Using youth input and community support, Roger Williams Middle School, a turnaround school in Providence, Rhode Island, is creating a culture of student achievement and school pride. You'll learn strategies and see examples for creating your own culture, participate in a best practices discussion, and take a look at your own middle school locker to guide your experience!
To join the waitlist, click here.
Charter Schools
Take advantage of all that Beyond School Hours has to offer for charters:
- Sign up for a pre-conference session and attend informative charter and turnaround schools workshops tailored to meeting unique charter needs.
- Get inspired by keynote Geoffrey Canada, nationally recognized school turnaround expert.
- Explore best practices and cutting-edge issues that influence the healthy development of children and youth within charter and turnaround schools.
- Plus, choose from our full complement of BSH workshops addressing school day, before- and after-school, extended-day, community-based, and summer opportunities.
Pre-Conference: Starting and Sustaining Successful Charters and Schools of Choice
Wednesday, February 15, 8:30 am - 2:00 pm, Oak Room
This session is intended for individuals who work at, are starting, or are considering starting a charter school.
Plenary Session – The Charter School Movement:
Though requirements may vary from state to state, charter school developers proceed through common stages in their school development process. This session will overview the charter school movement from the education, educational policy, and political perspectives. Participants will learn about trends and best practices across the nation.
Breakout Sessions:
- Charter School Startup: Learn the nuts and bolts of putting together a high quality school design and charter application. Participants will learn how to assemble a core founding group to move the school from dream to reality, best practices within school finance and budget development, how to transition the school's governance structure from the initial "start-up" stages to one of ongoing policy-making and oversight, and more.
- Sustaining Your School: Participants will focus on program evaluation and building a sustainable program. Topics will include school accountability planning, assessing and monitoring school improvement, and developing and sustaining quality-building systems and strategies.
Registration for this session is $125. Space is limited. Pre-registration is required – see Agenda on BSH registration form.
Workshop Strand: Charter and Turnaround Schools
Thursday-Saturday, February 16-18, Times and Locations TBD
The number of students enrolled in public charter schools has more than tripled in the past ten years. The families of these youth – approximately 1.4 million – have high hopes for both the schools and their children. But running a successful charter school is no easy task. Under the guidance of national experts, acquire the tried-and-true strategies needed to create quality educational opportunities for charter school students. Learn how to use the latest in research and technology to optimize operations and governance, develop high-quality staff and programming, and create a culture of ongoing improvement and assessment. View a sampling of conference workshops below.
Creating a Culture of Partnerships and Pride
Enhancing Your Revenue in an Uncertain Climate
Learn how to capture and communicate good news about your school in ways that can generate revenue and resources. This session will offer general information about best practices in public relations and development as well as specific examples and ideas for real-world application results.
Expanded Learning – A School/Community Partnership in Two Turnaround Schools in Providence, RI
Expanding learning: what does it really mean? Come hear about an innovative turnaround model pairing community partners that has begun to take shape in Providence, RI. Learn how the Providence After School Alliance and the Providence School District have worked in partnership over the past two years to develop an expanded learning model that truly combines the best of community education with the best of formal schooling. Attendees will walk away with a better understanding of the national context for expanded learning and how it is being shaped in cities across the country.
Extending Your Vision Throughout the Day
Charter schools are created for a variety of reasons, including to serve as incubators for new and innovative ideas in education. Learn more about how Aspire Public Schools, a nonprofit charter management organization featured on Oprah, aligns in-school and afterschool efforts to fulfill their mantra of "College for Certain" for urban students across the state of California. Bring your ideas to share in this interactive session.
Good Governance, Good Schools
Good charter schools begin and end with good governance. Board development and training are keys to ensuring that your charter school is well governed. This session will offer practical strategies and tools for building a board of directors poised to realize the vision of the founders.
Is There More to Life Than Test Scores?
Schools are often judged solely by their standardized test scores. But scores alone don't tell the whole story or point a way to improvement. In this workshop participants will have an opportunity to identify what's important to measure. They will learn about a collaborative process for finding out how their schools are doing and what they can do to make them even better on dimensions that matter to them and to their students, families, and communities.
Mastering the Business of Education
Managing school finances can divert valuable resources from your core mission of educating students. A little bit of knowledge can help even the busiest school leaders make their bottom line a top priority. Learn the basics of financial reporting responsibilities, long-range budget planning, business policies and procedures, and financial statements.
Navigating Governmental and Tax Regulations
No one says that running a school is simple - long hours, tough decisions, and increasingly complex challenges can fill your days. Examine your school's financial structure and get new perspectives on the strategies that will help you succeed. This session will focus on roles and responsibilities of board members and key officials, discussion of Tax Form 990, and steps to make the financial statement audit more efficient.
Schools and Their Importance in the Community
With the charter and choice movement growing, neighborhood schools are facing challenges of relevance. The Center for Cities and Schools explores the importance of schools within our communities and a school's impact on neighborhood growth and sustainability. Come learn about opportunities to connect with the community and the importance of nurturing that connection.
Stretching Charters into a Lifespan of Education
Although Camden, NJ is often cited among the nation's most dangerous cities, Dr. Gloria Bonilla Santiago is working hard to change that. As the founder of LEAP Academy, one of the state's first charter schools, she has grown the charter school into more grades, more schools, and more programs, for even the youngest children. In this workshop, she will share her vision for transforming community through education and her methods for making it real. Participants will have an opportunity to share their experiences and insights about the challenges and joys of growing charter schools and related enterprises.
Keynote Speaker: Geoffrey Canada
Friday, February 17, 12:15 to 1:15 pm, Grand Peninsula Ballroom
Geoffrey Canada has a radical new idea: if you really want to change the lives of inner city kids, change everything all at once – their schools, families, and neighborhoods. As President and CEO of the revolutionary Harlem Children's Zone in New York City, he has dedicated the past 20 years of his life to helping the most impoverished, at-risk youth beat the odds. Radically ambitious and startlingly simple, Canada's programs are on the cutting edge of preventing youth violence and fostering community development. Read more >
