Author: Grow Schools, formerly Charter School Capital
Charter School Capital’s Dewey Awards: Teachers Making a Difference
It’s time for the Charter School Capital Dewey Awards! We’re in our second year of honoring teachers who make a difference in the lives of their students.
Many of us have had teachers who helped changed the trajectory of our lives; who were able to get us to believe in our abilities and our promise; who said, “You can do this!” and never let us forget it. For our President and CEO, Stuart Ellis, that teacher was Mr. Dewey. For the second year, in honor of Richard Dewey, we want to give recognition and thanks to the teachers who’ve impacted our lives. Submit your story of the teacher that changed your life for the chance to receive one of three $1,000 charter school grants, given in your name to the school of your choice.
Watch the video below to hear, in Stuart Ellis’ own words, why we’re so proud to continue this tradition.
You can learn more about our Dewey Awards, read some selected stories from 2017, and submit your story to honor a teacher by visiting our official 2018 Richard Dewey Awards page. We can’t wait to read your inspiring stories! GO TO PAGE
Charter School Marketing: Powerful Tips for Success
Editor’s Note: In the ever-changing world of marketing – and more particularly digital marketing – we understand the importance of keeping up-to-date on the best ways to reach prospective students, their families, and communities. That’s why we wanted to sit down with Imagine Schools‘ Chief Communications Officer, Rhonda Cagle, to get her insights and tips on charter school marketing. Rhonda generously shares her perspective on quick wins and strategies for marketing success!
We think it’s vital to keep tabs on the pulse of all things related to charter schools, including informational resources, and how to support charter school growth. We hope you find this—and any other blog post we write—both interesting and valuable. Below you will find the video and the transcript. Please read on to learn more.
Janet Johnson (JJ): Hi there, welcome to Charter Ed Talks. I’m honored to be here with Rhonda Cagle who is the chief communications officer for Imagine Schools, which is a network of non-profit public schools and welcome. Rhonda Cagle (RC): Thank you so much for having me. JJ: And we’re going to be talking about marketing today. I’m pretty excited about this subject because we’re both marketers and we’ve both been relatively new to the charter space. How long have you been in the charter space now? RC: Full time, I’ve been in the charter space five years. JJ: Oh well, you’re a lot more senior than I then. Rhonda, we’re doing kind of a fun campaign called “We Love Charter Schools” and so can you tell our listeners whatever you’d like to say about what you like about charter schools. Why do you love charter schools? RC: I love charter schools because charter schools change the lives of children. We see that when children have the opportunity to learn in an environment that best meets their unique individual needs, their lives change, their ability to learn and to become successful changes. We also see that the communities become successful. The schools become literally beacons of hope in the neighborhoods in which we serve. I love charters because they change lives. JJ: That’s fabulous. Not much better than that. From a marketing perspective and a lot of our audience I hope will be charter school marketers on these videos, are there any surefire wins that we should be employing today for enrollment or other charter school marketing? RC: I think there are several surefire wins. The first is to recognize that marketing is really about relationships and it’s really about maintaining those relationships. We don’t do that in our personal lives once or twice a year, we don’t have a relationship push, we have ongoing relationships and that’s really what marketing needs to be about for charter schools. We need to be in our communities and sharing our news and what we’re doing in the lives that we’re changing, we need to share that all year long, day in and day out. The other surefire wins is the little things. We talk a lot about how do we attract families but I also like to ask the question how do we retain our families? Because I think retention is a lot like dating our spouses. We have to remind our spouse why they fell in love with us in the first place and we have to make sure that we are continually reminding them of why we are their best choice. JJ: Those are very important points. Can you tell us a little bit about the role digital marketing plays in the charter school landscape from your perspective? RC: Absolutely. Digital marketing has become something that we as a network are relying more and more on. It used to be that if you built it they would come and the truth is that was true for a while and then the charter’s base grew and we did build and they did come. And so now we have to find a way to differentiate ourselves in the market. And digital marketing helps cut through the noise that’s out there and it helps reach parents and families where they’re at.
We started our digital marketing campaigns back in late 2015, 16. We had our first full year of results in the 16-17 school year. What we found is that we generated roughly 6200 qualified leads. And that was through either online inquiries, somebody saying yes I would like to know more or a phone call that we could track. And out of that, we were able to convert 751 new enrolled students. JJ: That’s a nice conversion rate, actually, in my experience. RC: Thank you. We believe it can be better but that was our pilot and so now what we’re working on is how do we get those numbers tighter and better and those returns greater. Not just because it’s obviously good for running charter schools effectively and efficiently but more importantly because it maximizes resources coming into the schools that best support students. When a school is fully enrolled that school has the maximum resources that students need in order to learn and be successful. So we’re really working on closing those gaps to make sure that we’re being as effective as possible. JJ: The fact that you’re maximizing the resources for the students through marketing I think is a really interesting point. Most of us feel as if we just need to get the students in the door, right? So that we can grow but I like the positioning of maximizing the resources for the children, the scholars, the students themselves and the families and the communities you serve. I love that. Are there any, especially in the digital world there are a lot of memes that come and go, right? Have you experienced any kind of, oh don’t go there because or are there myths that you would like to kind of bust right now for our viewers? RC: Sure, so I think there’s a lot of myths that are out there. A lot of people are slow to think about digital, a lot of people want to hold on to what worked well in the past and the truth is what worked well in the past did work well but now it’s incomplete. And just like we keep learning how students best learn we also keep learning how our audience, our potential audience best engages with the message that we have to deliver. And so we have to be willing to learn and grow and change. JJ: I think that’s important. And so, isn’t it exciting to be in a field where not only are you serving a wonderful mission but you are learning every single day about what works and what doesn’t work? RC: Absolutely. I think the other piece of that is often we want to tout what we know as educators is important for a student. We want to talk about a curricular approach, we want to talk about those kinds of quote-unquote “selling points” and in many cases, we need to put ourselves in the shoes of our audience and what’s important to a parent may not be what we as educators consider to be important. For instance, we have many parents who come into our schools because they know their children are safe. JJ: Really? RC: They know their children are well known as an individual and they know that they’re going to be valued as an individual, and for the parent that’s their selling point. JJ: Those are the messages that they want to hear. RC: That’s right, and so we have to continually think about how are we adapting our messaging? How are we putting ourselves in the shoes of our audience so that we’re connecting with them in ways that are meaningful? JJ: Are there any kind of surprises that have come up in your recent research or studies as you’ve learned more about the marketing to parents and students? Are they any different? Are there other things, other little pearls of wisdom you might share? RC: Well I think it’s interesting to know that there is still so much misinformation about what charter schools are. So for instance, I just became aware of some polling that was recently done and when you put the word “public” in front of charter schools it increases favorability and understanding by two to three points. So there’s still fundamental misunderstandings about what charter schools are. The fact that they are public schools, the fact that they cannot discriminate in terms of how we enroll. We have to continue to be vigilant in delivering that message because there’s a lot of the public that still does not understand what a charter school is and the value that charter schools bring to the community. JJ: Well, I must thank you again for the pearls of charter school marketing wisdom you’ve shared with us today. And, in terms of continuing education, I think this is going to be a little gem that others will be able to appreciate as a result of your willingness to share with us. RC: Thank you so much for having me. JJ: Thanks, Rhonda.
Digital Marketing for Charter Schools: An Actionable Workbook to Help You Achieve Your School’s Goals!
Scratching your head as to how to go about implementing digital marketing programs for your charter school? You’re not alone! This free manual will be your go-to guide for all of your school’s digital marketing needs! Download this actionable workbook to help get your marketing plans started, guide you as you define your audience and key differentiators, choose your tactics and start to build your campaigns.
At Charter School Capital, we believe in the power of charter schools and their leaders to deliver quality education. We can provide reliable funding for charter schools because of the depth of our financial resources and our understanding of the unique issues charter school administrators face. We would like to work with you to help further educational opportunities for charter school students.
Here are the answers to our most frequently asked questions. Q: How long have you been around and what type of customers do you serve?
We’ve been helping charter schools reach financial stability and grow for over ten years. We’ve served some of the largest charter organizations in the country while also serving some of the smallest schools just starting out. No matter what size you are or what stage of growth you are in, we’d like to customize a solution to fit your needs. Q: What can I expect from customer service when I choose CSC?
Each client is assigned a dedicated Client Services Representative, Account Manager, Financial Analyst, and an Underwriter to provide the best service in the business. Q: How long do schools typically fund with CSC?
It depends on the needs of the school (stabilization v. growth); some schools have simple, individual project needs; and some schools have grown into large networks and have been clients for years as we’ve funded their growth. Q: How do we apply?
Give us a call (toll free) at 877.272.1001 and one of our Client Services Representatives will walk you through the prequalification and application process. Should our programs align with the needs of your school, you’ll fill out a brief online application and we’ll collect additional documentation as needed. Q: How do we qualify/ What do we need to submit?
Our documentation requirements start with your charter and your financials. Your Client Services Representative will guide you through the process. Q: What is a “receivables sale?”
In a receivables sale transaction, Charter School Capital purchases state aid payments that are due to the charter school from the state and, in exchange, provides funding to the school in advance of the state payment distribution date. Q: If we enter into a receivables sale transaction with you and the state delays payments, what are the risks or additional costs to us?
Charter School Capital assumes the timing risk if the state delays the distribution of the payments that are due to the school. There are no additional costs to the charter school in the event the state delays payments. Q: How does your organization acquire the funds it distributes?
As a responsible capital provider, we have access to reliable capital from private funding sources, assuring we can always support your needs. Q: Do you require a personal guarantee?
No, we do not require a personal guarantee. Q: How are we charged? And what are the costs involved?
We charge a discount rate. The discount rate is determined by market-related factors including, but not limited to: short-term interest rates, the type of receivable being sold, the time the receivable is outstanding, the credit profile of the school and market rate returns for similar investments. Q: Does it take a long time to get funds?
We can sometimes fund in 10 business days for an emergency, but your first funding normally takes four weeks. After your first funding, it typically takes two weeks to fund. Our in-depth process and procedures ensure that we finance charter schools ethically and responsibly. Q: Can a school receive working capital financing and facilities financing?
Yes, we have schools that leverage both our working capital and facilities financing. Q: What differentiates your facilities financing program from others?
We purchase buildings and lease them back to charter schools. A long-term lease can provide security and flexibility with relatively little cash up front, compared to other facilities financing options like bonds or other ownership options. Q: Are there other services you provide?
Our product availability varies with state charter laws. In addition to our working capital and facilities financing, we also can provide:
• Loan products in select states
• Growth funding
• Capital expenditure funding
• Gap funding
• Help with access to grants and donations
• Marketing support
• Charter school informational resources (webinars, blog posts, guides, etc.) Q: What advantages do you provide that your competitors don’t and why should you choose to partner with us?
We’re mission-driven and 100% dedicated to the charter school space.
Unlike traditional lenders like banks, we work with you to solve the unique challenges you face.
We are dedicated to financing schools ethically and responsibly.
Your success is our success. Our goal is to help your school become financially stable, successful, and set up to serve more students.
You can count on the personable and knowledgeable team at Charter School Capital to find the financial solution that is right for your school, and we’ll provide access to consistent funding you can count on as you grow. Contact us today to learn how we can meet your funding and facility needs.
Since the company’s inception in 2007, Charter School Capital has been committed to the success of charter schools. We provide growth capital and facilities financing to charter schools nationwide. Our depth of experience working with charter school leaders and our knowledge of how to address charter school financial and operational needs have allowed us to provide over $1.6 billion in support of 600 charter schools that educate 800,000 students across the country. For more information on how we can support your charter school, contact us. We’d love to work with you!
The Charter School Solution: A Better Education for All
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published here on May 12, 2018, and authored by Nina Rees, the president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
Studies have shown that the existence of public charters has often improved traditional public school performance in those communities. And, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also called the Nation’s Report Card, public charter schools are showing that they are often outperforming their traditional public school counterparts. The NAEP also shows that charter schools are more effective at helping students from lower-income backgrounds make up ground on their peers. It’s important to bring these studies to light to help support the charter school movement and continue to create the opportunities for unique and diverse educational access for all students.
We think it’s vital to keep tabs on the pulse of all things related to charter schools, including informational resources, and how to support charter school growth. We hope you find this—and any other article we curate—both interesting and valuable. Please read on to learn more.
Charter Schools Point toward a Better Education for All
Published May 12, 2018
As National Charter Schools Week wraps up, new data show their potential to improve students’ scores.
One thing nearly every expert in the field will tell you is that we have a long way to go before every student in America is getting a good education.
The recent results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also called the Nation’s Report Card, confirmed as much. The NAEP is administered to a sample of students in a variety of subjects from across the country every two years. Its latest math and reading scores for fourth- and eighth-graders showed a general stagnation.
But there were bright spots, too. Students in the nation’s largest cities, who on average score lower than students elsewhere, are at least narrowing the gap. It’s hard to pinpoint a specific reason for this improvement. But education reformers have focused most of their energy on urban areas for years, precisely because these students have trailed their suburban counterparts, and the results of the NAEP suggest that their efforts may be bearing fruit.
One of the most important and ambitious parts of those efforts has been the introduction of public charter schools to America’s metropoles. Across 43 states and Washington, D.C., many parents in large cities can choose which public school their child will attend. By embracing various teaching methods and academic focuses, charter schools give more students access to a school that brings out the best in them.
The NAEP data show that charter schools contributed to the growth in urban test scores. In 2017, charter schools outperformed district schools across all four grade and subject levels in large cities (although the difference was not statistically significant for fourth-grade math). Across the four grade and subject levels, big-city charter-school students improved by an average of eleven points over the past ten years, while traditional public-school students improved by an average of five points.
This is good news as we celebrate National Charter Schools Week and bring attention to the way charter schools are changing the educational dynamic for nearly 3.2 million students across America. But rather than crow about improving scores, we should understand these test results for what they are — a tool to help parents, teachers, school leaders, advocates, and policymakers find out what’s working in American classrooms, and spread those best practices to more schools.
For instance, both the NAEP data and other research indicate that charter schools are especially effective at helping students from lower-income backgrounds make up ground on their peers. Educational leaders in the states and cities where charter schools delivered strong NAEP results for these students — Arizona, D.C., Texas, Colorado, Florida — have put a premium on incorporating charter schools into the public-school mix. Both D.C. and Denver public schools have been lauded for the strong cooperation between their charter-school movements and school districts. Texas has also promoted closer consultation between district and charter leaders, and Arizona, Texas, and D.C. have made it a priority to ensure that charter-school authorizers — the entities that award and revoke charter contracts and monitor performance — put a strong focus on quality. In Colorado and Florida, legislators have made funding fairness a priority, closing the gap between what district and charter schools receive for instruction and facilities.
The quality of charter schools varies across the country, and even within states and cities — just as it does with district schools. But one of the hallmarks of the charter-school movement is to confront low-quality head-on (as has been happening with virtual charter schools, which suffer from a lot of poor performers) and close schools when they aren’t serving students well.
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What NAEP and other tests can do is point us toward high-performing schools, cities, and states that can serve as models for others. Tests shouldn’t supersede the judgment of parents and policymakers, but they can inform that judgment, by helping us to calibrate our educational compass toward success. The more we can replicate success, the more students will benefit.
As the nation celebrates the charter schools bringing new options to students and parents, the NAEP results are further evidence that policymakers who want to get closer to the goal of giving every student access to a great education should support the growth of the charter movement.
Charter School Capital is committed to the success of charter schools and has solely focused on funding charter schools since the company’s inception in 2007. Our depth of experience working with charter school leaders and our knowledge of how to address charter school financial and operational needs have allowed us to provide over $1.6 billion in support of 600 charter schools that educate 800,000 students across the country. For more information on how we can support your charter school, contact us!
We are 100% dedicated to the charter space and to enabling the success of charter schools and the charter school movement. Working exclusively with charter schools, we measure our success by the number of students we serve. Our mission is to provide school leaders access to the financial and other charter school resources they need – whether it’s operational capital, growth funding, or facilities expansion. We believe in the power of charter schools and their leaders to deliver quality education to families across the country. And we’re proud to provide the reliability and stability charter leaders require as they walk their journey to better educate more students today—and in the future.
Why Partner With Us?
We’re mission-driven and 100% dedicated to the charter school space.
Unlike traditional lenders like banks, we work with you to solve the unique challenges you face.
We are dedicated to financing schools ethically and responsibly.
Your success is our success. Our goal is to help your school become financially stable, successful, and set up to serve more students.
OUR CHARTER SCHOOL FUNDING PRODUCTS:
Working Capital
Charter School Capital provides flexible funding solutions so charter schools can gain ground and achieve success. Our charter school working capital financing enables school leaders the flexibility and stability to support everyday expenses and – importantly – fuel their growth.
Why might you need to access working capital?
To expand or grow programs
To open a new charter school
To enhance facilities – with labs, gyms, etc.
To provide new technology in the classroom
To hire and/or develop your staff
To address budget shortfalls and delays (deferrals, holdbacks, etc.) gracefully
To improve transportation options
To enrich educational programs
Charter School Capital is a trustworthy, reliable funding source. They are a true friend and ally to charter schools, the movement, and the children we serve.
~Caprice Young, CEO & Superintendent, Magnolia Public Schools
Facilities Financing
Our facilities financing product is a long-term lease that allows schools to access funding through all stages of growth – from start-up to expansion through maturity. As a long-term partner, our team works closely with you as we explore budgetary and financial options to support your facilities needs.
Why long-term lease financing?
You can finance 100% of project costs
You can retain control of your facility
You can plan on long-term affordability
You can enhance your existing building or finance new construction
Your lease can be customized to your school’s model – whether blended learning,
traditional, etc.
Tenant improvements can be financed in your lease
Can be used as take-out financing for an existing bond or potential bridge to bond financing.
It was a blessing to find Charter School Capital. We couldn’t have even looked at a building like this without them. They were responsive, communicative, and very much about the school kids. Our students and their families are very excited about the facility!
~Freddy Mendoza, Founder and Teacher, Arizona College Prep Academy
Since our founding, we’ve been able to provide over $1.6 billion in funding to more than 600 charter schools across our nation and most importantly, to serve over 800,000 students.
We’re proud to provide the reliability and stability charter leaders require as they embark on their journey to educate more students today—and in the future.
If you have working capital needs or would like help with charter school facilities financing, our team of experts is here to help you with a needs assessment. Start by completing our online application or contact us for more information about our funding types (link below).
It’s a big relief to know that, with Charter School Capital, our organization can stand alone. They have done such a good job of making us feel part of something…You don’t get that feeling with a bank.
~Dr. Kris Sippel, Principal, San Tan Learning Center
Our team works with you to determine funding and facilities options based on your school’s needs. If you are trying to meet operational expenses, expand, acquire or renovate your school building, add an athletic department, or buy new technology, complete the online application below and we’ll contact you to set up a meeting to learn more about your needs.
New Five-Day California Charter School Funding Option
We heard from a number of charter schools that they needed a faster funding option for tight-turn budget needs. We’re very excited to now be able to answer that request with our new five-day funding option, currently exclusively for California charter schools.
Since our founding, we’ve been able to provide over $1.6 billion in charter school funding to more than 600 schools across our nation and most importantly, to serve over 800,000 charter school students. We’re proud to provide the reliability and stability charter leaders require as they embark on their journey to educate more students today—and in the future.
If your school needs funds fast, we can provide charter school funding in as few as five business days so you can keep your focus on what really matters – educating your students. And, as an ongoing Charter School Capital client, you may qualify for a lower-cost option on fundings, as well as additional benefits and services as we partner with you to ensure your school’s continued success and growth. We help charter schools access working capital so they can:
Expand or grow programs
Open a new charter school
Enhance facilities – with labs, gyms, etc.
Provide new technology in the classroom
Hire and/or develop staff
Address budget shortfalls and delays (deferrals, holdbacks, etc.) gracefully
Improve transportation options
Enrich educational programs
Buy new equipment
Our team works with you to determine funding and facilities options based on your school’s needs. If you are trying to meet operational expenses, expand, acquire or renovate your school building, add an athletic department, or buy new technology, complete the online application below and we’ll contact you to set up a meeting.
To learn more about this new funding option, set up time with our California Funding Specialist, or get your funding request started by filling out the form here: GET STARTED
Charter School Enrollment: Are you making it easy to attend your school?
Editor’s Note: This article was originally posted here by Bright Minds Marketing and written by Nick LeRoy, MBA, the president of Bright Minds Marketing and former Executive Director of the Indiana Charter School Board.
Increasing charter school enrollment is vital to the health of your school—your business. But if you aren’t able to effectively connect and communicate with your prospective and current parents, boosting those all-important enrollment numbers for your school and retaining your existing students will be a challenge. In this article, you’ll learn the best way to leverage digital channels and how to boost communication between parents and teachers.
We think it’s vital to keep tabs on the pulse of all things related to charter schools, including informational resources, and how to support charter school growth. We hope you find this—and any other article we curate—both interesting and valuable. Please read on to learn more.
Are you making it easy to attend your school?
I don’t mean “are your academics not challenging or difficult?”, but have you made it easy for parents to be up to date on all the things that are happening at your school? I have conducted dozens of focus groups of parents across the country, and the number one complaint I hear from them is about the lack of communication from the school. Of course, when I say this to administrators, they sometimes have a hard time believing the data because they think they are over-communicating. “If parents would just read the communication, everything would be fine.”
We have a perception gap. As a marketer, the onus is always on you to make sure that your message is being heard, not on the customer to hear it. I hate to say this to school leaders because I know how challenging their job already is, but the parent is right. With today’s shorter attention spans and media coming at us from every direction, we have to adapt, and do more to communicate to our parents effectively.
Here is a list of things that I would challenge you to ask yourself if you are doing and if not, think about implementing some changes to try to make your school “an easy one to go to.”
Are you truly leveraging digital channels?
Is your website mobile-optimized? The majority of internet traffic is from mobile devices. A mobile-optimized site is customized for the screen size of a tablet or phone. If a parent is trying to read a site on a phone that is not mobile- optimized, it is going to be a frustrating experience – negating any work that you have done to make your website useful. Is your website up to date?
I know it takes time to do this, but your website needs to be scrubbed at least yearly to ensure that it is up to date. Next time you do it, create a written site map so you know what to update each year. Does your website contain answers to the most frequent parent’s questions?
Millennials, your primary target customer, don’t want to call you. They would rather go to your website. Compile the list of all the questions that your admin team fields day in and day out and make sure that those questions are answered on your website in an easy-to-find fashion. Can a parent fill out forms electronically on your website? Paper forms are a pain. They get lost, and someone in the office must input the information into the computer anyway. Brush up on your Google Forms and try to make things as electronic as possible. If I can sign bank forms or contracts electronically, is there a reason why I can’t do it for school forms? Can a parent pay for his/her children’s fees electronically and at a low cost?
Are there additional fees involved in paying electronically? My boys’ school just went to a new lunch program billing system. It is fine, but each time you put money into the account, there is a $2.95 service fee. That is fine for me, but for some people on a budget who may need to pay weekly, that may be an additional financial burden. Are you using a custom school App forsmartphones?
This is a great new technology that a lot of schools are using. It is not very expensive ~$250 / month and it is a huge benefit for parents. This allows you to push content, set appointments and reminders and constantly make sure that updated information is in the hands of the parent. Does your school calendar easily allow parents to import important events into their own calendar?
This requires a little bit more technical tweaking, but most parents live or die by our electronic calendars. Having a single consolidated calendar that can be integrated into a smartphone, tablet or existing online family calendar program is a worthwhile investment. Are you communicating about important events in multiple channels?
Some of your parents will go to your website daily, others use Twitter and still others only check their Facebook page. It is critical that you are providing information in every channel that your parents use. I covered the benefits of multi-platform tools in this blog posting. But, if you don’t want to use those tools and just want one social media platform, you need to use the one that most Millennials and Generation X parents use: Facebook.
How is the communication between parents and teachers?
Do you guarantee a response time to your parents?
Most teachers that I have met are good about this, but you need to make sure that all teachers know that parents generally will be expecting a turn-around time of within 24 hours. Make sure all of your teachers adhere to this and tell your parents that they will get a reply within a day. Are all of your teachers using the same in classroom communication system for parents?
Imagine this scenario: You are a parent of three kids. One teacher uses Class Dojo, one uses a Weebly website and another uses the app Remind. You are asking that parent to check three different places to know current homework assignments for the family. I know that each teacher probably has a preference, but if you are serious about making this easy for your parents, your school needs use just one platform. Do you customize your communication based upon the individual students?
This is a little bit trickier, but some schools overload their parents with a lot of communication that doesn’t apply to their student. While it is important for all of the 8th graders to know about the upcoming DC trip, can you figure out a way to just send that to the parents of the 8th graders? The use of “all school” parent communication can lead to parents tuning stuff out because they don’t think it applies to their own specific child. Being able to create segments in your email communication will increase your open rates and make sure that the right people are reading your communications. When I call the school, do I get a confusing phone tree or a real person that answers?
As I mentioned before, most millennials don’t want to call the school, but when they do, they want to talk to a real person immediately. Does your phone tree make them go through eight different options first before they get the selection to talk to a real person? This is a balancing act between having too many phone calls and not enough.
Your parents will love you if you undertake any initiative that improves communication and makes it easy for parents. You should always have a goal of making it as easy as possible to attend your school and ensure that your parents are apprised of updates, information and school news. If you make it easy to attend, you will be surprised at how many more people DO attend!
Digital Marketing for Charter Schools: An Actionable Workbook to Help You Achieve Your School’s Goals!
Need useful tips on enrollment for your charter school? Scratching your head as to how to go about implementing digital marketing strategies? You’re not alone! This free manual will be your go-to guide for all of your school’s digital marketing needs! Download this actionable workbook to help get your marketing plans started, guide you as you define your audience and key differentiators, choose your tactics, and start to build your campaigns.
Webinar: Top Five Financial Mistakes Charter Schools Make…And How to Avoid Them
Join us for our live webinar this week!
We’re going to answer one really important question, “How do we avoid the top financial mistakes that charter schools make?” We’re being joined by some leaders of Desert Star Academy, SALTech, and Wayne Preparatory – and they’ll be generously and bravely sharing the mistakes they’ve made as charter leaders, and of course how they solved those problems for the future.
We presented some of this content at the National Charter School Conference in Austin, Texas last month to a standing-room-only audience, so we’re bringing it back as a webinar for those that weren’t able to make it out to Austin. Join us to understand the five mistakes and you’ll walk away armed with the tools you’ll need to avoid them. Our esteemed panelists:
Margie Montgomery, Founder / Executive Director, Desert Star Academy
Michael LaRoche, Founder / Executive Director, SALTech Charter High School
Sharon Thompson, Chairman of the Board, Wayne Preparatory Academy
Tricia Blum, Head of Business Consulting, Charter School Capital
Understanding Charter School Enrollment Marketing Tools
Editor’s Note: In this, the proverbial age of technology, we wanted to dive deeper into how technology tools could specifically help with charter school enrollment marketing. For this CHARTER EDtalk, we were honored to be joined by Taryn Moore in Business Development and Partnerships at SchoolMint. SchoolMint has years of experience working with charter schools — from single-site schools to large charter management organizations (CMOs). They understand your environment and can help optimize your system for your requirements and your recruitment, application, lottery, and registration processes.
We think it’s vital to keep tabs on the pulse of all things related to charter schools, including informational resources, and how to support charter school growth. We hope you find this—and any other blog post we write—both interesting and valuable. Below you will find the video and the transcript. Please read on to learn more.
Janet Johnson (JJ): Good morning. I’m Janet Johnson with Charter School Capital. We’re here with Taryn Moore from SchoolMint and Kirt Nilsson from Charter School Capital, talking about enrollment today. Thanks for joining us. Taryn Moore (TM): Thank you for having me. Kirt Nilsson (KN): School enrollment—when it comes to schools thinking of that, it can be a little daunting. They have to run their schools and also try and get their word out. When it comes to things like leads and lotteries, can you think of ways they can manage that kind of information and that kind of process? TM: Sure. There are so many great tools out there. I think the key is really finding the tool that’s right for you. I would say look to your current challenges. If you have a lottery that families are saying is not transparent, find an automated lottery tool. Something that really directly addresses that challenge. First and foremost, I would say with whatever tool you choose, find one that’s suitable for your families. If your families don’t have home computers, necessarily, find a tool that’s accessible on mobile, or find a tool that’s available in multiple languages. The goal is to make it easier and more accessible for families. KN: You talked about some of the tools that are right for the school. Does it matter if they’re a school that’s just getting started, or they’re one that’s been around for several years and have been renewed … is there a right time for a school to start accessing technology like that? TM: I would say as early as possible is really the best time to start. I think, when you start early, you can tackle some of those change-management hurdles early on and start reaping the benefits sooner. And you can start out light-weight. Start out with a online application. Then, when it makes sense, move into a lottery or a lead tracking system. KN: I can definitely hear some of the reasons why a school would want to access technology like that. Are there also benefits to the families and the students from schools that access technology? If so, what comes to mind? TM: I think, for families, bringing technology into the mix really makes things more simple, more accessible to them. It can make really confusing policies feel simpler. It can bring a lot of transparency to various processes as well. Like I was saying before, if you have a tool that’s accessible on mobile, a tool that’s available in a language that’s comfortable for you, that’s going to do wonders for families. KN: Fantastic. Broadly, if you were to take your experience and say, “Hey, over the last couple of years things are changing in the enrollment technology space,” what kind of things are you seeing? What kind of things should schools be aware of as they think about this? TM: I think we’re seeing a lot of different trends. One is a move toward common applications. We’re seeing more and more cities unified – bringing all of their charter schools, or a subset of those schools, together onto a common timeline and into a single application – so parents only go to one place to put that application in. We’re also seeing a lot more sophistication in interest tracking and events tracking so that schools can manage, track, and engage prospective families.
The last thing I would say, we’re seeing a lot more sophistication in the way of data analysis. Schools want to know where their student applicants are coming from. And schools want to see what their acceptance rates are like year over year.
Also, on the front of data analysis, when you think about something simple, like a student address. We’re all collecting student addresses on a paper form. You can’t do much with it; it’s just on paper. If you have an online tool that takes that student address and drops a pin at that student’s home location, then you have this beautiful visualization of a map. You can see there’s this cluster of students in this area, and there’s kind of this bare spot over here. Then, you can make really data-driven decisions about outreach, to help achieve your enrollment goals. JJ: That’s great. KN: When I listen, I’m like, “She’s really offering great information.” But if I’m the school, and I hear all that, I’m like, “Wow, that sounds a little daunting.” Why shouldn’t I be worried about taking the first step to move in this direction, if I’m a school? TM: Everybody’s got to start somewhere, and there’s definitely some change management involved in the move to technology, but there are some benefits right off the top. I think, particularly for school staff. If you think about admins, who are today, spending lots of time entering data from paper systems. The move to online makes them really have a simpler day to day experience in the office. If they’re not entering that data from paper systems, if they’re not spending time manually tracking and managing a wait list, for example; they have more time to spend directly with families, which is really a better use of their time anyway. Of course, they have so much more powerful data to deal with as well. KN: As we listen to you and start to get comfortable with the idea of using that technology to really move forward enrollment in schools, what kind of things do you see that come from it? What’s the success story that comes from using this kind of technology? TM: I think some of the points that we’ve hit on already. An easier, more transparent experience for families, for sure. More powerful access to data for schools, so that they can really make data-driven decisions, and really move into the 21st Century. Parents are already using so many online tools as it is, to check student’s grades, to get e-newsletters from schools. To bring more and more of those processes online. I think it’s a lot less daunting today than it was even just five years ago. KN: As you mentioned the different systems, and how schools are coming up to speed, do enrollment technology systems integrate with other systems of the school? Do they even need to? TM: Yes, absolutely. We see it both ways. We see a lot of schools where they have a bunch of ad hoc systems that are working independently, and they’re navigating through those. We use those every day on our phones. If you open up your phone, you’ve got a whole slew of different apps that don’t have anything to do with each other. We somehow find a use for all of them and a way to navigate through them. Then there are also systems that are really end-to-end, so there’s not a need to integrate with other systems because they really cover a whole range of processes. Then, of course, there are systems that have great partnerships, or maybe there’s a platform of systems that really integrate seamlessly. KN: It sounds like a lot of choices out there. If I’m a school, and I’m thinking through the choices, how do I take the first step? What’s the first thing that I should do? TM: I think, in terms of making the choice, a simple Google search, of course, will render a lot of great results. I think also just talking to school admins and school leaders in your area can be a really helpful starting point. So many tools exist, and many of them are already in use by schools today. Finding out what others’ experiences have been like, I think, can be really helpful. Even thinking beyond just the horizons of your immediate geographic area, reaching out to school leaders in other areas of the country that maybe have similar challenges as you or similar demographics, can be really, really helpful. Kind of finding out what it’s like to work with a particular technology provider or a particular system. KN: Now is the time of year, when schools have finished, and they’re all giddy that the school year is over; but the fall is not that far away. Are they too late to start thinking about these technologies, or using them? Are they too late, if they get started now, for the fall? TM: I think it depends on the system that you’re looking for, the issue that you’re looking to address. I think if you’re looking to an online application system, for example, a lot of those systems can get you up and running in a matter of a couple of weeks, or maybe a month. I think it’s definitely not too late. It’s certainly never too late to at least begin exploring what your options are. KN: It sounds like that’s the message. It’s not too late. There are a lot of benefits of enrollment marketing tools to charter schools. A lot of benefits to parents. So get it going. TM: Yes, absolutely. JJ: All right. Thank you, Taryn, so much.
Feel free to email Taryn (taryn@schoolmint.net) with any questions you may have about your charter school enrollment needs.
Digital Marketing for Charter Schools: An Actionable Workbook to Help You Achieve Your School’s Goals!
Need strategic tips on enrollment marketing for your charter school? Scratching your head as to how to go about implementing digital marketing? You’re not alone! This free manual will be your go-to guide for all of your school’s digital marketing needs! Download this actionable workbook to help get your marketing plans started, guide you as you define your audience and key differentiators, choose your tactics, and start to build your campaigns.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published here by the Fordham Institute on May 3, 2018. It was written by Amy Ruck Kagan, National Association of Charter School Authorizers’ (NACSA) Vice President of Authorizer Engagement and Advancement. The article addresses the need for charter school expansion in areas where high-need students don’t have access to elementary charter schools. Kagan challenges authorizers to review the data showing where elementary charter schools are – and are not – in relationship to high-poverty areas. She asserts that if authorizers use this data to rethink their state policy, authorizing environment, and community needs, more underserved children would have the opportunity for equal access to great public school options.
Read the complete article below.
Charter school deserts or opportunities for access?
At NACSA, I lead a team that works directly with hundreds of charter school authorizers across the country. I interact with many of them on a day-to-day basis, and they’re all driven by a commitment to ensure that every child has access to quality schools, regardless of zip codes. They know that great charter schools can transform children’s lives and that too many neighborhoods are void of quality educational opportunities.
Doing the work thoughtfully and meeting this critical demand requires the right tools and supporting data. Our research finds that the best authorizers are obsessed with data: They actively and intentionally seek out new information about their schools and communities, and they incorporate it into their decisionmaking when it’s appropriate. When this information is accessible, authorizers have the power to do something about the charter deserts within their communities.
One piece of this data puzzle might be a new report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, Charter School Deserts: High-Poverty Neighborhoods with Limited Educational Options. It seeks to help authorizers and those in the charter sector answer the question: What high-need areas in my city or state lack elementary charter schools?
Even if we added just one charter school in each desert, we’re talking about opening up great schools for up to 150,000 more kids.
The report maps the location of elementary charter schools against high-poverty areas using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Alarmingly, it found that almost all states with a charter school law have at least one desert. More specifically, it found that there are roughly 500 neighborhoods across the country with a high concentration of families in need and no charter schools. The potential impact is huge: Even if we added just one charter school in each desert, we’re talking about opening up great schools for up to 150,000 more kids.
That’s why authorizers should take a moment to review this report and reflect upon their own state policy, authorizing environment, and community needs. Then ask: “What can I do to make sure that every child served within the boundaries of my portfolio have equal access to a great public school option?”
This isn’t an easy question. There are many factors that hinder growth within a portfolio—and many are out of an authorizer’s control, such as a lack of facilities, law and regulations, and other political obstacles. But I am a firm believer that there is a solution to every problem, and that authorizers are the solution-oriented and passionate professionals that can indeed create much-needed change. Here are some ideas for how authorizers can start using these data to create access for kids:
Share this report with decisionmakers within your organization and determine the right strategy for using the data to help communities in need.
Use this report in conjunction with expansion and renewal decisions with high-performing schools to create seats where they are most needed.
Evaluate how the data included in this report and other information can be used as part of the application decisionmaking process.
Truly examine and address the geographic discrepancies within your own portfolio of schools.
Opening more great schools that serve the students who need them most is one of the greatest challenges—and greatest opportunities—facing authorizers today. Authorizers have the power and the responsibility to help change lives. Using this report as a tool in their toolbox will only help provide more great schools for kids.
The views expressed herein represent the opinions of the author and not necessarily the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.
Since the company’s inception in 2007, Charter School Capital has been committed to the success of charter schools. We provide growth capital and facilities financing to charter schools nationwide. Our depth of experience working with charter school leaders and our knowledge of how to address charter school financial and operational needs have allowed us to provide over $1.6 billion in support of 600 charter schools that educate 800,000 students across the country. For more information on how we can support your charter school, contact us. We’d love to work with you!
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