO
Cost: $40.00 per person
Description: Professional Development on the Kingore Observation Inventory (KOI), Planned Experiences, and Differentiated Learning Experiences. Training will include interactive activities for participants and handouts to help recognize gifted potential through the Kingore Observation Inventory (KOI). This professional development provides everything needed for staff to implement the Kingore Observation Inventory (KOI), planned experiences, and differentiated learning experiences. The KOI and the planned experiences have proven particularly responsive to under-represented populations and enable more children of diversity and lower SES to demonstrate gifted potential. For more information or to register, please contact Lorraine De Marco, Admin. Assistant at 719-481-1950 ext. 1240
Space is limited -- call in quickly! |
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2011 NACSA Leadership Conference
Hosted by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers
Date: Monday,October 24 - Thursday, October 27
Location: Amelia Islands, Florida
Description: The National Association of Charter School Authorizers invites you to engage with this community at the 2011 NACSA Leadership Conference, hosted October 24-27 at Amelia Island, Florida. Through three days of networking and discussion, attendees will explore the actions necessary to redesign public education to ensure a brighter future for our children and our country. Click here for more information. |
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Take Action! Join the Colorado Charter Advocacy Network (Colorado CAN)
Join the Colorado Charter Advocacy Network (Colorado CAN) to receive news, legislative updates and ALERTS about political issues impacting charter schools. Easily send emails to state legislators weighing in on important political matters impacting Colorado's charter schools! Visit www.coloradoleague.org and click "Take Action!"
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Let us know if your school is in the news! Please send any articles, comments, or questions to Stacy Rivera. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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