This year’s National Charter Schools Conference in Austin was such a great chance to connect with so many charter leaders from across the nation.

Our main session, How to Buy Your School: Getting the Timing Right, covered how to prepare for the ideal buying conditions, how much to budget, and how to identify the right timing. Audience members also heard from Wes Graner and Marshall Emerson on building and improving their schools’ forever homes to accommodate growth.

We also partnered with the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools in offering the Leadership Lab, a space dedicated to developing your skills through engaging in on-stage conversations and one-on-one consultations with industry experts. We hosted conversations about mental health, engaging the community, marketing materials, and website best practices. At our booth, we handed out 1,000+ pairs of #welovecharterschools socks and connected with leaders about how we can best serve schools this coming school year.

A Top Concern for the Second Year in a Row: Teacher Retention

Along with enrollment, school buildings, and money to run schools, a top concern we heard from school leaders: teacher retention and well-being. This is what we heard last year, too.

It comes as no surprise that teacher retention remains a top concern. Just this week, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools reported on a recent poll that focused on the state of teachers’ well-being and job satisfaction .

Here are key takeaways from the poll:

Teacher stress: The poll reveals that teachers continue to face significant stress in their profession, which can impact their overall well-being.
Lack of respect: Many teachers feel a lack of respect from the community, parents, and even their own students, which contributes to their stress levels.
Job satisfaction: Despite the stress and perceived lack of respect, teachers reported higher levels of job satisfaction compared to the previous year.
Pandemic impact: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on teachers, with increased workload, burnout, and challenges associated with remote and hybrid learning.
Politics: Most public school teachers express their desire to keep politics from interfering with their teaching responsibilities. The survey, which included responses from over 1,200 teachers, revealed that 91 percent of teachers feel caught in the middle of culture wars, while 94 percent want to focus on teaching.
Support from colleagues: Teachers reported finding solace and support from their colleagues, indicating the importance of a strong professional network.
Mental health concerns: The poll highlights the need for increased attention to teachers’ mental health and the importance of providing resources and support.
Appreciation from students: Despite feeling disrespected by some students, teachers also reported feeling appreciated by others, which can positively impact their well-being.

Overall, the poll suggests that while teachers face various challenges and stressors in their profession, they still find satisfaction in their work when they receive support from colleagues and students. However, addressing teacher stress, increasing respect, and promoting mental health support remain crucial for improving teacher well-being.

The findings prompted Nina Rees, CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, to express gratitude towards teachers and emphasize the need for increased support based on their feedback. “We owe an immense debt of gratitude to teachers,” she said in response to the findings. “We must listen to what they are telling us and do more to support them.”

Teacher Retention Resources

Our mission is to help school leaders get where they’re going—and that means providing the money, resources, and know-how to help create thriving schools. You can find the following free resources to support teacher retention:

Teacher Retention for 2023 & Beyond: How to Build a Lasting Relationship

Join Dr. Charlotte Pullins and Professor Tuan Nguyen to discover what you can do to create lasting relationships with your educators.

You’ll learn:

The facts on why teachers are leaving the profession
Ways to offer support and encourage teacher growth
Tips for managing your school so that teachers are excited to stay

Hiring and Supporting Special Education Teachers

To attract and retain special education teachers, schools can show they can provide what these teachers need to thrive in their roles. Watch this webinar with expert Ingrid Wulczyn of Project IDEA to improve your school’s special education teacher recruitment, hiring process, and ability to provide needed, ongoing support.

You’ll learn how to:

Support your special education teachers so they grow with your school
Write job descriptions that attract passionate and dedicated candidates for special education roles
Ensure each step of the hiring process reflects an understanding of special education teachers’ unique roles

Teacher Retention Guide

The guide includes insights from Dr. Charlotte Pullins, founder of ELC Training and Consulting LLC and renowned specialist on diversity and inclusion for charter schools. It includes a recruitment process plan and an action plan template for charter schools to address their specific retention problems and track progress.

You’ll discover:

Best practices for building strong teacher-school relationships
How to promote growth and provide leadership opportunities
How to support teacher wellness, encourage autonomy, and give teachers a voice
Tips for recruiting and retaining teachers of color
Ways you can create an inclusive and equitable school environment
How to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging

We value this kind of feedback from charter leaders and plan to continue providing resources on teacher retention. If you have a concern you’d like us to cover, please let us know!

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

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

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

Here’s how the 2022 answers compare to two years ago:

The top three concerns remained consistent—enrollment, teacher retention, and finding a forever home.
In 2019, enrollment was the highest-ranking concern. But in 2022, the top concern changed—one quarter of leaders stated that retaining teachers was their most pressing issue.

Blog Featured image 2022 NCSC Survey Results 2019

Blog Featured image 2022 NCSC Survey Results

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

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

Teacher Retention

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

Filling Classrooms

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

Finding A Forever Home

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

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

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

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

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

Digital Rebrand Bar Sessions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We look forward to seeing you there!

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

“The Future of…” Conference Sessions

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

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

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

Download the Session Presentation or our Facilities guide

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

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

Download the Session Presentation or our Digital Marketing guide

The Digital Rebrand Bar

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

#welovecharterschools Socks

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

Check out the video below for a little sneak peek.

What Were Your Biggest Charter School Challenges in 2019?

This year, at the National Charter Schools Conference, we asked the visitors to our Charter School Capital booth one simple question…”What is the biggest challenge that charter schools face?”. We had 248 respondents from states all across the nation, and while not an enormous number to provide clear statistical significance, we did find the results interesting and thought you might too. In this post, we’re sharing the results of our survey with you.

Overall Highlights:

24% of respondents said that increasing or sustaining enrollment was a top challenge
19% said that retaining teachers was their biggest challenge
16% of respondents said that accessing/improving facilities was their top challenge

Leverage a full suite of best-in-class digital and traditional marketing services to attract more families to your school! Charter School Capital’s Enrollment Marketing Program is designed to positively impact your charter school’s viability by boosting enrollment numbers through targeted marketing efforts

Notable Highlights, State Specific:

More than 1/3 of our California respondents said increasing or sustaining enrollment was their greatest challenge
In Michigan, retaining teachers was the leading challenge by a wide margin (20 of 31 respondents)
The leading challenge in Florida, according to our respondents was accessing/improving facilities
More than half of the Texas respondents shared that increasing or sustaining enrollment was their greatest challenge. (11 of 18)

Note: Other state responses were spread across the categories with no notable leader and were therefore not called out here.

Achieve long-term stability with our customized charter school facilities financing options which are designed to meet your school’s unique needs. Charter School Capital offers stable and flexible facilities financing product. This is a long-term lease that allows schools to access funding through all stages of growth. As a long-term partner, our team works closely with you as we explore budgetary and financial options to assist you in achieving your facilities goals.

Since the company’s inception in 2007, Charter School Capital has been committed to the success of charter schools. We help schools access, leverage, and sustain the resources charter schools need to thrive, allowing them to focus on what matters most – educating students. Our extensive toolbox of innovative and customizable solutions are designed exclusively for charter schools. This wide range of products and services has been developed to address the diverse set of challenges charter leaders face 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 $2 billion in support of 600 charter schools that have educated over 1,027,000 students across the country. For more information on how we can support your charter school, contact us. We’d love to work with you!

LEARN MORE

Our last two days at the National Charter Schools Conference were a dynamic mix of great keynotes, our second breakout session and lots of networking at our Booth #501.
Tuesday started-off with a keynote by U.S. Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos followed by a Q&A session facilitated by Derrell Bradford, Executive VP of 50CAN. Many charter leaders in attendance were eager to hear how DeVos planned to support charter schools with the current administration’s education budget cuts. DeVos talked about her early experience working to get the first charter school legislation passed in her home state of Michigan, where her husband also started a charter school focused on aviation and STEM.
Her main message to charter school leaders and advocates was to embrace all forms of school choice, including vouchers and tax credits for private schools. “Whatever your own journey looks like, we’re here because we came to the same conclusion that, as a nation, we are simply not doing a good enough job educating our kids,” said DeVos. Critics state that vouchers will divert funds from public schools — both traditional districts and charters.
She also warned against becoming another education bureaucracy resistant to other forms of reform, and that charter schools should not be seen as a “cure-all to the ills that beset education.” DeVos summed up her stance this way, “Education is not a zero-sum game. We should not think of it as such. There is no one right way to help kids learn, and just because a school educates children differently than you might propose to does not make them the enemy. Let’s applaud and encourage others who serve students well. It’s a both/and situation, not an either/or.”
Other speakers from today’s general session included Marc Sternberg, K-12 Education Program Director of the Walton Family Foundation, Margaret Fortune, President and CEO of Fortune Schools, and last but not least, Reed Hastings, the CEO of Netflix. Although most know him for leading the company that has helped change the way people watch TV and movies, he is also well-known in the charter movement. Hastings has been a board member of KIPP charter schools for 10 years.
Hastings’ speech focused on two current trends in science — artificial intelligence, robotics and how these two areas contribute toward science and society. So how does this apply to charter schools and schools in general?
Hastings thinks that technology will continue to play an increasingly central role in education, in particular around personalization. Personalization in technology is what enables apps and services to offer information, content and products that are customized to fit an individual’s taste. Although he believes we will continue to see improvement, but we need to figure out how to deliver it one by one to people. The same concept applies to education – there is more school choice now than ever before, but more work needs to be done to accommodate the unique needs of every student.
His overall message was hopeful, but also requires a show of patience – “human society does change, but it changes slowly. Together, we have the excitement of changing it together.”
We also held our second breakout session on Tuesday, Digital Marketing 101 for Charter Schools – What You Need to Be Successful, which shared tips and best practices for charter schools who are interested in growing their student enrollment and engaging a community through digital marketing. Our panel of experts covered all bases around digital marketing trends and gave a quick rundown of the many tactics that charter schools can test out; including SEO, social media, PPC, retargeting advertising, video marketing, email marketing, and display advertising.
If you missed this session, or our other breakout session, I Need a Better Facility for My School: Now What?, on-demand recordings and slides are available here. You can also watch the Facebook Live recordings of the sessions here as well as on our Facebook page.
Wednesday’s half-day of sessions and the closing session with National Alliance of Public Charter School’s new VP of Advocacy, Amy Wilkins, provided a great wrap-up of many of the themes focused on this week — education, innovation and engagement. The panel particularly addressed ways to get school board members and legislators to take action on education-related bills and budget. Wilkins had two key takeaways: continue to use personal stories to show members why your students and schools are great, and have the courage to push the people whose lobbying we agree with to keep moving forward rather than just focusing on the opposition.

Fellow panel speakers, Dave Winston, President of The Winston Group, Erik Fatemi, VP of Cornerstone Government Affairs, and Lindsay Fryer, VP of the Penn Hill Group discussed the future of federal education policy. Recognizing that the current atmosphere on Capitol Hill is unsettled and tense since the education budget doesn’t reflect both parties’ desires, the panel discussed ways to stay focused on overall advocacy for charter schools and education.
“We must work hard and we must work together to build long-term, sustainable relationships with Congress,” concluded the Honorable Mary Landrieu, Former United States Senator from Louisiana. Her message to attendees — the more compelling your story and more organized your message, the better.

The Charter School Capital team’s bags are packed and we are heading to DC for the 2013 National Charter Schools Conference. We’re proud to be sponsoring this year’s conference as an Operations Strand Sponsor and are looking forward to a lively panel discussion while there.

On Monday, July 1^st, we will share the stage with three charter school leaders in our breakout session, Building a Growth Strategy. Our panelists will map out the three stages of charter school growth from start-up and expansion to sustainability and efficiency. This in-depth discussion will include the challenges charter schools face at each stage, how these organizations overcame those challenges, and best practices to avoid pitfalls and achieve success.
Our distinguished panelists includes:

Michael Connelly, CEO, Mosaica Education
Marshall Emerson, CEO and Co-founder, ICAN Schools
Manny Rivera, CEO, Believe to Achieve
Stuart Ellis, CEO and Co-founder, Charter School Capital

Following our breakout session Monday morning, we will be sharing the presentation on our blog. If you haven’t signed up for our blog yet, please be sure to do so here. We will also be sharing updates, photos, and other breakout session recaps.
For more information about the conference, please click here. If you are attending the conference and interested in checking out some of the local attractions, you can find more information at the DC Convention Center page dedicated to the National Charter School Conference.