July 2020 - Grow Schools

As the Fall approaches, charter schools around the nation are scrambling to meet the recommendations set forth by the CDC and other bodies for a safe reopening. As we heard at NCSCv on July 23rd, some schools are deep in the middle of this effort, some schools are finding the process overwhelming.

While many entities have assembled resources to provide guidance to public schools in general and public charter schools specifically, we found the documentation provided by the National Alliance of Charter Schools and the California Department of Education to be most immediately helpful in navigating the many aspects of a safe reopening of our schools.

Over the course of the next few weeks, you will notice in our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter channels a series of infographics providing helpful tips. While these are not meant to be comprehensive, we hope you’ll find them useful in dispelling some of the confusion and overwhelm that such a massive undertaking can generate. These helpful tips for school reopening all stem from the following documents:

We strongly encourage charter school leaders to review the above two documents in detail

Below we list additional resources we’ve found helpful in defining steps to take in ensuring readiness for students to returns to class – either as in-class learners or remote learners – are listed below. (We expect this to be an expanding list. Bookmark this page and come back to it regularly – we’ll be adding resources as we review them.)

Stakeholder Concerns

Gathering input from stakeholders accomplishes two important goals: It gives school leaders valuable data which will empower them to do better, AND it communicates to stakeholders that their concerns are being considered. While the first goal is widely understood, the importance of this second one cannot be overstated.

The compendium of resources gathered by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools – skillfully assembled by Lisa S. Grover, PhD and Peri Lynn Turnbull, APR – lists surveys that have been conducted by national organizations. TNTP has a bank of survey questions, as well as a COVID-19 School Response Toolkit that may help charter school leaders collect ongoing feedback. Learning Heroes assembled a poll. EdChoice and the American Federation for Children have published survey results as well. Charter school leaders can dive into all of these resources to get steering data as they engage in the daunting task of reopening their schools.

Survey Template

Following the Charter Alliance’s lead, we’re making a set of survey questions available here for download. These stem from the National Parent Poll which Echelon Insights carried out for the National Parents Union (NPU). (You can see their survey results here)

We’re providing this survey template in MS Word. This enables charter school leadership to add their logos and contact info prior to sending these out. Simply download the MS Word template, replace with your own logo, branding and contact info and distribute to your stakeholders.

Financial Readiness

While the process of making schools safe for our students is of paramount importance, the survival and growth of your school in these uncertain times is just as vital for the uninterrupted educational experience of young minds.

With that in mind, we urge you to develop a strong strategic plan to weather state deferrals, as well as the added financial burden of providing a COVID-safe campus for your student body, teachers and support staff. Reach out to our financial experts if you need assistance with this. We’ve been through the Great Recession and have helped many charter schools survive and thrive in difficult financial climates. We’re here for you now. Call us at 503-227-2910.

The Monday following the July 4th holiday weekend marked a significant time for public schools in Florida. With four weeks left until the new school year, school districts and public charter schools were on the final approach to announce their school reopening plans to parents and students.

Then they were hit with a bombshell.

Late that same Monday afternoon, Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran announced an emergency order (EO-06) directing public schools in Florida to reopen in August and offer “the full panoply of services for the benefit of Florida students and families.”

The order also directed that “all school boards and charter school governing boards must open brick and mortar schools at least five days per week for all students.” There were even comments made by Department spokespeople that a reduction in funding is possible for schools that do not fully open as scheduled.

As school districts and charter schools researched and discussed school reopening options, the Florida Department of Education jumped into the school reopening pool. This caused school districts and charter schools to put the brakes on rolling out their nearly completed school reopening plans for the fall.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis backed the order to open schools in the fall fully.

Under the emergency order, school districts and public charter schools must submit their reopening plans demonstrating their adherence to all the directives outlined in the order. School districts must submit their proposals to the Department of Education for approval by July 31st. Public charter schools are required to submit their plans to their school district partners for approval by July 24th.

This order directing a full reopening of schools in the fall was a body blow for many local school leaders. After spending months getting input from parents and stakeholders, and continually monitoring CDC guidelines, districts and charter schools thought they had adequately threaded the needle and were ready to offer parents appropriate options for the upcoming school year.

The emergency order may have come from what should be an apolitical state agency but landed squarely in the political sphere when a few hours later, President Trump wrote on Twitter saying, “SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!!”

Critical remarks followed this during a CNN interview from Fedrick Ingram, the head of the Florida Education Association, the 130,000-member statewide teacher’s union advocating for a slower return to fully reopening schools. Pointing particularly to Florida teachers aged 60 and over, Ingram criticized the plan saying, “…this is a matter of life or death,” and Governor DeSantis showed a “lack of leadership.” Ingram said what was needed was a plan that was “robust, comprehensive, and guided by the science” and referenced the most recent increases in COVID infections and hospitalizations in the state.

Some school districts have since reiterated they would not alter their plans, citing their constitutional authority granting them local control over schools within their district. Broward County Schools have said they would offer parents and students options, including continuing virtual education. Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties school leaders have said they do not see how their schools can open for classroom instruction considering the levels of COVID infections in South Florida hot spots.

Unlike school districts, public charter schools do not have constitutional authority giving them control of their schools. They will have a more difficult task as they try to walk the line between directions from their particular school districts and trying to meet the requirements of the emergency order.

This issue will continue to be a politically hot issue for the next several weeks, and the final chapter of this story is still yet to be done known.