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Thanks to State Representative Lon Burnam, State Representative Nicole Collier and State Board of Education Member Pat Hardy for attending the grand opening of Harmony School of Innovation Fort Worth.
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 Late Fees Take Effect February 1
Charter leaders received an email prompting them to apply or renew their charter's membership with TCSA by completing an application within the Quality Framework Portal. Please note, penalties will be assessed for payments received after January 31, 2014. Charters are considered members upon receipt of payment. Questions? Contact Erin Tholen, TCSA Member Services Associate
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Houston, Celebrate Your Charter School at the Official Kickoff of National School Choice Week
Admission is Free! REGISTER
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Union Station at Minute Maid Park
501 Crawford Street, Houston, TX 77002
Celebrate great schools, students, parents and teachers at the National School Choice Week Official Kickoff in Houston, Texas.
Join us for special guest speakers, musical entertainment, refreshments, a school fair and more! Doors open at 4:30pm. The event begins at 5:00pm.
Have questions about Celebrate Your Charter School at the Official Kickoff of National School Choice Week? Contact Amanda List.
Download the flyer to post at your school
 Mavericks face off against the Sacramento Kings! Friday, January 31 at 7:30PM American Airlines Center
2500 Victory Ave, Dallas TX 75219 Charter school leaders, parents, and students can show their support for choice within the public school system! Our group will also be recognized during the game. Students, parents, and staff should arrive at the game early and head to the Admiral Room One to receive your free gift. Game tickets are $27.00 per person (usually $33 per ticket and this amount includes tax and service fees) and must be paid when purchasing tickets. To purchase tickets, please contact Kacy Sims at 214-658-7192 or email at kacey.sims@dallasmavs.com and mention you are with the National School Choice Week event. As a special incentive -- as soon as we hit 50 tickets sold, 10 lucky charter schools students will have the chance to stand on the court with the Mavs during the National Anthem!
Have questions about National School Choice Week events?
Austin and San Antonio Host National School Choice Week "Whistle-Stop" Events
Austin and San Antonio are 2 of the 14 stops on a national tour to highlight effective education options to children. Attendance is free but RSVP is requested. RSVP for San Antonio "Whistle-Stop" Event.RSVP for Austin "Whistle-Stop" Event.Read San Antonio Press Release. Read Austin Press Release.
 East Austin College Prep's Digital Learning Day, February 5Please join East Austin College Prep for a high-tech OPEN HOUSE on February 5 from 9-11 am. East Austin College Prep will open our Globaloria classrooms to showcase student-designed Globaloria games while teachers give you a personal tour through the innovative digital learning program. More information.East Austin College Prep's Parent Reading Workshop Free Parent Reading WorkshopsHosted by: East Austin College Prep with the Austin Learning AcademyDescription: Parents will learn ways to support literacy and language learning for children ages 0 to 4. Topics include: Talking With Your Child, Literacy in Everyday Activities, Playing with Language, and Fun With Letters and Sounds. Snacks and free childcare will be provided. When: Tuesdays from 8:30 am to 10:00 am: January 28, February 4, February 11, February 18Where: East Austin College Prep (Library), 6002 Jain Lane, Austin, TX 78721 Cost: Free to attend, and free childcare available! Contact: Isabel Hovey, 512-605-8982 or Meagon Fiengo, 214-704-5099,
 Explore UT- FREE Explore UT offers more than 400 hands-on learning activities, lectures, films, music performances, crafts, science experiments and demonstrations, and exhibits. You can also tour residence halls, labs, and libraries and see world-famous libraries and museums on campus. To see the full list and descriptions of activities, click on Schedule on the home page of the Explore UT website or go directly here. Bus registration begins Register your school's buses for Explore UT. We will continue accepting registrations through the end of February.Be among the first 100 buses to register, and the University will provide a $25 incentive to help defray your bus expenses. Make Plans for Lunch You can also buy lunch tickets, if you choose, for dining at Jester Center Second Floor or Kinsolving Residence Hall. Click on Group Lunch or directly and fill out the lunch form here. The Explore UT lunch price is $5.75 a person. Ticket selling will end when capacity is reached or by Feb. 18. Of course, you may bring sack lunches or buy food from campus vendors, if you like.
The SXSWedu Education Expo
Tuesday, March 4, 2014; 2:00pm - 8:00pm
SXSWedu is pleased to present the SXSWedu Education Expo - a FREE and open to the public event celebrating the Central Texas community's hunger and passion for lifelong learning, from cradle to career and beyond. More information.
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Starting a Charter School Advanced Workshop
TCSA Training Room 700 Lavaca Street Suite 930 Austin, Texas 78701 Friday, January 24 2014
9:00am-5:00pmThis session will provide attendees with a better understanding of the legal, operational, and educational considerations that need to be considered to apply for a charter school in Texas, in light of the changes brought by Senate Bill 2 this past year. We will address important items of the new charter application and highlight critical areas. REGISTER
 Generation 19 Charter Request for Application (RFA) Available January 24, 2014
 Charter Application Review Services for Generation 19 Charter Application - EXTENDED TCSA Deadlines
2nd drafts of critical areas due to TCSA by March 12, 2014 - Description: TCSA's team of charter school professionals review your independently drafted application for completeness, accuracy, and competitiveness, guiding you to make critical revisions and improvements needed to ensure the best application. (Service fees apply)
- Written intent to enroll in services due to TCSA by February 3, 2014 - email Art Serna to indicate interest. By this date, you must have completed the online application.
- Complete initial draft of Generation 19 application due to TCSA by
February 17, 2014 - Feedback sessions will be scheduled with teams the week of
March 3-7, 2014
Mobilizing Community Support and Resources for Your Charter School Anne Frank Inspire Academy, San Antonio
Wednesday, February 19, 2014; 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM$125 TCSA Member (2014) BECOME A MEMBER This session will equip charter school leaders and board members to develop and implement an effective and comprehensive charter school district internal and external communications plan and public relations program that tells your unique story. Charter school leaders will share the most common barriers to implementing their stakeholder outreach programs and develop solutions that improve a school's ability to stay accountable to the public and drive student performance along the top charter goals. REGISTER
Purchasing & Grants Management Requirements for Charter Schools Anne Frank Inspire Academy, San Antonio
Thursday, February 20, 2014; 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM $125 TCSA Member (2014) BECOME A MEMBER This session will equip charter school business and finance staff to understand the specific requirements that apply to Texas charter schools related to purchasing with state and federal funds, as well as the necessary systems a school should have in place in order to properly manage all grant funds and minimize disallowed costs. We will cover how to properly account for all of the expenditure of state and federal funds to ensure your charter school remains in compliance while driving the allocation of resources to best meet your district plans and objectives. REGISTER
Evaluating Student Performance through Data-Driven InstructionAnne Frank Inspire Academy, San Antonio
Friday, February 21, 2014; 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM$225 TCSA Member (2014) BECOME A MEMBER A picture may be worth a thousand words, but in education, information speaks volumes. Data analysis can provide a snapshot of what students know, what they should know, and what can be done to meet their academic needs. With appropriate analysis and interpretation of data, educators can make informed decisions that positively affect student outcomes. This session will equip charter school officers, administrators, and teachers to formulate specific and coherent evidence-based recommendations that create the organizational conditions necessary to make decisions using student achievement data in classrooms, schools, and districts. REGISTER |
 Parent Voices for World-Class Education
January 13, 2014
Remarks of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to the National Assessment Governing Board Education Summit for Parent Leaders. Sec Arne Duncan: "...Please raise your voice for excellence--and against complacency. Organize other parents. Ask your political and school system leaders what they're doing to support higher standards, to improve teaching, and how you can partner with them in this difficult, but critically-important work. Ask the hard questions, even when it means shaking things up and challenging the status quo. And -- regardless of politics or ideology -- in the voting booth, cast your ballot in local, state, and national elections for those who will invest in education - in quality preschool, in college opportunities that families can afford, in schools that offer more to your kids. Every politician says they are pro-education - but how many get beyond the platitudes and easy sound bites, and actually walk the walk? The answer is not enough - but it's our fault, not theirs, because we don't hold them accountable. Collectively, parents have the power to transform educational opportunity in this country...." Read the remarks.
 San Anto Cultural Arts Unveils Government Hill Mural
By Jack Morgan; January 7, 2014
San Antonio is a city full of murals, but the new one in the Government Hill neighborhood represents something more. San Anto Cultural Arts Center's Public Art Program Manager John Medina explains how it came about. Read the article.
Texas public education tops debate in campaigns By Chris Tomlinson; January 12, 2014 AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Public schools are shaping up to become the top issue in the 2014 election campaigns, with Democrats complaining about Republican budget cuts and conservatives calling for more choice and less government involvement in an issue that impacts every Texan. Expect candidates to offer a barrage of statistics about schools and student achievement, since something can be found for every political persuasion. Read the article.
 IDEA Public Schools awarded $42,000 Farm to School grant January 13, 2014
Rio Grande Valley, TX - IDEA Public Schools, a nationally recognized network of K-12 public schools, has been awarded $42,000 Farm to School planning grant by the US Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service to enhance IDEA's farm program. IDEA is the only school district in Texas to receive this distinction and one of 71 across the nation. Read the article.
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  Executive Communication Training February 7-9, 2014
University of Texas at Austin Are you an association executive? A business leader? A community advocate? A nonprofit director? No matter your communications objective, the Annette Strauss Institute Executive Communication Training will help professionals, driven by a passion to improve their community and country, more effectively articulate their message, rise above the noise and be heard. REGISTER
2013 SUCCESS STORY: 2013 Executive Communication Training alumna Maegan Ellis was recently featured in an interview on FOX 7 Austin to talk about Literacy Awareness Month. On how ECT empowered her, Maegan says: "I would absolutely NOT have been able to do this without my training from the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life. I put so many of the tools I learned during the training to use here."
Funding Available for Capital Projects William Randolph Hearst Foundations: Four funding categories: (1) Culture; (2) Education; (3) Health; and (4) Social Services. Charters that may be eligible for funding include: schools with pathways that provide scholarships to college; innovative successful models; and schools that have an arts-focused mission. Funding: $25,000 - $200,000. Georgia-Pacific Foundation: Schools in communities with Georgia-Pacific facilities (Denton, Lufkin, Garland & McQueeney) qualify. The focus is on: education, environment, enrichment and entrepreneurship. Funding: multiple awards of at least $1,000. Center to Aid Educational Facilities Improvements: "This grant will allow GWI to establish a clearinghouse for education leaders to plan for, improve and maintain educational facilities," DoEd Secretary, Arne Duncan. The Clearinghouse will support educational facilities through the provision of technical assistance and training on issues related to planning, design, financing, construction, improvement, operation and maintenance.
 Civil Rights Today Essay Contest Deadline: Monday, February 10, 2014 The contest is open to 12th grade Texas students attending public, private, parochial, or home schools. Students must include the name of their nominating teacher on the registration form. Complete information about the contest can be found here.
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SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER East Austin College Prep San Benito, Texas Job ID: 588004 Application Deadline: Posted until Filled Posted: January 15, 2014 Starting Date: Immediately
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SAVE THE DATE
Member Council Meeting
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Austin, TX | |
Important Guidance Update: SHARS and IDEA-B LEA Maintenance of Effort (MOE)Read this letter.
Clarifying Revision to Online Charter School - School FIRST ApplicationRead the letter.Instructional Materials Allotment - Proclamation 2014Read the letter. 2013 Title III Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAOs) Reports Now Available Read the letter.
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