email : Webview

Volume II, Issue 3, February 17, 2006
Charter Leader News

This week's Charter Leader News features information on the following . . .

Advocacy News
Recruiting Initiative Update
New Leaders for New Schools Application Deadline
Free, High-Quality Furniture for Charter Schools
Funding Grants for Charter Schools
Science Teachers Forum
Student Art Show and Auction

PROJECT POSTCARD

As many of you know, the Charter Center has been promoting charter schools and a “cap” lift message as part of a media campaign in weekly newspapers, radio and on our Web site. The next phase of our advocacy efforts features a large-scale postcard initiative which targets state lawmakers. For this next phase, we will need the cooperation and assistance of charter school leaders, board members and supporters.

Over the next few weeks, the Center will contact school leaders to arrange for the delivery of copies of our 2006 Charter School Parents Advocacy Guide and a package of postcards (postage paid) with a message urging state lawmakers to raise the cap on public charter schools in New York.

Our goal is to keep the cap lift debate visible and to show state lawmakers – allies and opponents alike – the growing public support for lifting the cap and increasing the number of high-quality charter schools in NYC. With that in mind, we will ask schools to do the following:

Identify upcoming parent meetings, open houses and events involving large numbers of parents and supporters
Disseminate copies of the Parent Advocacy Guide (with a detachable postcard addressed to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver), as well as generic postcards, at these events and ask recipients to sign and provide their home mailing address
Collect the postcards back (write in the name and address of your school's local Assembly Member or State Senator on the generic postcards) and mail

With your help, "Project Postcard" we’ll reinforce to state lawmakers that charter school parents and stakeholders in their districts are organized and unified in their support for a cap lift this legislative session.

Thank you

OPERATIONS NEWS

Charter Center Recruiting Initiative Update

The Charter Center has received nearly 600 resumes from individuals all across the country who are interested in teaching and working in NYC public charter schools. To access the information and participate fully in this initiative, we ask that you commit some training time to our "Job Board" -- which is yours to use for the entire year -- and that you attend the upcoming Job Fair, scheduled for March 18th and 19th at the Brooklyn Marriott Hotel.

Job Board

The Charter Center has contracted with Taleo, a leading provider of recruiting software solutions, to implement and maintain a world-class Job Board for use by all NYC charter schools. (We will be working with Taleo instead of iCIMS' iRecruiter, as was previously announced.) We expect the site - www.nyccharterjobs.com to be live and ready for use by both schools and candidates by March 1. All resumes received by the Center up to that date will be ported into the system and search-able by all schools.

Training

Taleo will offer training sessions on the following dates: March 3 (10am-1pm), March 10 (1pm-4pm) and March 14 (10am-1pm). To book one of the 15 slots available per session, please email Stephanie Lawkins at slawkins@nycchartercenter.org. Only one representative per school or charter management organization (CMO) can apply per session. Please note that Taleo also offers online, self-service tutorials that may be accessed at any time.

Job Announcements

In order to expedite the launch of the Job Board, the Center will take on the responsibility of posting the first round of jobs to appear on the site.
Please email job descriptions to Stephanie Lawkins by February 28. Schools will be expected to post subsequent jobs independently.

Other Job Board-Related Questions

You can email Stephanie Lawkins directly if you have any specific questions related to the implementation of the Job Board. Please know that, while the initial iteration of the site may not be "all things to all people", we will continue to work with you to make it a resource that works for your school and your needs.

Job Fair

As announced in the last edition of Charter Leader News, the Center will be hosting a Charter Schools Job Fair on March 18 and 19 at the Brooklyn Marriott Hotel. To obtain an application form to participate in the Job Fair please click here:

Upon completing the form please email it to Tracy Wright at: twright@nycchartercenter.org. Please submit the form to Tracy by Feb. 28. We encourage you to attend the Job Fair, which is free, and will allow you to meet new candidates, schedule multiple interviews for candidates you already are in touch with, and will include on-site certification verification.

Free High Quality Office Furniture Available:

The Charter Center's facilities consultant, Rose Day of Relocation Management Solutions, Inc., has access to donated desks, conference tables, chairs, file cabinets and bookcases. Interested schools should email Rose Day at rose@relocationmanagement.com or call 516-741-8466. This offer is extended to charter schools on a first come, first served basis so act now.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Charter Schools Program (CSP) and State Stimulus Fund (SSF) Update:

JPS Solutions, a consultant to the Center, continues to work with approximately 12 NYC charter schools on their Planning and Implementation Grant applications, which are due April 28, 2006. The consultant is also working with three NYC charter schools on applications for Continuation Grants, which are due Feb. 28, 2006. A workshop for schools in need of technical assistance will be held on Feb. 27, 2006, from 9am - 11 am, at the Center. A teleconference will be held on March 2, 2006, at 9:30 am to answer questions from grant applicants about the workshop. To participate in one or both of the sessions, please contact Tracy Wright at twright@nycchartercenter.org

Information on the next State Stimulus Fund Request for Proposals (RFP) will be announced during the New York Charter Schools Conference (March 16-18) in a presentation by William Lake of SUNY-CSI. The Center extends congratulations to the 12 NYC charter schools awarded SSF Start-Up Implementation Grants in the last round. Applicants for the next round of grants who need technical support with the application should contact Tony Lopez at alopez@nycchartercenter.org.

Improving Literacy Through School Libraries:

The deadline for applying for the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries grant is April 11, 2006. All NYC charter schools serving elementary school grades should consider applying for this grant, which ranges from $30,000 to $300,000 per award. Interested schools should contact Tracy Wright at twright@nycchartercenter.org to sign up for a March 2, 2006, conference call on application procedures.

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

March 1 Deadline for "New Leaders for New Schools" Applications for 2006-07 Program:

New Leaders for New Schools - a national non-profit organization that promotes high academic achievement for every child by attracting, preparing, and supporting the next generation of outstanding leaders for our nation's urban public schools - is now accepting online applications for the 2006-07 program year. The organization is looking for current or former educators who have an unyielding belief in the potential of all children, a minimum of three years instructional expertise in a K-12 classroom, and a record of success in leading adults. In New York City, there are currently 56 New Leaders including 33 principals.

New Leaders offers a three-year comprehensive program which includes ten weeks of rigorous training; a year-long, paid residency in a public district or public charter school; weekly coaching from successful veteran principals; administrative certification; and two years of ongoing support once on-the-job as a school leader. Applications must be submitted online at www.nlns.org by March 1st.

If you have any questions, please contact Rebecca Ragoonath at rragoonath@nlns.org or (646) 792-1066.

CURRENT EVENTS

Best "Science" Practices Forum at Williamsburg Collegiate Charter School - March 18, 2pm to 4:40 pm:

Notice to all Science Teachers: Do you have some great science experiments to share? Do you want to hear about ways to integrate technology into your science classroom? Bring your best science practices to Williamsburg Collegiate Charter School, 157 Wilson Street, Brooklyn, NY (between Lee and Bedford) on Saturday, March 18th from 2pm to 4:30 pm. Hillary Rubenstein, founding Science teacher at Williamsburg Collegiate, encourages attendees of this informal gathering to bring their laptops and materials to share, or simply come to listen, gather ideas and meet other stellar science teachers discuss their successes. A LCD projector will be provided for those who wish to share technology. Science teachers from grades K-12 are welcome. Please RSVP to Hillary Rubenstein at hrubenstein@collegiatecs.org . For directions see: http://www.collegiatecs.org/

First Annual New York Charter Schools Association Student Art Show and Auction - March 16-18:

The Charter Center is proud to sponsor the "Student Art Show & Auction" during the 2006 New York Charter Schools Conference March 16 - 18, 2006 at the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott in New York.

Conference attendees from across the state as well as other invited guests will have the opportunity to bid on student artwork and sculptures in a silent auction format. Fifty (50) percent of the money raised will go to student's school and the other 50 percent will go to the New York Charter Schools Association to fund field trips to the organization's annual Advocacy Day in Albany (May 23). Application forms will be accepted through March 3, 2006, and may be downloaded at: http://www.newyorkcharterconference.org/artshow.php

Questions? Call 1-888-465-4401 x112 or Email Conference@nycsa.org.

Mission

The mission of the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence is to stimulate the supply of high-quality charter schools and support ongoing student excellence in all NYC charter schools, impacting the effectiveness of public education. As an independent nonprofit, the Charter Center is an advocate, bridge and catalyst for the achievement of academic and operational success and sustainability of all NYC charter schools for each young person.