NC Alliance for Public Charter Schools » Newsletters

Alliance Announces Regional Meetings Jan. 25-27; Members, prospective charter school leaders invited to attend free of charge

flwilliams1970 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:00:34 +0000

As part of our new regional approach, the Alliance is holding regional meetings throughout the state January 25 through 27; a schedule of meetings is listed below. Alliance members and anyone interested in forming a new charter school are invited to attend at no cost. Businesses and other organizations are invited to sponsor these regional meetings; please contact Karen Valiquett at communication@nccharters.org for more information.

The meetings will run from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., with a box lunch from 12 p.m. – 1p.m.

Schedule of Meetings:

Eastern NC : Wednesday, January 25 at Charter Day School – 7055 Bacon’s Way, Leland, NC (map here)
Piedmont Triad: Wednesday, January 25 at Greensboro Academy – 4049 Battleground Ave., Greensboro, NC (map here)
Triangle Area: Thursday, January 26 at East Wake Academy – 400 North M C Drive, Zebulon, NC (map here)
Western NC: Thursday, January 26 at Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy - 2527 US 221a Hwy, Mooresboro, NC (map here)
Charlotte Metro: Friday, January 27 at Union Academy - 675 N M L King Jr Blvd Monroe, NC (map here)
Raleigh-Durham Urban: Friday, January 27 at Carter Community School – 4100 N. Roxboro St., Durham, NC (map here)

Topics discussed at the meetings may include:

Board Governance, Leadership Programs
Being the Principal of a Charter School
How Does an EMO Work?
Financial Management, Accounting and SIMS services
Construction and Financing Options
Public Relations, Marketing & Website Development
Legal Issues
Insurance Issues
Core Curriculum
Interaction with DPI

RSVP REQUESTED: Please RSVP to communication@nccharters.org and let us know which regional meeting you plan to attend.

Please contact us with any questions!

Note for high schools…”Career & College Promise”

Baker Mitchell — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:14:46 +0000

Governor Perdue’s Career and College Promise initiative, which was adopted by the General Assembly and begins in January 2012, will provide students with a remarkable opportunity to accomplish up to two years of college credit while in high school. In detail, the initiative will provide eligible high school students an opportunity to achieve 30 hours of college transfer credit through North Carolina’s Community Colleges while in high school or 18-48 hours of CTE credit leading to an entry-level job credential or an associate’s degree or two years of college credit. The State Board of Education approved policies regarding this initiative at its meeting last week. The State Board of Community Colleges will take action on its part later this month. For many North Carolina students who may see college as out of reach, this initiative will show them that college is in reach. This is exciting news for our state and our public school families. Regards, June Atkinson

Have charter educators applied for the The Kenan Fellows Program?

Baker Mitchell — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:05:52 +0000

To learn more about the program, available for all of NC’s public school teachers, please click this link to view the PDF: About the Program2010-07-07 or call Eddie Goodall at 704-236-1234.

For many in Guilford, private charter schools earn an A

Baker Mitchell — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:39:41 +0000

Tristan Rodriguez was lucky. He had to wait less than a year to gain admission to Greensboro Academy, one of Guilford County’s oldest charter schools.

His parents, Maria Agosto and Enrique Rodriguez, applied for a spot there because they believed Tristan, a bright kid with an attention deficit disorder, would flourish in a middle school with fewer students.

He joined the academy’s sixth-grade students in August and has since stopped complaining about going to school and completing his homework, Agosto said.

“It’s smaller, and it’s easier to have a good time there,” said Tristan, who previously attended Stokesdale Elementary School. “I’m not being stressed. It’s just easier and better.”

Advocates of charter schools fought for years to remove a state cap that limited the number of students like Tristan who could get a free education outside of traditional public schools.

“Prime Time Charter School”

Baker Mitchell — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 16:36:53 +0000

Newly enshrined Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders wants to take a different approach with campuses that merge academics and athletics from the start. State officials are expected to decide Friday whether Prime Prep Academy, a reference to Sanders’ “Prime Time” nickname, will be among the new batch of Texas charter schools… Josie Duckett, vice president for public and government affairs at Texas Charter Schools Association, said there is an Austin charter school that has a strong focus on athletics, but those appear to be rare. Duckett said it’s no surprise that someone would start another charter school with a “sports culture,” which she said could help develop leadership skills. “We [charter schools] have the ability to be flexible in the way we deliver curriculum,” she said. “You can be innovative.”

Read the article

NC charters’ share $9 million (and change) per year for 6 years?

Baker Mitchell — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 15:17:55 +0000

National Charter School Resource Center
1000 Thomas Jefferson Street NW
Washington, DC 20007-3835
Phone: 877-277-2744 • 202-403-6222
E-Mail: charterschoolcenter@air.org
Website: charterschoolcenter.org

Bill Passed by U.S. House Would Provide $300 Million per Year for Charter Schools Support

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that would provide $300 million for 2012 and each of the five succeeding years to aid the development and the expansion of successful charter schools, including facility support, evaluating school impact, sharing best practices, outreach to special populations of students, and improved school transparency and performance management through stronger authorization.

The Empowering Parents Through Quality Charter Schools Act was passed on September 13, 2011, by a vote of 365 to 54 and now goes to the U.S. Senate for action. The website of the Education and the Workforce Committee, through which the legislation was developed, provides further information.

Early Achievers Losing Ground, Study Finds

Baker Mitchell — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:31:36 +0000

“Is helping kids at the bottom improve hurting kids at the top?” he said, acknowledging that bringing up that point as a topic of discussion can be difficult, but arguing that it’s necessary. “Let’s be honest about the trade-offs. It doesn’t make you a bad person or a racist.” Read more here…

Thomas Jefferson and “Sugar Creek” Appeals decision

Baker Mitchell — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:06:44 +0000

The judges agreed unanimously with a trial court decision that the Rutherford County Schools owed Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy about $731,000 in back per-pupil funding over three years, based on funding levels in an account that all districts must keep for normal operating expenses. Read more here…

VICTIMS OF SEPTEMBER 11 WERE HONORED BY TMSA COMMUNITY!

Baker Mitchell — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:54:16 +0000

The 10th Anniversary of 9/11 was remembered at TMSA with a Commemoration Ceremony on September 12, 2011. Along with a school-wide event where Ret. Col. Dan Nobles and Ret. Lt. Col. John Bullock presented very meaningful speeches, and the TMSA Parents sponsored a luncheon in the honor of our guest speakers and all the Wounded Warriors of our Nation.

The ceremony started with the Pledge of Allegiance and a Moment of Silence, followed by the guest speakers and TMSA students who presented their poems and letters which they wrote for the victims and heroes of the 9/11 attacks.

Col. Nobles spoke about the hurdles that we face in life and that some hurdles maybe easier than others to deal with. He emphasized that we (students, staff, and parents) have to choose how we will handle the hurdles by either making healthy choices or unhealthy choices. Lt. Col. Bullock spoke about working together and that everyone has something to offer no matter what nationality, religion or background you come from. He encouraged everyone to always do what is right and treat others the way you want to be treated.

TMSA students’ poems and letters addressing the 9/11 victims were very heartwarming. “We all had goose bumps while our students were reciting their thoughtful poems.” said Mrs. Peck, TMSA Dean of Students. “Our high school students were privileged to have their lunch with two prestigious veterans of our Nation.” added Ms. Jones, TMSA Parent Volunteer.

TMSA follows NC academic standards and has been operating at its full capacity since its inauguration in August 2008. Currently serving over 500 students from Kindergarten through 10th grade, TMSA will add a new grade level every year and become a K-12 school within the next two years. For more information please visit us at www.tmsacharter.org.

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2 schools win national recognition

Baker Mitchell — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:50:06 +0000

Two Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools have been named winners of the annual Blue Ribbon School awards from the U.S. Department of Education.

Piedmont IB Middle School and Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy are among the eight N.C. winners of the award, presented to schools that demonstrate success in closing achievement gaps between groups of students.

None of the other six N.C. winners or the three S.C. winners are from the Charlotte region.

Piedmont Middle, just north of uptown, is among CMS’ oldest magnet schools. It launched an “open” academic program in 1973 and adopted the International Baccalaureate program several years ago.

Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy, a charter school based in southeast Mecklenburg, opened in 2000.

“This is a great moment in our school’s history,” said Piedmont Middle Principal Dee Gardner, who has taught at the school since 1988.