Grow Schools, formerly Charter School Capital, Author at Grow Schools

We recently wrote a blog post, asking which of the top likely picks for Secretary of Education our audience would have selected. While several of you expressed misgivings about Betty Rosa, Denise Juneau, Rep. Frederica Wilson, Lt. Gov Jacqueline Coleman and Rep. Jahana Hayes, all other options were met with mild approval.

None of our sources had mentioned Miguel Cardona – and he was not on our list. So what do we know about this dark-horse pick?

According to the Boston Globe, Miguel Cardona is a former public school teacher and principal, and he’s been the Connecticut Education Commissioner since 2019. Having attended public schools as a child, Secretary Cardona obtained multiple degrees at the University of Connecticut, including a Master’s Degree in Bicultural Education and a Doctorate in Education.

The Courant describes his childhood as a “goofy, little Puerto Rican kid” who grew up in a public housing project in Meridien.

From InsideHigherEd we learn that Dr. Cardona was the youngest principal in Connecticut when he became head of the Hanover Elementary School in 2003, at the age of 28. He was an assistant superintendent and rose quickly to his current position as head of K-12 education in the state.

From his official page, we learn Dr. Cardona served as the co-chairperson of the Connecticut Legislative Achievement Gap Task Force as well as co-chairperson of the Connecticut Birth to Grade Three Leaders Council. He also taught for four years as an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut in the Department of Educational Leadership.

We can perhaps get a sense of the man through this segment of his recent speech:

“For too many students, public education in America has been a flor pálida: a wilted rose, neglected, in need of care,” he said. “We must be the master gardeners who cultivate it, who work every day to preserve its beauty and its purpose.”

“For far too long, we’ve allowed students to graduate from high school without any idea of how to meaningfully engage in the workforce while good-paying high-skilled, technical, and trade jobs go unfilled. For far too long, we’ve spent money on interventions and Band-Aids to address disparities instead of laying a wide, strong foundation of quality, universal early childhood education, and quality social and emotional supports for all of our learners,” he said. “For far too long, we’ve let college become inaccessible to too many Americans for reasons that have nothing to do with their aptitude or their aspirations and everything to do with cost burdens, and, unfortunately, an internalized culture of low expectations.”

The great news for charter schools: Miguel Cardona is a straight-shooter. And, while firmly entrenched in the Left, he is likely to be a friendly voice for charter schools.

Dr. Cardona did come down hard on the Achievement First charter network in 2020, for what he described as “the network’s repeated non-compliance with state regulations.” What many might have missed in that story is that Miguel Cardona, in his Connecticut leadership role in education, has been a charter school authorizer. This makes him the third of the last four Secretaries of Education who takes on that role after acting in an oversight capacity in charter authorizing work. (As the Fordham Institute reminds us, Secretary Ame Duncan led the Chicago Public Schools, currently responsible for 122 charters, Secretary John King was the NY Commissioner of Education, where a Board of Regents acts as authorizer over 93 charter schools. Betsy DeVos was the only Secretary in recent history who had never held any position of responsibility in charter authorizing networks prior to taking on the role.)

Another reason Dr. Miguel Cardona will make a good Secretary of Education is his intense appeal among those in Education.

“Teachers love him,” said Yale University professor Walter Gilliam, as quoted by the74million. “The teachers and administrators at this conference on educational equity were so incredibly excited that he was there in their school district. The buzz there was like there was a rock star in their school auditorium.” (Prof. Gilliam was speaking at a school district conference where Cardona was the keynote speaker.)

EdSurge summarizes it well: Teaching experience. An advocate for programs supporting underserved learners. A focus on tackling the digital divide and resource inequities laid bare by the pandemic.

To this, we’ll add, a strong voice in the championship of racial minorities and underserved student populations.

Everything we know thus far about Miguel Cardona leads us to expect from him a uniting influence, a voice of reason in the district-school vs. charter-school divide.

And such a voice of reason is very much needed at this time. Dips in college enrollment in low-income students have education leaders worried, and charter schools have shown their excellence: charter school alumni graduate from college at rates two to four times higher than the national average.

How my teacher has impacted my life:

When I thought about how my teacher, Mrs. Jeanne Richardson, has impacted my life, many thoughts came to mind as I remembered all the help I have received since the day I met her. She made me realize that studying at home could be really fun and interesting. I could study what I was most interested in, and she was always there to help and support me. Mrs. Richardson is kind and patient when I don’t understand something; she helps me solve my problems and always has a solution for my doubts. She is always smiling, and all of those things make me feel good because she always has time for me.

My teacher is the best; she taught me that studying is not just about all the work but also about comprehending and having fun while doing it. When I am stuck at some problems, she helps me with a smile and with patience. I have never had such a good teacher; she is the definition of a good teacher.

One of my Mother’s friend told us a story about a scholar that had a bad teacher; she would never reply to his messages when he needed help. When I heard that story, I could see how blessed I was with an excellent teacher. I hope that everyone has a teacher like Mrs. Richardson because she’s the best. Thank you for everything, Miss Jeanne Richardson.

Recent changes and additions to our facility financing solutions strengthen and widen our role in supporting charter schools.

Traditionally, the options available to charter school leaders procuring, maintaining, and, hopefully, coming to own their school building have been a balance of tradeoffs between stability, flexibility, and cost. A long-term lease, for example, offers stability but takes away flexibility. To a large extent, we’ve all resigned ourselves to this tug of war between compromises.

Having served as an investment partner, a lender, and an asset manager, charter schools can trust Charter School Capital (CSC) to help with their real estate challenges. In fact, over the past nearly-14 years, we’ve helped 40 schools secure school facilities.

Our partnerships with Citibank and other key investors, along with organizations in the philanthropic sector, have substantially impacted this narrative. All of this leads to more and better choices.

In our recent webinar, Tommy Alberini and Mike Robinson delve into this landscape, explore the various tensions between cost and opportunity, and unfold our new strengths.

The webinar dives deep into the advantages and disadvantages of a self-issued Bond, comparing it and contrasting in terms of long-term and short-term benefits to other financing alternatives, including CSC’s lease-back approach.

However, one of our biggest new strengths is the no-cost Bond option, detailed in the webinar. This option affords schools long-term benefits similar to a self-issued Bond, avoiding the heavy toll of needing large reserves and paying hefty fees.

We encourage you to watch the full webinar and gain new insights into an essential aspect of school leadership. And, of course, reach out to us to discuss the best approach for your school.

Watch the Webinar Here

Our Dewey Award Winners are here!

Our panel of judges received so many amazing entries this year, competition was fierce, and the selection process was quite challenging. It’s heartwarming to see how many people wrote in, telling us stories of teachers who made a decisive impact in their lives.

After much deliberation, our panel chose the stories they deemed most moving.

The winners of the 2020 Dewey Awards are:

Sarah Ward – honoring Mr. Heroux
Dr. Cecil W. Payton – a tribute to Mrs. Katie Pugh Smith
Dr. Mechelle Newell – Mr. Porter, the most special teacher (video)

The authors of these stories will be awarded a $1,000 charter school grant each, to go to the charter school of their choice.

We’re featuring all three stories below. In upcoming weeks, we’ll be posting many other stories sent to us during this contest. Stay tuned!

Mr. Heroux

Story by Sarah Ward

My sophomore year was the first year that I participated with my school orchestra in the annual MPA, music performance assessment, held by our district. The orchestra had been steadily rehearsing and perfecting our repertoire for weeks under the direction of our conductor, Mr. Heroux. Our small charter school orchestra was quite the underdog group, having never received straight superiors, the highest score from all of the judges, at one of these events. This year, however, was different: we were thoroughly prepared and determined to impress our talent upon the judges.

When the day arrived, every student was a bundle of nerves and excitement. Mr. Heroux consistently fed us words of encouragement throughout the day, keeping us focused on the task ahead. The performance came and went, and the stress of our scores was pressing upon us. We knew we had given a spectacular performance by the look on Mr. Heroux’s face after we walked off the stage. Performance scores were given to the directors to share with us, so the anxiety of our small ensemble was palpable in the band room the next morning.

“First of all,” I recall Mr. Heroux saying, “you all did an incredible job yesterday.” From his tone of voice, I could tell that something was amiss. I looked up and saw tears glistening in his eyes as his voice cracked. At that moment, everyone could tell that he had bitter news to share with us. Then he told us: we did not get straight superiors. He went through each of the judges’ score sheets. Two out of the three judges had given us superior ratings, but one judge only gave us an excellent, the rating below superior.

To make matters worse, Mr. Heroux told us that he had examined the point brackets, and he sadly reported that the excellent was one singular point away from a superior. I was shocked, heartbroken, and angry. We had failed to achieve the top score by one point. I looked around the room and could see other members of the orchestra equally affected by the news, especially the seniors who had worked four years for this moment.

Even when he thought that there was nothing he could say to make us feel better, Mr. Heroux demonstrated his care for us that day. He recalled us how we had worked incredibly hard and had done so well on stage the previous day. Even though we were nervous, we did not let our nerves get the best of us. When we made a mistake, we kept going. He reminded us that we had played our hearts out on that stage, and regardless of the score, we stood out as one of the most united ensembles at the event. He told us that he knew we were disappointed, and he was not going to lie to us. He was disappointed as well, but he was also proud.

Through his tears, he told us just how proud he was of our accomplishments. As an ensemble, we had been through a lot that year, but we never failed to pull through and make him proud. He helped us see that this instance was no exception. He was so incredibly proud that we were able to work together and produce beautiful music, regardless of the scores we received. One by one, many of the members of the orchestra vocally expressed their agreement with Mr. Heroux. I remember a specific instance when the principal violist shared his gratitude on how his section was always there to back him up on parts he felt that he did not completely know.

After we were finished sharing, Mr. Heroux stood at the front of the room with a teary smile on his face, and at that moment, we were all satisfied and knew we would not have been the ensemble we were without his guidance.

I do not think that there was a dry pair of eyes that morning when the orchestra students left the room. Mr. Heroux had shown us that sometimes we have to look past something such as a score or a rating to see what is truly important. No, we did not receive our desired straight superiors, but we came together as one body of students and gave the performance our all. We showed our strength, not necessarily in numbers or experience, but by the will of our resolve and determination to put on our best performance. We could not have done this, however, if it was not for Mr. Heroux. He is not just a teacher at my charter school, he is a mentor and leader who cares immensely about his students.

I cannot count the times when he has encouraged me when I felt as if I was not a good enough musician to succeed in my life. He inspires every student he comes in contact with to put their best self forward and never give up on themselves, even when a setback occurs. His lessons are full of wisdom and never fail to assist students in their day to day lives, such as the one he imparted upon us that day in my sophomore year. When I am older and reflect upon my high school career, I will always see Mr. Heroux as the noble and caring person who I aspire to be.

Mr. Porter – The Most Special Teacher

Story by Dr. Mechele Newell

Hello, I’m Dr. Newell and I am super-excited about your proposal to share a story of inspiration because I am nothing but a person who comes from stories of inspiration. So I want to share a story about the most special teacher I have ever had. And his name was Mr. Porter. He taught at John F. Kennedy High School in Cleveland, Ohio, the inner city. Okay, I’m talking about the inner city and I transferred to that school my junior year, I believe. And I was put in an Algebra 2 with Trigonometry Course and everyone told me, “Mr. Porter is the worst. Mechele, he’s going to require so much of you.” And so I thought, “I don’t really want to be in this class.”

I mean, I am in an inner-city school where no one cares about what these kids are doing. Why do you care so much, right? But let me just give you a glimpse of Mr. Porter. Mr. Porter was a black man probably in his forties, I’m thinking, maybe late forties. Now that I’m an adult, right? He wore a blue button-down cardigan, pretty much similar to the look of Mr. Rogers from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. He did not really mix and mingle with the students but he knew everything about you. He had this way of having enough information about you to literally scare you. He never yelled. He never raised his voice. You never saw him physically do anything harmful to students.

But in a school where we had some really rough students, everyone feared Mr. Porter. First of all, you’re in a school where not many of the educators in that school thought much of the students, all right? And on top of all of that, you have this course that is considered to be a college prep course. And you have a bunch of black and brown students in the class that we feel like we’re kind of elite, right? Because look around, right? Look at where you are and look at us. We’re sitting in this class, so we are already the elite group. So we kind of demanded some respect, if you will. Just based on that alone, well, Mr. Porter wasn’t one of those men.

He felt like all of the students at that school should be able to perform at this level. And this level was not the level most teachers expected from the students. And so just to give you an example, when you started in his class, he would tell you, “No one will leave my class with a grade lower than a B.” And so you’re excited, this guy is going to be great. He’s going to give us points. It’s going to give us extra credit. And that was not the case at all. Mr. Porter demanded that every time you were awake, walking anywhere, that you would have his Algebra 2 with Trigonometry book on your person.

And if he did not see you walking around with that book, he would deduct points. And then you’d have to earn them back by doing some extra work. And you already didn’t want to do the work that you had. So I don’t even know why we thought this was something he could do. But if he saw you at the mall, seriously, if he saw you at Burger King, which was across the street, you had better had that textbook on you. We all feared Mr. Porter but not because he was mean, not because he was hateful, not because he said disparaging things, but because he had this level of expectation that just did not fit in our environment, it just didn’t.

Nobody expected anything of us but for him to expect everybody to earn B’s, all right or greater, right, higher grades? And to expect to see kids that most folks called, knuckleheads, good-for-nothings, to expect to see us anywhere we could walk, right? To have our books with us, that was just, that was scary, yet he earned our respect. And I will honestly say that anything and everything that I know about math right now is because of that man. Now this was an Algebra 2 with Trigonometry Course, you would have thought, right? That I had picked up some of my math, my love for math or my skill in math at an earlier age.

But everything that I learned from him solidified whatever I had been taught before. And normally you would look for a strong foundation of math and then you would grow on top of that. But it happened in a backward way for me. And most of the kids in our class, being in a district where … You can look up the Cleveland Public or Cleveland Municipal School District, that school district remember had a good reputation, all right? Especially when it came to dealing with students who look like me. And so our foundation was not sturdy, it was not strong at all. Yet we were still matriculating and still being pushed through the system.

And so to end up in a class with a man who loved math as much as he did, he wasn’t even excited when he taught it. He just taught it with such ownership, that you knew that he knew what he was talking about and you really wanted to know, as well. He made you believe that you could do it. He did not ever offer you a way out. It was always, this is what you’re going to do because I said, “You can do it.” I say that he inspired me the most because I find myself having that same passion for my students’ learning. And I find myself telling them, “Look at me. You can do this because I said you can do it. Not because I’m the boss of you but because I see it in you.

And because I am going to do whatever it takes to make sure you have the tools that you need to master this skill.” His impact, it didn’t just have an influence on me while I was in his school or in his class, but it has had an influence and an impact on everything that I have touched since knowing him. I realize that I can do all things, that there is nothing outside of my reach. That just because other people may not feel I have an ability to do something, that does not make it true, it does not make it so.

And so that’s why I choose Mr. Porter. Even after leaving that school, my family had to move to another area and I had to leave John F. Kennedy High School. I wound up going to a school called Garfield Heights High School in the Greater Cleveland area but it’s actually a suburb. And that was my senior year. And when I got there, the guidance counselor told me that I should just go to junior college. She laughed at me when I told her I wanted to go to Notre Dame College of Ohio, which is a women’s college. She laughed so hard. She literally fell over in her chair. She said, “You’ll never make it in a four-year.”

And I honestly believe what made me push past all of that, was what had been instilled in me by Mr. Porter in that math class that I had taken just the year prior. I had him for the entire year. He was an amazing, amazing teacher. But most importantly, he sowed seeds of hope. And having that experience after I transferred out and being able to, now as an adult, reflect on all that I went through academically from my childhood through adulthood and now they call me doctor, I can’t help but recognize him for his influence and his inspiration. So that’s my story. That’s my story. Thank you so much just for allowing us this opportunity to reflect on what good teaching or what good leadership or what good solid inspiration looks like in the classroom.

In Loving Memory of and Tribute to Mrs. Katie Pugh Smith

Story by Dr. Cecil W. Payton

As young African American males growing up in the ’50s and ’60s in the tiny segregated town of Orangeburg, South Carolina, African American students naturally were relegated to attending segregated schools based on skin color.

Katie P. Smith

I remember well how we were bussed past the all-white schools to the all-Black schools that were not nearly as well equipped. That did not, however, deter us from seeking the best education that we could get. Although our schools were not as well equipped, we had some of the best, highly qualified black teachers who really cared about their students and went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that we were fully prepared for the next chapter in our lives.

One such teacher was the late Mrs. Katie P. Smith, a loving and caring teacher who had such a profound effect on my life. She and her husband, Hampton D. Smith were both educators, he a professor at Claflin College (now university), and she an elementary/middle school teacher in the Orangeburg County Public School System. In addition, their home was on the same street as my family’s, only about a half-mile apart. I remember vividly how they would wave in their car as they passed by our home every day on the way to work. I was fortunate enough to have had Mrs. Smith as my sixth and seventh-grade teacher.

Initially, she was supposed to only have been my sixth-grade teacher, but she was so impressed with our class that she asked to move up one grade so that she could be our seventh-grade teacher also. Of course, we were delighted because she was such a wonderful teacher who always encouraged us to do our best. She truly believed that we could be anything that we wanted to be and would always find something extra for us to learn.

One of the things that endeared me so much to her was the time when I was the only student in a class of about 30 students who spelled all 100 of the words correctly on a spelling test. She was so proud of me that she had me stand in front of the class as she shared my test result. The excitement and enthusiasm in her voice were so exhilarating to me that I still remember the moment as if it were only yesterday. That moment instilled in me the confidence that I needed to succeed. Even today, I can still hear her voice as she said, “Cecil, I am so proud of you.”

In addition to being great in the classroom, Mrs. Smith was also an avid outdoor person. She loved to take us on field trips to explore nature.

Dr. Cecil W. Peyton – then and now.

On one particular trip, we all had to remove pine tree seedlings from a tree farm and plant and nurture them in our respective yards at home. Having grown up on a farm, I was so excited that I planted three pine trees at my home.

As those trees grew over the years, they continuously reminded me of Mrs. Smith who passed away about 35 years ago. It was only about five years, however, ago that we had to have the last of the three trees removed from the family’s estate for fear of it being struck by lightning. However, that site is marked by a ring of beautiful azalea plants that our mother planted years ago.

Yes, Mrs. Katie P. Smith was very special to me. I only wish that she could have lived long enough to witness the person that I have become.

Cecil W. Payton, PhD – The Kid from the “Wrong Side of the Railroad Tracks”

As the Presidential transition begins, one question is on every school leader’s mind. Who will be the next Secretary of Education?

For charter school leaders, the question is even more critical. Once universally accepted 20 years ago, charter schools have become—as many other issues have—an issue deeply divided across party lines, across the country’s varied geographic regions and demographic segments. The current uncertainty surrounding who takes the job makes for uncertain times for all those associated with the educational choice movement.

Charter school leaders are mavericks, charting their own course, often in the face of big challenges, often with odds stacked against them. And yet, in spite of it all, charter schools grow, the movement grows, and students thrive.

All of this can be made easier or more difficult by the Secretary of Education.

POLL: Who would you want to see as Secretary of Education?

Last year, Biden promised his pick would be an educator.

“First thing, as president of United States – not a joke – first thing I will do is make sure that the secretary of education is not Betsy DeVos,” he said at a National Education Association forum for presidential candidates. “It is a teacher. A teacher. Promise.”

As early as May of this year, Forbes Magazine speculated that Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Michael Bennet, Sonja Brookins Santelises, currently CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, or even the soon-to-be First Lady, Jill Biden – a college professor herself – could be President-elect Biden’s top choice for the job.

The May article in Forbes Magazine also mentioned:

Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman — Kentucky’s lieutenant governor and former public school teacher and principal.
Governor Tony Evers — Wisconsin’s governor and former superintendent of public instruction.
Lily Eskelsen Garcia — president of the influential teachers’ union, the National Education Association.
Randi Weingarten — president of the influential teachers’ union, the American Federation of Teachers.
Michael Sorrell — president of Paul Quinn College and alumnus of the Clinton Administration.
Freeman Hrabowski – president of the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Should the position be offered to her, Randi Weingarten is unlikely to accept. In an interview Monday, she said, “I’m really happy doing what I’m doing. I’d be happy working with the Biden administration as president of the AFT (American Federation of Teachers).”

In September, DiverseEducation.com featured the list of potential picks. This list included former U.S. Secretary of Education and now president and CEO of the Education Trust John B. King Jr., and former U.S. Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education Jim Shelton, Rep. Alma Adams, who leads the Bipartisan Historically Black Colleges and Universities Caucus, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Joyce Beatty and Rep. Frederica Wilson.

In early November, Chalkbeat floated names, including Janice Jackson, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, Sonja Brookins Santelises, the head of Baltimore schools, and William Hite, Philadelphia superintendent. These candidates have worked harmoniously with charter schools in the part, and are also the preferred candidates of DFER – Democrats for Education Reform.

Several commenters in this article mentioned Carol Corbett Burris.

However, at a recent event Biden campaign’s policy director Stef Feldman said that “the vice president is pretty committed to the concept that we need to be investing in our public neighborhood schools and we can’t be diverting funding away from them.”

According to InsideHigherEd.com, Lodriguez Murray, the United Negro College Fund’s vice president of public policy and government affairs, said that if asked by the transition, he’d suggest Rep. Alma Adams, a Democratic congresswoman from North Carolina and a former professor at Bennett College, a historically Black institution for women in Greensboro, N.C., who was instrumental in pushing to make federal funding for HBCUs permanent.

The Washington Post reported pointed at Tony Thurmond, the California state superintendent of public instruction; Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, a Democrat from Connecticut and a former national teacher of the year; Betty Rosa, New York state’s interim commissioner of education; and Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Denise Juneau are under consideration.

EducationPost.org gives a nod to many of the main names mentioned thus far, but adds a few names to the list: Sandra Boham – president of Salish Kootenai College in Montana, Fidel Vargas – president and CEO of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Susan Bunting – former superintendent of the year, Rep. Susie Lee – founder of Afterschool All-Stars in Las Vegas, NV, and former Governor of Massachussetts Jane Swift – who’s been focused on educational improvement through classroom innovation and technology solutions at LearnLaunch.

As one can see, there is no shortage of potential picks. The President-Elect has affirmed he’ll pick a teacher, which narrows it down to some extent. Whoever is chosen will shape the future of education for at least the next four years and, potentially, years to come.

Depending on that person’s opinions of school choice, charter schools could be more accepted – and the divide between teacher unions and charter schools could become less hostile. Alternatively, should President-elect Biden’s Secretary of Education pick not to advocate for the school choice movement, charter schools could face myriad uncertainty in their future.

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We were honored to present two sessions at RAPSA 2020.

As an organization, RAPSA focuses on helping educators working with at-promise students – with an emphasis that given the right support, all students can succeed.

It was fitting therefore that we featured Dr. Ramona Bishop as a speaker. Throughout a career spanning over two decades, Dr. Bishop has been a teacher, assistant principal, assistant superintendent, superintendent and now the CEO of her own public charter school, ELITE Public Schools. Dr. Bishop and her colleagues created Elite with the specific mission of helping under-served students – those students the mainstream system might have left behind.

Dr. Bishop was joined by our own Tricia Blum, VP of business services at Charter School Capital. Prior to joining CSC, Tricia was the CEO of a five-campus charter school – and this experience gives her solid understanding of the challenges faced by school leaders.

Dr. Bishop spoke about the components of ELITE as a school: entrepreneurial skill development, language development, dual-immersion pathway and the African-American and Latino Cultural Heritage program.

Tricia Blum gave some background on Charter School Capital. Our company has supported over 700 charter schools, serving over 1,250,000 students – and has invested over $2 billion in serving charter schools better serve their communities.

As a relatively-young school with a sizable student body (400 students), ELITE transitioned to online learning in Match of 2020 over the course of three days. The transition first started with paper packets distributed to students, but soon moved to Zoom-driven sessions, and email reminders and phone calls.

The transition exposed the huge digital divide in the student population. Many didn’t have a laptop, or internet access. The shortcomings of the original distance learning model became painfully visible. Working with parents, listening to parents’ feedback, input and ideas became paramount.

Lessons Learned

Through this dialog with parents, the charter school learned that this transition required more than just academic support – it required mental-health support, infrastructure, new educational formats, attention to students with focus challenges, student intervention groups.
The school responded by providing small learning groups after class day, the creation of a “learning space,” and ongoing discussions with parents to constantly improve their approach.
Staff and educator wellness became critical. Providing support for the teachers was highly prioritized.

The key takeaway is that a successful school is all about relationships. It hinges on ongoing communication with the key constituent groups – teachers, staff, students, parents, advocates, and the greater community.

Dealing with Uncertainty

Not only were the students confronted with the uncertainty of a global pandemic, but also with unprecedented (in their lifetime) racial strife and a highly-charged political climate, revealing systemic racism and deep divides, all of which signaled threats to an already-vulnerable student population.

The school provided context, by teaching about social-justice protests of the past, pandemics of the past, and past elections. The school used this moment as an opportunity to rethink, rebrand and re-strategize – to find even better ways to be there for the students.

Creative and innovative teachers seized the moment to thrive, leveraging technology, social media and new channels to enhance the student experience and advocate for their students.

Lessons Learned:

Create spaces and moments for students to process current events, and deal with their anxiety and stress

These spaces should be unbiased – including bringing outside third-parties to help navigate these times.

Teachers asking themselves, “how can I make more of a positive impact?” – and the school following this with “how can I better support the teacher?”

On Leadership

Dr. Bishop spoke about the role of a leader. More than a manager, a leader is there to motivate, to inspire, to provide the larger vision. Dr. Bishop calls this “step up, and step back.” Step up, meaning occupy fully the role of a leader. Be willing to be the person who others follow, be willing to be the voice of inspiration and certainty – even when at times that certainty might be hard to muster. And step back, meaning avoid micro-managing, let your teachers and staff exercise their roles fully, allow them to have agency and voice. And step back also to see the bigger picture, to gain perspective, which one can then use to provide vision and inspiration.

Lastly, Dr. Bishop spoke of how leaders should seek support as well. Support from the community, and support from allies and partners. Dr. Bishop spoke about the key role the parents and families of students played in these times, helping the school continue to grow by 20% even in the middle of a pandemic – and the key role of Charter School Capital, providing much needed capital that filled the funding gaps often experienced by a growing school.

Financing Options in the Age of COVID-19

We also brought to RAPSA a presentation on financing options, led by Ryan Eldridge, Senior New Business Specialist.

Ryan spoke about the financial solutions provided by Charter School capital, comparing our solutions to other paths available. He also touched on key factors to consider in making financial decisions at a charter school.

In words that echoed those of Dr. Bishop, Ryan spoke about what’s now officially a recession.

He spoke then about challenges faced in various states:

Schools in Georgia are experiencing a 10% cut in Quality-Based Education (QBE)

In Ohio, there’s a 3% cut in general funding
In Arizona, schools saw an additional $200 million in additional state funding
In Texas there were no cuts, and some schools received additional funding through specific programs

Financing Options

Ryan compared the available options for charter schools: Term loans, RAN or TRAN, Lines of credit, and a flexible funding line. According to Ryan, these should all be evaluated against the following factors: Flexibility, capacity, certainty and cost.

Further, in terms of the cost, this goes beyond just looking at the rate. The rate is influenced by annualized terms, by how it’s applied to the borrowed funds, by how the funds are released, how long the funds are outstanding. Lastly, issuance fees and any ongoing fees can be an important factor. During the webinar, Ryan showed a chart where $1.5M in funds have four different possible total cost:

Ryan’s comparison matrix for the four financing options available showed pros, cons and considerations:

For more information, get in touch with us using the contact form on this site.

Dylan is a Pacific Northwest native, with a passion for advocacy, travel, and equity of resources. After graduating college, he spent time working as a program specialist Nicaragua. With a service-oriented career path, he’s worked in a variety of programs that serve the global community.

Once the executive director of his own non-profit, Dylan works tirelessly to fight towards positive change. With his wife and two year old daughter, he shares his motto “Leave this world a better place than how you found it” and continues to serve.

How did you meet CSC?

After working in Nicaragua, I went back to my Alma-mater Concordia University to work for their Admissions Department where I became friends with Shannon Schrecegost (Inside Sales Manager). She would eventually recruit me to Charter School Capital.

After initially meeting Shannon, I went on to gain my MBA and become executive director of my own non-profit called Our Family in Africa serving children in The Democratic Republic of Congo. We eventually transitioned operations to larger non-profits and 6 months later I started at Charter School Capital.

How would you explain CSC and your position?

CSC creates a better financial and operating situation for charter schools so they can create the best possible educational situation for their students. My part in the organization is to extend our brand, our mission, and our message to as many organizations as we can possibly effect.

What brings you joy?

My family, travel, and making a difference in this interconnected global community. Professionally, it’s definitely talking and building relationships with individual schools and their school leaders.

When did you learn about this line of work? What called you to it?

Prior to my recruitment by Shannon, I knew very little about charter schools. Once I started, I came to understand the type of individualized education that charter schools could provide students. That’s what made me stay in this industry.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

A Jet Plane! That was my dream, I was told “You could be anything” and I thought “Awesome, then I’m going to be a jet plane” Be careful what you say to kids, because they might take it quite literally, right?

Over the years, what wisdom have you learned?

Savor moments and Save up the Sleep. Especially before you have kids!

From your position, how do you impact charter schools?

As an account manager, I provide financial education to school leaders, high-functioning school facilities, and business related assistance to schools and students alike.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Literally, my daughter hollering at me from her room. But other than her, there’s always been a driving force of leaving the world a better place than where I found it.

What’s something about you that might be surprising?

I was the mascot for Concordia University (my alma mater) when I was a student. His name was Carlos the Cavalier.

If you could create a new class subject, what would it be?

Healthy Dating, especially for young adults. In terms of social reactions, learning what you want, communication, and what your goals are. That would have helped me at that age.

What piece of advice would you give to recent graduates?

Don’t be afraid to speak Up. An early lesson from my father was, “When you start a new job, spend six months learning, asking questions and then start speaking up and speak loud when you have ideas” Your voice will be heard be welcomed.

In your view, what does the world need more of? Less of?

We need less division
More willingness to work together to create a positive way forward.

What do you hope to see for the future of charter schools?

Acceptance. Taking a step back from the political conversations, an issue I see is the lack of focus on actual students in debate of charter schools. Once folks see the faces of the students, their stories and their realities, it’ll be expressed that charters are strong, viable and replicable options for communities.

What do you hope to see for the Future of CSC?

I hope we continue to dive in the business solution area, partnering with more organizations and be a driving force for policy work. We could position ourselves to be at the forefront of the charter movement, getting our name out there and gaining more connections. Coming from a non-profit background, I’ve experienced firsthand the power in partners and having connections, I hope we can expand our allies in that light.

We recently had the honor of having Dr. Poland speak to us for the second time this year – this time focusing on upcoming vaccines.

Titled “SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines: Principles, Prejudices, Pipelines, Porcupines, and Products,” Dr. Poland’s presentation gives a comprehensive view at the state of COVID-19 vaccines today, and what we can expect in the months to come.

Principles:
Dr. Poland sets the tone of his presentation by emphasizing that science has a rational and defined basis – it has to be free of political bias, it has to be peer-reviewed, repeatable and generalizable, agnostic to results.

Prejudices:
Dr. Poland addresses the massive political and economic conflicts of interest that are impacting global response to COVID-19.

Porcupines:
Here Dr. Poland speaks about public perception, transparency of research, and the cacophony of misinformation in public and social media. He cites the public harm done by press releases about hydroxychlorine as an example.

Products:
While there are multiple vaccines in development, there are no vaccines currently licensed in the U.S., and there is an uncertain regulatory pathway for them to reach mass distribution.

Ideal Vaccine Profile:

● Excellent safety profile
● Can be quickly mass-produced
● Is stable at room temperature (to avoid chain and transportation issues)
● Can be stored indefinitely
● Mass-administration mechanisms that do not require highly-trained health care providers

In the webinar, Dr. Poland describes the nature and function of frontrunner and up-and-coming vaccines.

Adenovirus-Vectored Vaccines:

AstroZeneza
Johnson Johnson/Jannsen
Sputnik-V
CanSino – d5

MRNA Vaccines

Pfizer/BNT
Moderna

Up-and-coming Vaccines:

S-Protein Vaccines

Novavax
PittCoVacc
GSK-Dynavax

In the webinar, Dr. Poland compares the approach and potential efficacy of these vaccines in development, describes their effects on primates – including side effects and conditions, and their strong points and weaknesses in terms of potential mass production and distribution.

Dr. Poland addresses the recent Pfizer press release, with the widely-distributed claim of 90% effectiveness – sharing the several limitations and caveats behind this headline.

We invite you to watch the webinar, available here.

Virus Mutation

Dr. Poland addresses the recent headline from Houston News about the virus mutation. The strain medical practitioners are encountering currently is labeled D614G – a different strain than the original virus. While this new strain does not bring with is increased mortality, it has different behaviors that influence treatment.

Additionally, continuous mutation of the virus may make it a moving target, limiting the efficacy of developed vaccines. This may prove a key factor in getting the pandemic under control.

Human Behavior

Sadly, human behavior is a major factor in controlling this health crisis. The reluctance of the American public to socially distance and/or wear masks creates a major challenge. Dr. Poland attributes this behavior to the fact that the U.S. is driven by a “me” culture rather than a “we” culture. To some people, it is inconceivable that they be slightly inconvenienced in order to protect public safety. In Asian cultures, such behavior does not occur, because of social pressors that drive empathic/selfless conduct.

Stuart Ellis, CEO of Charter School Capital, talks also about the challenges caused by contradictory sources of information, offering conflicting views. Dr. Poland offers a humorous view of this, saying that his approach is, “what does your grocery store clerk think of your health condition? What does your mechanic think of your health condition?” – which of course prompts the reaction, “why would I ask HER?” – and that is the whole point. Why would one look to Fox News, or some pundit, as a reliable source of health information, over sources such as the CDC or the FDA. Dr. Poland further suggests one look at academic and clinical sources such as the Mayo Clinic or Harvard University.

Tensions

Dr. Poland speaks about the tension of speed vs. safety in terms of bringing vaccines to market. Vaccines often have side effects, and the severity of the side effects and the percentage of patients such side effects may affect, are key factors in the decisions of approving, mass-producing and distributing a vaccine.

While this is a quick summary, we encourage you to watch the full webinar. It provides highly-valuable information which will bring you much-needed certainty, from a reputable, highly-trustable source.

Watch the webinar here

The 2020 CPICS conference kicked off with a strong start from a plenary panel moderated by Ricardo Mireles, leader of Academia Avance, and with speakers Cris Gulacy-Worrel of Oakmont Education, Debbie Verney of the National Alliance of Public Schools, Aaliyah Hodge of the University of St. Thomas, and Sonia Park of the Diverse Charter Schools Coalition.

Assuming the conference organizers intended for this panel to set the conference’s tone, the panel delivered – and then some. More than a conversation, this panel was a rallying cry, a call to action.

It’s worth noting that Ricardo Mireles and Cris Gulacy-Worrel recently joined forces with Angelica Solis-Montero of the Coalition for L.A. Excellent Public Schools to speak up on this very topic. In a recent opinion piece published in the Orange County Register, they argued that Democrats need to know that Black and Latino families will not abandon self-determination in choosing the public educational option that is best for their children.

A New Day – and An Unstable Time

Ricardo started the conversation by talking about the political sea change in the wake of the elections. The undeniable reality of the moment is that there’s a changing of the guard, which brings chaos, uncertainty, and an opportunity. With that, Ricardo asked the panelists the poignant question, “what is the game plan?”

The first panelist to speak was Cris, and Ricardo made it a point to ask her specifically about Ohio’s educational environment (or perhaps this would be better said as the political environment in Ohio as it refers to education).

Cris emphasized that this is a very unconventional, unstable time and therefore the game plan is not set in stone. In her view, the focus is really in the Secretary of Education. In Cris’ opinion, this will be like a rock thrown in the water, and we’ll have to see the many ripples it creates.

The View from Ohio

In Ohio, historically, charter schools have been supported by the Republican party, shared Cris. Consequently, the current temperature is moderate. Ohio might be more open to school choice going forward. Vouchers remain incredibly contentious, as those go to private schools. And the big challenge is that far too often, people lump charter schools with vouchers, not understanding the differences.

Cris shared how she is personally taking a lot of her time and effort to speak to caucuses, and all kinds of people, trying to get them to understand school choice is about self-determination; that school choice is a human right. Cris stresses how frustrating it is for her as a woman, as a Latina, to see this disconnect on the Left, where her self-determination is validated when it comes to reproductive rights but dwindles when it comes to being able to steer the academic future of her child.

Plants Need Sunlight

In lamenting the lack of support for charter schools from the Left, Cris uses a metaphor: “We’re plants, and we adapt – but we have no sunlight. We want that support. We want the sunlight so that we can grow to our potential.”

“I’m Cuban American,” says Cris. “I’m really hounding what does it mean to be progressive. What does it mean to pursue self-determination? Why does a white woman get to say what’s best for my children? When does the lever get pulled, that my actual choice is no longer viable? Why, once my child is born, am I no longer able to understand what’s best for my children, what’s best for my family? Because the neighborhood school may not be working for someone. And these are public charter schools, and it’s no longer good enough to say ‘Yeah but.’”

Debbie Verney spoke next. She emphasized the current focus on educating both candidates in the runoff election. “We’re not just bipartisan – we don’t have permanent enemies, we don’t have permanent friends. If you’re with us, good. And if you’re not, we’re coming for you,” she said.

Debbie quoted a study by the Georgia Charter Schools Association, which states that upwards of 65% of all people in Georgia support charter schools. Across the political aisle, race or income. The National Alliance is deploying digital ads to target the runoff candidates to publicly let them know that charter schools understand what support looks like in their state.

The Next Secretary of Education: Needed Criteria

Debbie explained how the immediate focus is the Secretary of Education. “Rather than picking winners or siding with candidates, we’re talking about what a good candidate should look like.”

Debbie is thrilled about the Alliance’s collaboration with the Freedom Coalition for Charter Schools in drafting several letters that list what qualities define a good candidate for Secretary of Education:

Here are the criteria:

Students and families first – someone who doesn’t place special interests above students and families
Commitment to high-quality schools – the right person would not be committed to a governance model over high-quality schools. They would be agnostic in this regard and express the flexibility and curiosity to look for the solutions shown to be working.
Empowering teachers and leaders – the right candidate would allow school leaders to serve the students. They’d give the leaders adequate flexibility.
Reimagine learning – “We’re not stone-age capitalists anymore, so new models. A candidate stuck in the Stone Age won’t be a good Secretary of Education,” says Debbie.
Equity in education – It’s time to empower Black and Brown schools. It’s time to lift up Black and Brown students.
Systems experience – and here Debbie takes an aside to clarify that it shouldn’t be restricted to District experience. The candidate should not be ideological – they’ll need to work with a diversity of stakeholders, so a balanced perspective is essential.

Aaliyah Hodge spoke next, highlighting the educational scene in Minnesota. She introduced herself as the charter school authorizer for the University of St. Thomas as well as the Vice President of the charter school authorizers association. Aaliyah also runs a youth-driven Nonprofit she founded, called People for PSEO (Post-Secondary Enrollment Options).

Before expounding about Minnesota charters, Aaliyah took a moment to answer a question from the audience: “Doesn’t the move to charter schools signal the privatization of schools?”

“I don’t know what is more public than a group of community leaders who come together to decide this is what I want our kids to learn. Parents involved. Students involved. I don’t know anything more public than that,” says Aaliyah.

The View from Minnesota

Diving into education in Minnesota, Aaliyah shared some statistics. There are 167 charter schools in Minnesota, serving approximately 62,000 kids. Enrollment increased from 10,000 in 2001 to 62,000 in 2020, representing 7% of public school enrollment.

According to Aaliyah, 50% of the students are urban and 50% suburban. Many/most are from low-income families, and many are students of color. In terms of Special Ed, she has not seen a difference between District numbers and numbers in charter schools. All of this disproves the notion of charter schools cherry-picking students.

Aliyah described that her group meets with education financing committees. “We talk about charter schools,” she says. “We do one-on-ones with elected officials. We work on encouraging elected leaders to visit charter schools.”

Aliyah’s work includes building coalitions – including the MN Parent Union, the Senate for School Change, the Minnesota Charter School Association, and other policy organizations.

Aliyah spoke about the importance of student-led and school-led initiatives and her work in her own youth-led nonprofit. “None of us are lobbyists, but it’s important to have the people directly impacted by policies to lead these conversations. Student-led efforts, involving parents and students.”

Aliyah encourages school leaders not to assume anything. Both Democrats and Republicans will surprise you, she says. “Oh, my son goes to a charter school,” or, “I went to a charter school.”

“Stories matter,” says Aliyah. “Anecdotal data combined with quantitative data.”

She says it’s vital to meet legislators and elected officials and force them to challenge their assumptions – listing as an example the notion that charter schools don’t have elective boards. Charter schools DO have elective boards. And there are many other misassumptions.

“Working with young people requires actual engagement. Youth engagement is all about cooperation. They should influence the decisions that are made. We allow them leadership roles. We allow them to be advocates and advisors.”

The View from New York

Sonia Park spoke next and also started with a brief introduction. The Diverse Charter Schools Coalition represents 65 (and growing) intentionally-diverse charter school organizations, representing over 190 charters across 22 states and DC.

“We’re moving forward, and we’re not waiting on folks to tell us how to do things or how to move forward,” said Sonia.

She spoke about the uncertainty of education in New York. She also touched on New York City-specific challenges, such as the 250-charter school cap in the city, the conflation of screen public schools (magnet schools) and charter schools, and the problem of ‘zombie charters.’

Sonia also spoke of the need to identify allies. She says of how the effort has become hyperlocalized, needing to do a lot of local outreach, so they get to know you at an individual level as a school – as well as a re-education to officials.

“We Need to Lift Our Voices”

Sonia boasted proudly of charter schools meeting the challenge not just about pandemic but social justice – acting as a neighborhood hub for wi-fi, food distribution, and other necessities during the pandemic.

“We need to lift our voices and explain what we are, the populations that we serve. We ARE a part of the community. We represent the community – we have to be VOCAL.” Says Sonia.

“Some don’t want to make a lot of noise, the attention to pass by, not attract attention. I recommend the opposite. You don’t have to say “we’re better than our district counterpart,” but it’s uplifting your voice, which is very needed, especially with what’s happening right now.”

The Lowest Nail

Cris] brought up a metaphor of her own: “In Ohio, we have the mentality of the lowest nail. The lowest nail doesn’t get the hammer. I disagree. Now is the time to start amplifying what we’re doing. It doesn’t have to be a competition. We’re showcasing.”

Cris believes charter schools need to get rid of the lowest nail mindset. “Let’s be brave,” she urges.

Next, Debbie spoke about racism. She said, “It’s time to unpack the role of the white progressive. People who are ideologically aligned with us, but we seem to fall apart on charter schools. What’s in the mind of the white progressive? Why you have BLM sign, and you want to get rid of charter schools?”

She continued that they heard things like, “I understand why people like charter schools. But I just don’t think we should have them. I understand they serve our kids better. But I just don’t think we should have them.”

Taking the cue from Debbie, Aliyah also chimed in about racism. “Minnesota has been dubbed The Great White North. It’s incredible “not woke,” she says, looking for a graceful way to express an ungraceful reality. “They think chartering is a way for white folks to keep their kids away from district schools.”

“We have a lot of zombie authorizers. People who say, ‘well, our job is just oversight. We don’t need to do any advocacy.’ We need to be IN THIS. We can’t just sit on the sidelines.”

“We’ve had so many problems with racism. The state’s teaching force is 94% white. We’ll be increasing teachers of color.”

“We have to use the power that we have and the voice that we have in our platforms to advocate for our kids.”

Sonia Park then gave specific ideas for action.

“Te Left is putting a statement into every district hearing, every organizational hearing. It’s not charter specific, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t put in a highlight of your work. So we’ve put in statements in areas since now everything is Zoom. Verbal statements, written statements, uplifting your voice. In a way that is not as intimidating as going down to city hall.”

Sonia also spoke of being perplexed by white progressives. “I am deep down blue Brooklyn. I used to be an authorizer. My kids went k-8 in charters. And I still get the side-eye. ‘You support charter schools?’” she laughs. “Of course, I support them! We need to make sure that every child, every student can choose the school that is right for them.”

Ricardo reminded the audience of an opportunity: “Let’s be prepared. There’s more opportunity for our voices to be heard since there’s no travel with Zoom.”

Ricardo then brought up a key point about the pandemic, “COVID is about public health. But testing has been under-emphasized. But do you know if you’re asymptomatic right now? Schools can be the catalyst. There’s stuff that we can do about COVID right now – and charter schools are showing how.”

The One Word

Wrapping up, Ricardo asked the panelists for one final word each.

Cris chooses “Resilience.”

Debbie’s word is “Ground game.”

Get your ground game tight. We represent 3.3 million students. They have families. These can be deployed.

Aliyah’s word is “Platform.” She said, “Everyone has a platform. Use it. Our kids matter, our parents matter, our students matter.”

Sonia’s is “Fearless.” She said, “We need to keep pushing and not be afraid to do this right now. Crunch time. Policy. Funding. All of these things are happening now. Be fearless.”

To which Ricardo adds, COVID is scary – and we should be scared—but not paralyzed. Not panicked. Our concerns should lead us to action – we should not be afraid of taking action.

Jake Logan, President and CEO of the Arizona Charter Schools Association, briefed the audience about the presidential election and Senate seats in Arizona, along with the statewide races.

Mr. Logan reminded us this year neither the governor nor the superintendent of schools were on the ballot, but there were three open seats for corporation commissioners. Mr. Logan shared his opinion that the seats are likely to go to Republican Lea Márquez Peterson, who Gov. Doug Ducey appointed to the commission, Republican Jim O’Connor, who originally came in as a write-in candidate, and Democrat Anna Tovar, who is finishing a term as Tolleson Mayor.

Echoing the Associated Press, Mr. Logan stated that Congressman David Schweikert would likely defeat Dr. Hiral Tipirneni for AZ 6th Congressional District Representative.

In Eastern Arizona, the race in Legislative District Six, which includes the city of Flagstaff, was between Republicans Walt Blackman and Brenda Barton on the Republican side, and Coral Evans (Democrat) and Art Babbott (Independent). In a close race, both Republicans are expected to secure the seats.

Mr. Logan spoke of the demographic flip in Legislative District Eighteeen, which includes Ahwatukee, where Democrat incumbents came ahead, and in LD20 – another Democrat pickup, with Representative Judy Schwiebert gaining a seat. Also in LD20, Republican Paul Boyer —a charter school teacher—is favored to win against Democrat Doug Ervin in a very competitive race. LD20 includes parts of Phoenix and Glendale.

In LD21, it seemed to be a tight race but did not play out that way, with Republicans maintaining Senate and House seats. Senate President Karen Fann is expected to continue acting in her leadership role.

LD28 is another district that has seen a massive voter shift in the last five or six years. Christine Marsh, a teacher, seems likely to win against Sen. Kate Brophy McGee once all votes are counted.

Ballot Initiatives

Prop 207, legalizing marihuana for adults, was passed. Mr. Logan was asked if any of the taxes from this initiative would go toward schools, and he replied that he does not believe so.

Prop 208 “Invest in Ed” passed, with a very robust campaign. It will go into effect in January, and they’ll start collecting taxes in January – so schools are not likely to see resources realized in that school year. Charter schools are included in 208. Mr. Logan mentioned he does not know how much it means at a school level, but he provided a few estimates.

What’s Next

The Election Results will be certified at the end of November by the Secretary of State and the Governor – at which point the results will be official. House and Senate caucuses will elect their leading teams.

In the Arizona House of Representatives, Michelle Udall — a former member of the Mesa school board — and Representative Russell Bowers are both keeping their positions as Speakers. Russell Bowers began serving as state House speaker in 2019.

The JLBC (Joint Legislative Budget Committee) will then start working on a budget, likely announced in January.

In terms of charter schools, the Association will be sharing updates, especially in terms of mandates concerning COVID-19. Mr. Logan mentioned the Association would hold additional calls to update charter schools on any changes.