Month: June 2022

This year’s National Charter Schools Conference was an amazing event to be a part of. It was extra special to be back in person for the first time in two years. We love connecting with school leaders because it allows us to listen to what’s on their hearts and minds. We got to listen to the stories of charter leaders from all across the nation, and in an effort to learn how to best serve them, we asked:  

“What is the biggest challenge that your charter school is facing?”  

 Of course, being an educational leader is a challenging job under the best of circumstances, and the last two school years have been anything but. We asked this same question back in 2019, and responses have shifted in 2022.  

Here’s how the 2022 answers compare to two years ago: 
  • The top three concerns remained consistent—enrollment, teacher retention, and finding a forever home.  
  • In 2019, enrollment was the highest-ranking concern. But in 2022, the top concern changed—one quarter of leaders stated that retaining teachers was their most pressing issue.  
Blog Featured image 2022 NCSC Survey Results 2019
Blog Featured image 2022 NCSC Survey Results

You can see the distribution of responses in the pie charts below. What’s clear is that the top concerns are still strong, but the need to support quality educators has become more urgent. Of significant concern both years was finding and managing a reliable flow of money.

Because we’re dedicated to helping charter schools thrive, we take these concerns to heart. Here we’ll address the way CSC can partner with you to address 2022’s Top Three Concerns:
Teacher Retention 

As schools support their teachers this year, we’re here to support you. Quality educators are the bedrock of your school, and with access to reliable funding through CSC, charter school leaders can ensure on-time paychecks for teachers, improve learning spaces, and maintain healthy and fully supplied classrooms. If you’re searching for new teachers to join your school, a strong online presence through CSC’s Enrollment Marketing can help connect with educators who share your school’s values.  

Filling Classrooms 

Enrollment is always on the minds of charter leaders, but especially at a moment like this when many schools face lower student counts. CSC’s enrollment marketing can help your school build a presence online, improving search-ability when families look for you. We can also help design brochures, flyers, and pamphlets to establish your place in the community offline. You’ll reach more students and welcome them into your classrooms—find out more about your options for Enrollment Marketing here.  

Finding A Forever Home 

It’s no wonder this is a top concern for charter school leaders: they know a forever home is paramount for programs and students to thrive. As the educational landscape shifts, your place of learning can remain steadfast when working with CSC. Whether leasing a building from us or through our unique path to ownership, we’re here to help you put your roots down. You can find more information about CSC’s Facilities Financing here. 

Image on blog post - Stability - Trees and path in forrest

As charter school leaders, you’ve persevered through these last two years because of your unwavering dedication to helping students flourish. We’re honored to have partnered with so many schools during the past two years, helping them get through the difficult times. As we move forward, we’re dedicated to helping you get where you’re going. 

We’re grateful for the relationships we forged at the NCSC Conference and we’re excited to be on this journey with you! If you missed us as the conference, let’s connect.  

Reach out and let us know: what’s your biggest concern for your school? We’d love to hear your story. 

Contact us 

Texas Senate & House Hold First Hearings About Uvalde Shooting

The Senate Special Committee to Protect All Texans, chaired by Sen. Nichols held hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday. At the hearings, Commissioner Morath promised that TEA will review external entry points of every school in Texas, evaluate school facilities to determine what repairs may be needed to secure campuses, and review each district’s safety protocols. Morath said the agency’s plan should be completed by the end of the summer. Tuesday’s Senate hearing was the Legislature’s first public hearing about the shooting.

In the House, the three-person committee investigating the shooting has been privately gathering testimony over the past two weeks. On Thursday, the first joint hearing by the House committees on Homeland Security and Public Safety and Youth Health and Safety was held to review the implementation and impact of Senate Bill 11 (school safety legislation passed in 2019) among other things. The hearing featured testimony by the families of the victims and experts, including a group representing the Texas Police Chiefs Association.

TEA & State Updates

  • TEA announced that 3rd-8th grade STAAR results would be released at the end of this week. Initially, TEA planned to make results available to parents and students on June 24 (last Friday), but there’s been a delay. The agency said that due to the impact of COVID-19, the results need additional analyses and that this is part of their due diligence process.
  • The Strong Foundations Math and Literacy Framework Development Grant application is now open for LEAs, including districts and open-enrollment charter schools. The grant provides technical assistance to support a comprehensive collective learning experience with leaders and staff across the LEA, focused on the TEKS and what research says about how students learn reading and math. This opportunity has two Summer Application deadline options July 29, 2022, and August 26, 2022.

DOE & National Updates

  • In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the DOE released for public comment proposed changes to the regulations that help elementary and secondary schools and colleges and universities implement this legislation. The Department’s proposed Title IX regulations will be open for public comment for 60 days. Additional information on the proposed rule, including a summary with background information and a fact sheet, is available here. The unofficial version of the proposed rule is available here.
  • Republican lawmakers introduced twin bills called The Educational Choice for Children Act for consideration before the midterm elections. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) in the House of Representatives and by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) in the Senate, and has several high-profile co-sponsors. It would establish a $10 billion federal tax credit program to encourage donations to organizations that award scholarships, which would subsequently be used to pay for costs associated with both public and private K–12 education.
  • In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that Maine cannot exclude religious schools from their school choice voucher program which provides funds for students to attend public or private schools.
  • Congress passed their bipartisan gun legislation last week in response to the shooting in Uvalde. The Safer Communities Act now heads to President Biden to sign. Aside from the $300m for school security, it offers $1bn for many different efforts to “support safe and healthy students,” $1bn for school-based mental health support, $240m to train school staff to notice and address student mental health challenges, and $50m for summer and after-school programs for middle and high school students.
  • Congress also reached a deal to extend the use of child nutrition waivers through the summer and upcoming 2022-23 school year. The Keep Kids Fed Act was introduced by a bipartisan group of lawmakers.

Articles of Interest

Important Dates

  • Tuesday, June 28 – Senate Finance Hearing on Mental Health Delivery
  • Tuesday, June 28 – Senate Finance Hearing on Federal Funds
  • Wednesday, June 29 – Texas Commission on Virtual Ed meeting
  • Friday, July 22 – SBEC meeting

Check out more and Subscribe to Amanda List TX Legislative Updates here. 

We’ve partnered with the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools to bring you an immersive, genius-bar-style experience focused on enrollment marketing, digital marketing, and school branding strategy. Along with one-on-one consultations with marketing experts, we’ll be hosting sessions throughout the 2022 National Charter Schools Conference. Come with all your marketing questions and find us in the Expert Alley in the Exhibitor Hall!

Digital Rebrand Bar Sessions

TELLING YOUR SCHOOL’S STORY IN WORDS 101 – Download This Presentation
Monday, June 20, 10:05 a.m. – 10:25 a.m.

Communicating your school’s mission and one-of-a-kind assets is essential to attracting new students and connecting with existing families. The right words not only inform, but also tell your unique story by providing a peek inside your school. In this 20-minute session, we’ll discuss:

  1. What do your parents want?
  2. How to create compelling connections in your community
  3. Creating peeks inside your school for that “I-want-my-child-to-go-there!” moment

TELLING YOUR SCHOOL’S STORY IN IMAGES 101 – Download This Presentation
Monday, June 20, 10:30 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.

Designing marketing materials and social content for your charter school is so much more than combining text and images, but for most of us, visual design isn’t our first language. In this presentation, we’ll cover core design principles and best practices, such as how to create a visual hierarchy to more effectively convey your message, use colors effectively, pair typefaces, and select the best images for your content. Get ready to create appealing and fresh designs that will help elevate your charter school.

TELLING YOUR SCHOOL’S STORY WHERE PARENTS ARE LOOKING 101 – Download This Presentation
Monday, June 20, 12:30 p.m. – 12:50 p.m.

Keeping track of the avenues where parents are getting their information can seem overwhelming. In this session, we’ll focus on which avenues to focus on, how to appeal to parents and best practices for keeping track of engagement.

TELLING YOUR SCHOOL’S STORY IN YOUR COMMUNITY 101 – Download This Presentation
Monday, June 20, 12:50 p.m. – 1:10 p.m.

Thinking of ways to get your charter school involved in the community? Trying to find the right people to support your efforts? Want to make your school more inviting? Where do you start?

TELLING YOUR SCHOOL’S STORY IN WORDS 201 – Download This Presentation
Monday, June 20, 1:10 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Establishing your school’s vocabulary will create a bridge, connecting your school’s values with its voice. Consistent phrases, taglines, and calls to action will provide your students and team with a sense of unity and security.

TELLING YOUR SCHOOL’S STORY IN IMAGES 201 – Download This Presentation
Tuesday, June 21, 10:00 a.m. – 10:20 a.m.

Problem-solving your resources while designing marketing materials is no easy task. In this presentation, we’ll share some free online tools that can help you along the way. Let’s jump into ways to get resourceful and elevate your designs for your charter school.

TELLING YOUR SCHOOL’S STORY WHERE PARENTS ARE LOOKING 201 – Download This Presentation
Tuesday, June 21, 10:25 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Let’s deep-dive into social media and take advantage of the algorithm. For many of us, social media can be a side project that can become a back burner project. In this session, learn how to make the most of your charter school’s pages and the importance of activity.

We look forward to seeing you there!

We’re thrilled to be joining over 2,000 charter school leaders in Washington, DC for the 2022 National Charter Schools Conference. We’ll be leading two sessions, hosting the Digital Rebrand Bar, and bringing along our ever-so-popular #welovecharterschoolsocks. It will be exciting being back together after almost three years!

“The Future of…” Conference Sessions

Our team’s sessions will be under this year’s theme, exploring the “The Future of…” school buildings and future students (described in detail below). We look forward to seeing you there!

The Path to Finding and Funding Your Forever School
Monday, June 20, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Charter schools are the home of education innovators, and as such, your school has a very special place in your community. In this session we will reflect on the school building itself: does it reflect your mission? Is it a safe and sustaining space for your students, staff, and teachers? Can you grow your school and your legacy in your building at the same time? Join us to explore your funding options for your forever school—whether you’re in it today or planning for the decades to come. You’ll get an understanding of your funding options, how to plan for your school’s future and growth, and how to find and fund the facility that reflects your school’s mission.

Download the Session Presentation or our Facilities guide

Enrollment Marketing 101 = Thriving, Forever Schools
Wednesday, June 22, 10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Connecting with prospective families is an essential part of increasing or maintaining enrollment—but engaging with current families to keep existing students is equally as vital. How can you do both effectively? Join this information-packed session to learn about the “ground game” and “digital game” needed to support and elevate your school’s enrollment. Walk away with actionable tips on the best ways to tell your story, reach your future students, and increase enrollment.

Download the Session Presentation or our Digital Marketing guide

The Digital Rebrand Bar

This year, we’ve partnered with the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools to bring you an immersive, genius-bar-style experience focused on enrollment marketing, digital marketing, and school branding strategy. Introducing: The Digital Rebrand Bar, where we’ll be hosting sessions throughout the day. Come with all your marketing questions! Look for The Digital Rebrand Bar at Expert Alley in the Exhibitor Hall.

#welovecharterschools Socks

And, of course, it wouldn’t be the National Charter Schools Conference without our #welovecharterschoolsocks. You’ll find our 2022 socks and our team at Booth #500.

Check out the video below for a little sneak peek.

 

As celebrations of Pride Month happen around the country, schools in the charter school movement have stepped forward to support LGBTQ students around the country. And one, Magic City Acceptance Academy (MCAA), is Alabama’s first LGBTQ-centered charter school. After being rejected by the Alabama Public Charter School Commission three different times, they finally opened their doors last fall. 

The building, educators, and school leaders provide a safe place where LGBTQ+ students can attend school free from harassment, racism, and bullying. The 240 6th-12th grade students who attend MCAA can be themselves at school without fear.

The staff at MCAA focuses on social-emotional learning and goes beyond academics by directing students to learn more about self-awareness, self-management, decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness.

The school has a strong commitment to the social-emotional learning process. The school leaders want to go beyond academics, fostering learning on self-management, self-awareness, decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness.

The students at MCAA have been watching a challenging civics lesson unfold this year as the State of Alabama debates over the transgender health care law that wouldn’t allow anyone under the age of 19 to seek hormone therapy or gender reassignment surgeries. Because of their charter school, students have a safe space to discuss these topics and process their feelings. 

While the world around them argues and debates the future, most students and staff breathe a small sigh of relief as their first academic year comes to a close. MCAA has plans for the future, as school leaders hope to boost enrollment to 350 students next year and add Mandarin to their foreign language department, which already includes French and Spanish. There is also a discussion of adding Advanced Placement classes down the road.

For the students and staff at Magic City Acceptance Academy, the school is a refuge where everyone is free to be who they are, making MCAA an extraordinary place in the charter school education landscape.