About breakout session topics

Breakout sessions provide an opportunity for a small group of attendees to learn about and discuss a specific topic presented by a subject matter expert. Breakout sessions are organized around broad programming and more specific topics and are developed for a particular audience based on their role and their level of expertise. This year, breakout sessions will be 50 minutes in duration.

Topics

The breakout session program is organized by topics. Our presenters chose one of these topics when applying to present at the conference.

ADVOCATE

To improve leader and board member understanding of the current laws and regulations that govern charter schools, as well as best practices to steward the movement.

• Authorization — Includes sessions on authorizer relations, accountability and overreach; getting authorized; improving authorizing structures and policies; managing appeals.
• Policy — Includes sessions on the technicalities and practical implementation of local, statewide, and federal policy related to charter schools.

IN THE CLASSROOM

To provide teachers and instructional leaders with strategies, knowledge, and best practices that result in academic excellence and the closing of the opportunity gap.

• Distance Learning — Includes sessions on developing online curriculum, virtual teaching methods, virtual parent engagement, implementation challenges and solutions, effective blended and hybrid programs, resources needed to implement the most effective distance learning.
• Learning Models — Includes sessions on various learning methods and programs such as: dual language, STEAM, project-based learning (Please note that Social Emotional Learning sessions should be submitted under "School culture".)
• Teaching Summit — Includes sessions on literacy and math best practices; understanding and implementation of Common Core rigor; backwards mapping from standards and assessments; differentiation and intervention strategies; supporting historically underserved student groups including English Learners and African American students; teacher evaluation and teacher preparation; grading and classroom-level academic data use.
• Special Education — Includes sessions on Special Education legal, instructional, and budget issues. For example, innovative service delivery methods, distance learning for students with disabilities, Universal Design, using data to inform instruction, improving access for students with disabilities, legal updates and nuance, innovative funding arrangements.

OPERATE

To support leaders to implement systems and structures of operational integrity and create positive school culture.

• Measuring Student Success — Includes sessions on school-wide data use, multiple measures and using verified data under AB1505, norm-referenced assessments, using growth metrics, collecting and utilizing internal data to track progress on CCI and college persistence, best practices in using data to identify root causes and creating continuous improvement plans.
• Communications — Includes sessions on effective communications with a variety of stakeholders. For example, telling your school's story to the public, utilizing webpages and social media for local relationship building, media relations, marketing, and effective communication with families.
• Facilities — Includes sessions related to acquiring facilities, zoning and permitting processes, Prop 39 and colocation, SB 740, working with real estate professionals, charters and school districts working together on bond issues.
• Funding — Includes sessions on budgeting, monitoring financial statements, cost saving strategies, using categorical programs and grants, LCFF, audits, fundraising strategies and building relationships with funders, grant writing, new school startup capital.
• Governance — Includes sessions related to effective boards. For example: financial management for board members, transparent decision making, orienting and retaining effective board members, managing board transition, board best practices, effective principal-board relationships.
• Human Resources — Includes sessions on recruiting, hiring, firing, evaluations, and wage and hour issue. Also: increasing diversity in the workplace, workplace wellness and avoiding burn out, personnel responsibility particular to educators (FERPA, mandated reporters, student rights, etc.), handling staff misconduct or allegations.
• Legal — Includes sessions on laws affecting charter schools, especially new or changed laws and difficult to implement laws. For example: best practices for open meetings, avoiding conflict of interest, laws affecting governance and transparency, major student discipline issues (expulsions), admissions practices and lottery preferences, and renewal law.
• Safety — Includes sessions related to school safety including disaster planning, risk management, student playtime safety, building codes, traffic management.
• Equitable School Culture — Includes sessions on how schools can develop a positive and inclusive school culture. Includes school-wide SEL planning and implementation, prioritizing virtual SEL, LGBTQ student issues, setting and living out school-wide values and expectations, creating a culture of high expectations without being authoritarian.
• Starting New Schools — Includes sessions on building a strong founding team and/or board, tools and strategies to understand and manage the start-up process, school design, and getting first authorization approved. For replicating schools: developing a leadership pipeline, solidifying your model before replicating, lessons learned from successful replicators.