Conference on Charter Schools:
A Forum for Florida’s School Districts
To give charter school sponsors a better
understanding of the charter school legislation
and facilitate the sharing of ideas and best
practices in charter school administration at
the district level, the Choice Office co-hosted
Florida’s first conference for local school
districts.
Hillsborough Superintendent Earl
Lennard
joined in hosting the event in Tampa
on September 19-20, 2001.
More than 188 participants took part in panel
workshops, which included conflict resolution;
the chartering process; roles, responsibilities
and relationships; student services; conversion
charter schools and charter districts.
Scheduled as keynote speaker was
Dr. Arthur
Cole,
Director
ool
rovement
Programs for the United States Department of
Education. Dr. Cole was
ted
announce Florida’s $23 million grant for
charter schools.
to the horrific tragedies
in Washington D. C. and New York, Dr. Cole
was unable to travel for this appearance.
Florida’s new Secretary of Education
Jim
Horne
had the honor of sharing Florida’s
good news about this award in Cole’s absence.
Continued on pg. 4
Table of Contents
Conference on Charter Schools
pg. 1
Secretary Horne Spotlight
pg. 1
What is the Choice Office?
pg. 2
Charter School Highlight
pg. 2
Director’s Note
pg. 3
Grant Writers’ Workshop
pg. 3
Choice Innovators
pg. 3
McKay Scholarship Update
pg. 3
Home Education
pg. 4
Editor’s Corner
pg. 4
‹
The Sixth Annual Florida Charter
School Conference
ber 5-7, 2001
‹
State Board of Education Meeting
November 19, 2001 in Ocala, Florida
‹
Announcement of Florida’s Accountability
Center for Education (F.A.C.E.)
y 2002
all of our combined efforts. He strongly
supports parent choice in education and
charter schools.
Horne’s life has been dedicated to public
education. Elected to the State Senate in
1994, Horne has been very active in the
formulation and implementation of education
policies for our state. He has served on the
Governor’s Commission on Education, the
Education
vernance
ganization
Transition Task Force, the Public School
Construction Study Commission and the Task
Force on Public School Funding.
As a legislator,
ne
ed
addressing performance based budgeting,
school safety, best
financial management
practices in education, and
the
professi
onal
teacher development academies. He was also
a co-sponsor
of the Governor’s A+ Plan for
Education
.
Florida
ry of
Education Jim Horne
shares
vernor
Bush’s
ision of a
well-coordinated
education system that
places
learning and success
at the very center of
Sch
of
Imp
expec
to
Due
Novem
Januar
Go
Reor
Hor
sponsor
bills
Secreta
Go
v
student
Because the school was intended by city leaders to be a catalyst for further redevelopment of the crossroads at
the heart of the city, an agreement was reached with Broward County Libraries to construct an 80,000 square
foot regional library adjacent to the school. The synergy of these projects has resulted in a renewed vitality to
the area and an annual student waiting list that numbers in the hundreds.
The school consistently receives high marks from parents and students for its safe and nurturing environment,
caring faculty and strong academic program. An important academic feature is the school’s
majors program
. High
school students may select elective coursework in business, technology and law as exposure to professions they
may pursue following graduation from high school and college. The school’s many fine programs were
recognized by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) peer review team last Spring, while
meeting in response to the school’s application for accreditation.
nnouncing the team’s decision,
Principal
Estelle Strader
told students, faculty and parents:
“…The SACS team is impressed with your dedication and focus on learning. They have
unanimously voted to recommend accreditation for our school. . . . CSCS becomes Florida’s
first municipal middle/high school combination to be SACS accredited.”
The future is bright for Coral Springs Charter School.
Charter Schools USA
is proud of its record to be first
in a number of charter related areas: Florida’s first municipal high school,
North Lauderdale Academy
; the first
charter school-in-the-workplace,
Ryder Elementary Charter School
; Florida’s largest charter school,
Coral Springs
Charter School
; and the first multi-year, multi-campus application to work cooperatively with a district to mitigate
serious overcrowding.
Building
by
then-
Commissioner Frank Brogan
, the Florida Department of
Education Choice Office was created by Commissioner Crist to
provide Florida parents with a one-stop information source for
charter schools, nonpublic schools, home education, the McKay
Scholarships Program, the Opportunity Scholarship Program,
controlled open enrollment, magnet schools and the new corporate
tax credit scholarship program.
The Choice Office is dedicated to putting students first
, increasing
opportunities for students to learn and improving standards and school
performance.
The Coral Springs Charter school is a shining example of a
public/private partnership.
ss than nine months passed between the
Broward County School Board’s approval of the charter application
and the opening of a 110,000 square foot municipal charter school,
serving over 1,000 students in grades six to ten. The City of Coral
Springs, Ft. Lauderdale-based
Charter Schools USA
, and Miami-
based Charter Schoolhouse Developers collaborated to transform a
tired and seldom visited shopping mall into a vibrant, state-of-the-art
charter school facility. That was August 1999; today, the school has
grown to 140,000 square feet, serving 1,550 students in grades six to
twelve.
2
In a
begun
efforts
choice
school
the
on
Le
As the Choice Office, our responsibilities include
taking steps necessary to ensure that students of all ages
have access to learning – regardless of what their
educational needs are or where they live.
Currently, Florida is home to more than 2.3 million
students in public and private schools, in home
education programs and in special education programs.
Our state leaders, from the Governor to the
members of the new Board of Education and
Secretary Horne, are listening to parents and
teachers.
The Department of Education is putting
children at the center of our efforts and changing the
way we deliver education services on the state and local
levels.
Many positive changes are taking place.
Over the
coming months, you will hear about new efforts to
provide
more
technical assistance to charter school
operators, as well as to local school district personnel.
Parents can be assured that we will be advocates on
your behalf, support your decisions and your ability to
make decisions for the future of your children, whether
you choose a charter school, one of our two
scholarship programs or any of the other options.
You can help by submitting news and sharing success
stories!
arents are eager to hear about innovative
learning experiences.
chers and administrators are
anxious to share their own experiences about starting a
charter school. If you have a story you’d like to share,
fax, mail or email
it to us.
e the back page for
details.
Diane Cossin McCain
This is our first newsletter as a Choice
Office. We hope to share information
about education choices with parents,
administrators and those interested in
improving education in Florida.
Popular with parents, choice options that allow families to select another school—either public or private——
for their children with learning disabilities are growing.
4,000 students
are participating in the
John M. McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program.
rollment is four times greater than
last year and is expected to exceed predictions. Participating private schools offering special education
services have also increased in numbers.
340 private schools
are currently serving students
previously attending a public school in Florida.
Last year, parents of participating students and private school administrators gathered information from various counties and
from families regarding the entire McKay process—from declaring intent to confirming eligibility for students.
ng
suggestions and recommendations that would alleviate problems and difficulty in obtaining confirmation, the group
developed an
Action Plan.
This
Action Plan
became what is now known as
the amended language in F.S. 229.05371, The John
M. McKay Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program.
Thank you to
Senate President John McKay
for his strong leadership in support of parents and choice in education!
Featuring those who help the Choice Effort
Mary Laura Openshaw
is
Director of the Division of Public
Schools and Community Education for the Department of
Education
.
As Division Director for
and Community
Education, she is respected for her skill and ability to build
consensus. Openshaw is a former teacher and History Department
Chair, dedicated to serving Florida’s public school students. She is a
strong supporter of charter schools and classroom teachers.
In
addition to her practical classroom experience, before joining the
Department, Openshaw served as Grants Services Coordinator for
the William T. Grant Foundation in New York City. She has
administered funding opportunities for teacher training, with an
emphasis on quality and innovation.
Openshaw received her
undergraduate degree form Rhodes College and received her Master
of Arts from Mississippi College.
In September, charter schools eligible to apply for the Charter Schools'
Dissemination Grants
were invited to participate in a grant writing
workshop.
Dr. Rufus Ellis
, Senior Program Director with the Choice
Office, gathered representatives from the Department of Education's
Grants Office and others to share information with participants. Many
key points were offered, including the focus of the federal grant money
and the expansion of the charter movement through successful charter
schools.
Charter school operators were able to talk about their ideas for projects
and the intentions of the United States Department of Education for
future grant opportunities in Florida. The Choice Office is currently
planning a workshop for 2002-2003 Start-Up Charters to be held in
early to mid-December.
Please contact
Dr. Rufus Ellis
or
Karen Bennett
at 850.488.5011 with
questions regarding the grant process.
3
P
Tea
Please se
Nearly
En
More than
Offeri
Schools
Public
41,128 students
were home-schooled
in Florida
ring the 2000-2001
school year. Approximately 1.7
million children are home-schooled
nationwide. By instructing a child at
home, a parent takes personal charge
of the child's education. Some families
share activities and events that allow
students o interact and
velop
additional skills for learning.
Florida, like most states, has minimal
requirements for home education, such
as notification and curriculum. The Florida Department of
Education co-hosts an annual parent educator conference and
offers a liaison to work with parents and local
school districts.
Home Education is an education alternative
that is
parent-directed
. The role of the
Department of Education is to ensure students
have access to learning - regardless of where
they live, what their educational needs are or
what environment a parent determines is best
for their educational opportunities. Home
schooling allows for the freedom to explore
and learn at the pace of the individual student.
Cont. from Page 1
Secretary Horne was one of several state leaders
who attended the conference.
Lt. Governor
Frank Brogan
addressed the conference on the
first day, sharing his thoughts on the bright future
of
ent.
Commissioner Charlie Crist,
praised charter
school
Florida’s success.
gan and Horne
also noted
the changes taking place in the delivery of
education services.
ed that education
is Florida’s top priority!
Long time charter supporter
Representative Jerry
Melvin
moderated a panel on charter legislation.
As chairman of the House of Representative’s
Council on Life Long Learning, Melvin continues
to spearhead many of our state’s reform efforts.
Melvin encouraged the conference participants to
pay close attention to the law and develop ways to
improve services to charter schools.
As part of his leadership efforts, Melvin has been
closely involved with assisting Escambia County in
its efforts to convert two schools to charter
schools
Superintendent Jim Paul
and
School Board
Chairman John DeWitt
, two elementary schools
If you are interested in submitting material to this publication, please contact:
Kendra Lee
325 W. Gaines Street, Suite 522, Tallahassee, FL 32399
850.921.9059 (fax)
leek@mail.doe.state.fl.us
Material should be submitted electronically (on disk or by email), whenever possible.
4
recommended for closure may become two of
Florida’s newest charters.
members
cted
eetings
community for parents, teachers and organizing
boards for both schools.
Thanks to the dedicated efforts and time and
involvement of many experienced district charter
contacts, their superintendents and administrative
staff, as well as charter school founders and
operators,
ccess!
Evaluations
included recommendations for regional meetings.
Overall, the score was 2-1 for an excellent
conference format and valuable presentations.
We were very fortunate to have the insight and
dedication
professionals,
Dr.
and
Ms.
Charlene Pirko
from
Hillsborough County
Schools.
They spent hours assembling talent,
information and suggestions to help accomplish
the goals set by the steering committee.
recognition is due to
Ms. Lynn
Turner,
Program
Specialist
oice
administration and for the event meeting the goals
of the steering committee. Everything went off
without a hitch!
du
t
de
movem
charter
the
with
along
He,
for
parents
and
operators
founders,
Bro
They explain
of
support
the
With
year.
this
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