Volume III, Issue 7,  March 2, 2007

This Issue of the Charter Leader News features information on the following. . .

Certification Workshop 

Charter Portal

COO Bronx Borough Meeting at ILCS

Service Provider Marketplace

Discretionary Fund

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

The following letter from New York City Center for Charter School Chairman, Joseph H. Reich, was sent to charter school leaders and Board chairs on February 15, 2007:

For those of us in the vanguard of New York's public education reform efforts, this is indeed an exciting time. The prospect for lifting the "cap" on public charter schools is very real in 2007. We are fortunate to have a governor and mayor who are among the most vocal advocates for the kind of systemic change - greater accountability, autonomy, raising academic performance and closing the achievement gap for disadvantaged students - that is synonymous with the charter school movement in New York City.

The Board of Directors is pleased with the impact the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence has had in enhancing the environment for the city's public charter schools. We believe the organization has helped charter schools strengthen their infrastructure and raise the bar on accountability and oversight. After more than two years of experience working with schools, the time is right to evaluate our strategic goals to ensure that our mission is aligned with priorities to achieve excellence in NYC's public charter schools.

To assist us in this effort the Center's Board asked you -- charter school leaders, charter school board members and organizations affiliated with charter schools -- to assess your needs and priorities, as well as to evaluate the Center's effectiveness through confidential surveys and interviews. The results of this process showed clearly that the Center is considered an important resource for both existing charter schools and those in development. We are using your input to update our Strategic Business Plan and define the next phase of the Center's work with schools.

As this work moves forward, so will the selection process for a new Chief Executive Officer. The Center's founding CEO, Paula Gavin, will depart as of April 1, 2007.  Dirk Tillotson, Chief Operations Officer, will serve as Acting CEO until a new CEO is named.

We are committed to moving forward in a focused and substantial way on key priorities.  Our experiences and your voices have allowed us to better understand the needs of the community and the ways in which the Center can be most helpful to you.  We look forward to walking this long road together and to our continued partnership in providing truly excellent schools to our students who need them the most.

Sincerely,

Joseph H. Reich
On behalf of the Board of Directors
New York City Center for Charter School Excellence

OPERATIONS NEWS

The New York City Center for Charter School Excellence will host its 2^nd Annual Service Provider Marketplace on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 from 10am-5pm at our offices located at 111 Broadway, Suite 604, New York, NY, 10006 (near Wall Street).

This year, the Marketplace will provide valuable information sessions and panel discussions complementing the product and service offerings of the vendors. There will be more than 40 vendors in attendance, including food service providers, educational products and services, accounting firms, banks, back office support organizations, enrichment programs and services and MUCH MUCH more.

This is a great opportunity to not only hear about service offerings, but also to learn about why these products and services are important and how they can be used to improve your operational efficiency and classroom experience.

Look out for a formal invitation with online registration next week!

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Attention All School Leaders: the Charter Portal is ready to launch!

This web-based informational resource is designed to help you do your work more efficiently. Some of the Portal's features include:

- Charter Center & School Contact Information

- Document Library & Useful Links- School Performance

- compare your school's test scores with other schools, your district, and the city

- Operations Calendar - a task-based guide to compliance, complete with timelines and reminders

Look out next week for your school-specific user name and password. Please direct any questions to Nathan Hood at (212) 437-8316 or nhood@nycchartercenter.org.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES 

Discretionary Funding Requests to New York City Council:

March is a crucial month for any charter school planning to apply for discretionary funds from the New York City Council. Applications forms are due out this month and letters to Council Members requesting "Member Item" funding are accepted in March. Here are a few things you should know:

Guidelines: Although the City Council has not yet finalized guidelines for requesting funding for fiscal budget '08, there are some basic rules to follow when planning your request. All requests for funding should be reasonable. Keep in mind that you are competing with numerous other groups vying for funding. Whenever possible involve parents and students so there is a clear indication that the request is serving constituent needs.

Four Avenues for Funding "Asks": The City Council provides funding in the following categories - Expense Funding, Capital Funding, Borough Delegation and Member Items.

Expense Funding is typically the route organizations and groups take that have an ongoing relationship with a particular Council Member. In this case the Council Member is asked to support a specific funding request to the Speaker. The request can be up to $50,000 the first time around. Forms to apply for Expense Funding can be obtained from your Council Member.

Capital Funding requests for buildings, bathrooms, gyms, dance rooms, computers and other items are also made with your Council Member's support. As you can imagine, this type of request involves long-term planning and is possible only when the Council Member supports your school.

Borough Delegation Funds represent the pot of money Council Members in each of the five boroughs are given to spend on local projects. Contact your Council Member to get details on how and when to apply. For these funds you must make presentation to the Borough Delegation supporting why your request should be one of the hundred or so programs to be funded. The amount of funding requested should not exceed $20,000.

Member Item Funding is requested directly from the City Council Member. Each Member of the City Council is allocated a small amount of funds to spend in his district. To request Member Item funds it is necessary to draft a letter to the Council Member's office by mid-March. The request should not exceed $10,000 to support a project in your school, such as parent outreach programs, support for students, parent education and other efforts related to your community.

The New York City Center for Charter School Excellence's consultant on city government, John Wright, is available to assist schools with their questions about discretionary funding. For more information or to receive sample letters for requesting discretionary funds, please contact Jeff Maclin at jmaclin@nycchartercenter.org.

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

Teacher Certification Workshop - March 31, 2007

Based on the  continued success of our past certification workshops, and the ongoing need for uncertified teachers to have a plan of action towards achieving certification, the Charter Center is hosting an early spring workshop on Saturday, March 31, 2007.

Current and prospective uncertified teachers and teacher assistants (as well as teachers from out-of-state who need assistance with the New York State certification process) are encouraged to register for this workshop.  Each participant will be assigned a 30-45 minute time slot between 9 am and 4 pm to meet individually with a certification specialist who will recommend a personalized education plan leading to certification. A hard copy of this plan will be given to the participant and an additional copy will be mailed to the school leader for appropriate follow-up to ensure compliance with state and federal laws.   

Please share this announcement with current and prospective hires and advise them that they need to register in advance by emailing Caryl Cohen at ccohen@nycchartercenter.org no later than March 22, 2007. Their email must include the name of their charter school and if they would prefer a morning or afternoon appointment.

All workshop participants must bring student copies of complete undergraduate and graduate transcripts (if applicable) and any other related documents such as proof of the Child Abuse Identification and Violence Prevention workshops, any previous State Ed evaluations, etc.  Those who possess certification from another state must bring a copy of their college transcripts as well as their out-of-state certificate. 

Please note that all participants must show a photo ID to gain building access. The workshop will take place at the NYC Center for Charter School Excellence, 111 Broadway, Suite 604, New York, NY 10006 (near Wall Street).

All questions should be directed to Caryl Cohen at the email address above.

CURRENT EVENTS

Bronx Charter School Borough Meeting - ILCS, March 15, 2007 5:00-6:30 PM

Our first borough-based charter leader meeting will take place at International Leadership Charter School, (2900 Exterior Street, Bronx NY, 10463) from 5:00-6:30 PM. Please save the date. 

Dirk Tillotson, our new COO, and interim/acting CEO, beginning 4/1, will be available to discuss the future activities and foci of the Center. Most importantly, he is looking forward to hearing your concerns and comments about how we at the Center can better serve your schools and drive excellence for students. It is our hope that this will be the first of a series of regular forums where we can work together to drive quality.

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.