Volume III, Issue 10,  April 16, 2007

 

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CHARTER LEADER NEWS

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

3rd Annual Charter School Leadership Summit

Fiscal Policies and Procedures Workshop

Recruiting Reception

US DOE Grant Opportunity

Fiscal Learning Workshop Series - Borough Cohorts

Upcoming Queens/Bronx Charter Leader Meetings

   

3rd Annual Charter School Leadership Summit

The New York City Center for Charter School Excellence will host its 3nd Annual Charter School Leadership Summit on Thursday, May 3, 2007 (6:00 pm - 9:00 pm) at Penthouse 15, 336 West 37th Street (between 8th Avenue & 9th Avenue).

 

 

Come and hear key note speakers:

New York City Schools Chancellor

Joel I. Klein

&

Assistant Secretary of Education to the Governor

Manny Rivera

 

Dine and network with charter school leaders from all over NYC!

Partake in round table discussions pertinent to the continued pursuit of excellence!

Come and celebrate Paula Gavin's contributions to the Center!

Celebrate the Cap Lift!

 

 

RSVP Date - TODAY! (April 16th)

Please contact Kelsey Blumenstock at 212-437-8301 or kblumenstock@nycchartercenter.org

 

 

 

OPERATIONS

 

Fiscal Policies and Procedures Workshop - April 24, 2007 (3:30 pm - 6:30pm)

The New York City Center for Charter School Excellence's April 24, 2007 workshop, "Right from the Start and Audit Ready: Charter School Fiscal Policies and Procedures" is designed to provide participating charter schools with the tools they need to create and maintain fiscal soundness and integrity in their financial operations.

 

Attendees will receive an UPDATED license and electronic template of a charter school policies and procedures manual that can be customized for each school.

 

New features include: 

• A new, more accessible, chapter format that follows the accounting cycle
• Expanded and new sections on internal controls for charter schools, including a self-assessment check list for internal controls audits and tips for working with auditors describing the school's relationship with a fiscal outsourcing firm, or charter management organization
• Roles and responsibilities of the Board of Trustees
• Month-end closing procedures
• And more!

The workshop will take place at the Center's 111 Broadway offices. Please contact Vinice Davis to register.

 

 

Recruiting Reception

On Thursday, April 12th, the NYC Center for Charter School Excellence hosted a Recruiting Reception for schools interested in hiring operations/finance leaders. We received an overwhelming number of resumes. However, only 20 candidates were invited and 11 schools attended the reception. It was a great opportunity for schools with immediate and short-term needs to meet with people excited about working at a NYC charter school! All resumes collected will be in our Resume Book, which you will be able to find on the Charter Portal in the coming weeks.

 

If you are interested in events like this in the future, or if you have current operations/finance vacancies, please contact Vinice Davis.

Service Provider Marketplace Update - Raffle Winner!

Congratulations to Brian Ferguson of Our World Neighborhood Charter School for winning the Service Provider Marketplace Raffle! Thanks to all who provided feedback for the event.

Board Chair Forum Update - March 22, 2007

Our session on "Using Dashboards to track school progress" introduced a number of tools and worksheets to assist schools in measuring their progress towards goals. Following the release of the Governance Listserv Group update (to be distributed in coming weeks), please feel free to visit our Charter Portal Document Library for easy access to these materials at that time.

 

If you have any questions regarding the Governance ListServ Group or if you would like to join, please contact Dirk Tillotson. For questions about accessing the Charter Portal, contact Nathan Hood. 

 

FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITIES

 

US DOE Grant Opportunity -- No Cost for Schools to Participate!

Strategic Partnership Schools Group (www.spschoolsgroup.com), a school facilities support organization with expertise in school safety, real estate and professional development, is creating a consortium of charter schools in NYC to apply for the US Department of Education's Emergency Response & Crisis Management Grant.  This is a great opportunity to expand your school's capacity to plan for and respond in emergency situations.  Schools participating in the consortium will receive the following services and equipment:

• Security and Vulnerability Assessments
• Create and/or Enhance a Comprehensive Emergency Response Plan that is compliant with local, state and federal guidelines and customized to meet the needs of your school
• School Based Training
• Emergency Response Plan Training
• First Aid and CPR Training and Certification
• National Incident Management System (NIMS) training
• Additional training as requested
• Table-Top Exercises
• Emergency Drills
• Emergency Response supplies for schools and classrooms
• Communication devices: hand-held radios and/or 800 mghz radios

If you are intersted in participating in this grant opportunity, click here to access the registration form and return via fax number 801-460-0843 by April 20th.  This grant is a great resource in assisting schools in creating a safe learning environment.  There is no cost for the schools to participate -- all you will need to do is complete the registration form to be a part of this grant! Click here for additional information.

 

 

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

 

Fiscal Learning Workshop Series - Borough Cohorts

In our efforts to help schools be audit-ready, the NYC Center for Charter School Excellence is sponsoring a series of two workshops, offered by Fiscal Management Associates (FMA). The purpose of the workshops is to help charter schools identify their key audit risk areas and to prepare for internal control audits. The workshops will be conducted in a cohort learning format, providing opportunities for participants to share their successful problem-solving strategies with other schools in their borough. This format also allows schools the opportunity to network and build relationships with one another.

 

The first workshop will be held in May in Manhattan (May 24th), the Bronx (May 22nd), and Brooklyn (May 17th) and will cover purchasing and other topics that may arise from the April 24th Fiscal Training. Times will be determined by host school.

 

We are currently seeking locations. If your school is interested in hosting 10-20 school representatives or you want to RSVP, please contact Vinice Davis.

 

 

 

CURRENT EVENTS

 

Queens Charter Leader Meeting - April 17, 2007 (5:15 to 6:30 pm)
The second in a series of borough meetings between the Center's new Chief Operations Officer, Dirk Tillotson, and school leaders will take place on Tuesday, April 17th, at Renaissance Charter School, 35-59 81st Street, Jackson Heights, NY 11372. 

 

In addition to providing a venue for introducing Dirk to school leaders, the borough meetings also offer an opportunity for two-way discussion on Center activities, the strategic planning process and increased regional networking between schools. Food and refreshments will be served.

 

Visit Renaissance Charter School's Web site for directions.

http://www.renaissancecharter.org/index.html

 

 

Bronx Charter Leader Meeting - May 2, 2007 (5:00 to 6:30 pm)

A meeting in the Bronx with school leaders is scheduled for May 2nd, (5:00 pm - 6:30 pm) at Carl C. Icahn Charter School, 1525 Brook Avenue, Bronx, NY 10457.

 

 

 

 

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.