May 16, 2014

Southwest High School EAGLE Soccer Team Wins 2014 Texas Charter School Academic and Athletic League Championship. Congratulations to all the student players and their coaches, Jesus Zepeda- Athletic Director and Dean of Students, and Roberto Navas, Assistant Coach. Go Eagles!

Call for Presentations Open June 1 through July 15

Don't miss your chance to present a session at the 2014 Texas Charter Schools Conference! We'll be opening the call for presentations soon, so be thinking about topics for engaging sessions and animated conversation!

Calendar a Staff Development Day
Charter schools, especially those in Houston, are encouraged to calendar a Professional Development Day for their teaching staff and take advantage of our special $100 rate for each Teacher One-Day Pass to attend the workshop on Friday, December 12. Visit the TEA website to learn more information about the expedited waiver process.

The Q&A: Heather Mauzé -- The Texas Tribune
Three Charter School Systems Named Top in Nation, in Running for 2014 Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools -- PR Newswire (Two Texas charters KIPP and IDEA)
Trib Talk with Mike Feinberg: What the charter movement wants -- The Texas Tribune
U.S. Department of Education Issues Guidance on Obligations of Charter Schools to Comply with Federal Civil Rights Laws -- U.S. Department of Education
Charter Schools Are All the Rage -- National Journal
Charters, Public Schools and a Chasm Between -- NY Times
Local nonprofit's services, model draw national attention -- Houston Chronicle (Texas charter Neighborhood Centers Inc.)
Texas Education Agency changes how it grades public schools -- Dallas Morning News
House passes bill in support of charter schools -- Washington Post
Permanent School Fund Guarantees Life School Bonds -- Press Release
Frisco charter school focuses on leadership principles, continues rapid growth -- Dallas Morning News
8 City Center Health Careers students receive scholarship to attend Alamo Academies -- Press Release
Bill Whitaker: Wacoans continue rehabbing their past -- Waco Trib (Texas charter Rapoport Academy)

Registration ends soon for theNetwork's Charting the Course Summer Summit in Austin.
June 16-17, 2014.
The Network

is sponsoring a state-wide Summit June 16-17, 2014, "Charting the Course." This 1-1/2 day event features keynote speaker Mark McLeod and more than 45 breakout sessions on the standards of Operations, Finance, Governance, and Education. Charter school experts from the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Charter School Association and Education Service Centers, as well as leaders of charters in Texas will provide timely and valuable professional development.

Visit the event page for more information about registration, hotel and to see the online sessions schedule.

5th Annual Globey Awards for Excellence in Game Design

Thursday, May 27, 2014, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
5800 E. MLK Blvd, Austin, 78721
This year middle and high school students at East Austin College Prep's Globaloria Lab invented, designed, programmed and published educational web games using Globaloria--the nation's first and largest social learning network for game design. Join us to celebrate the next generation of STEM innovators! No RSVP Necessary! Contact Nyssa Arcos with questions: ph. 512-605-8955.

TCSA Publishes 2014-2015 Training Catalog, Distributes at May 14 Member Council Meeting

Couldn't attend the Member Council Meeting? Don't worry! Be on the lookout for additional copies arriving at your local campuses. In the meantime, you can download a copy here and begin planning your staff development for the upcoming year! To request additional hard copies, please contact Art Serna, Director of Training Services.

Need help predicting your 2014 State Accountability Rating?

STAAR student performance reports will be back soon. TCSA is happy to assist schools in predicting their Index scores for the 2014 Accountability Ratings. TCSA's hourly rate of $85/hour applies. For more information, contact Toni Templeton, TCSA Data Analyst.

The Texas Charter Schools Association Charter School Business Officer Certification (CSBOC) program takes the diverse, complex and ever changing responsibilities of a Charter Business Officer and creates an environment where you learn the responsibilities, competencies and strategic vision to ensure your charter school is viable, stable, fiscally sound and has a foundation of continuous improvement and growth. The certification program is a combination of online courses, live training days, and documentation workshop days. All training classes are open to everyone and fulfill required credit hours. Trainings also count toward the program if you choose to pursue certification.

Charter Application Consulting Services for Generation 19-20 Charter Applications -- TCSA Deadlines

Charter Application Interview Preparation Services for Generation 19 Applicants - Be Prepared Today!
TCSA's team of charter school experts breaks down the dos and don'ts of the TEA and SBOE interview process. We provide you with the best in class support for your team to prepare a compelling message for your final stage in the charter application process. (Service fees apply) Written intent to enroll in services due to TCSA by June 23, 2014 -- email Art Serna to indicate interest. By June 23, you must have completed the online application.

Charter Application Development Support Service for Generation 20 Applications - OPEN NOW!

In this full service process (e.g., 6-9 months), TCSA's charter school experts work with the charter hopeful in a series of strategic one-on-one training and application development support sessions to help the applicant create the best application possible for Texas requirements. Real-time feedback and steering during the application development process - do it right the first time. (Service fees apply) Written intent to enroll in services due to TCSA by July 25, 2014 -- email Art Serna to indicate interest. By July 25, you must have completed the online application.

Nominate businesses that support employee volunteerism in public schools

Does your school district partner with a local business that provides mentoring, donations or volunteer efforts in your schools? Would you like to recognize this outstanding partner with a state award? The State Board of Education (SBOE) is currently accepting applications for the 2014 Employers for Education Excellence (EEE) Award. Texas employers who encourage and support employee participation in school activities are eligible to be nominated. Any Texas employer is eligible, including private businesses, nonprofit organizations and governmental and educational entities that meet the criteria. The EEE program requires a business to email or postmark an application to the Texas Education Agency by June 27.

Orenda Charter Schools
Georgetown, Texas

5TH & 6TH GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER

Job ID: 762922 Application Deadline: Posted until Filled

Posted: May 12, 2014 Starting Date: August 6, 2014

MS/HS FRENCH TEACHER

Job ID: 762912 Application Deadline: Posted until Filled

Posted: May 12, 2014 Starting Date: August 6, 2014

Financial Accountability Survey - DEADLINE: May 18, 2014

Take the survey.

News from the Division of Grants Administration Substitute System of Federal Time and Effort Reporting for School Year 2014-2015 Local educational agencies (LEAs) may now request approval to use the substitute system of federal time-and-effort reporting for the 2014-2015 school year. All Texas LEAs, including open-enrollment charter schools, may use the substitute system. TEA encourages LEAs to consider using the substitute system.
More information.

News from the Division of Federal Fiscal Compliance and Reporting
2014-2015 Indirect Cost Rates

The Division of Federal Fiscal Compliance and Reporting has calculated new indirect cost rates for open-enrollment charter schools and independent school districts. These rates are effective July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2015. More information.

PSF is here! First Steps Toward Facilities Help for Texas Public Charter Schools
PSF Application