Week of March 13, 2023 • SAFE Credit Union Convention Center • Sacramento, CA
Breakout sessions are opportunities for attendee learning and professional development via presentations or small group discussions presented by a subject matter expert. Breakouts were categorized into four areas of interest have subtopics to help attendees:
To strengthen community members' ability to advocate for policies that support charter school success—with authorizers and at the capitol.
| Authorization and renewals | Includes sessions on advocacy with authorizers related to approval, oversight, and renewals. For example, authorizer relations, authorizer overreach, authorization process, authorizing structures and policies, renewal law, using verified data under AB1505, accountability, and appeals. |
| Policy and advocacy | Includes sessions on advocating for charter schools, advocacy strategies to fight for charter autonomy, flexibility, and equity, and proposed state policies affecting charter schools. |
To provide teachers and instructional leaders with strategies, knowledge, and best practices that result in joyful schools of academic excellence.
| Learning models | Includes sessions on various learning methods and programs such as: dual language, STEAM, project-based learning, personalized learning, multi-tiered systems support, and Montessori. (Please note that Social Emotional Learning and Restorative Justice sessions should be submitted under "Equitable student culture.") |
| Instructional practices | Includes sessions on instructional best practices. For example: literacy and the science of reading, providing academically challenging content, differentiation and intervention for learning acceleration, backwards mapping from standards and assessments, student opportunities for practice, and English Learner Development (ELD) practices. |
| Special Education | Includes sessions on special education legal, instructional, and budget issues. For example, innovative service delivery methods, co-teaching,Universal Design, improving access for students with disabilities, legal updates and nuance, innovative funding arrangements. |
| Equitable student culture | Includes sessions on how classrooms and schools can develop a positive and inclusive school culture for students. For example: implementing school-wide values and expectations, Social Emotional Learning practices and programs, creating a culture of high expectations without being authoritarian, equitable discipline practices, and supporting historically underserved student groups. (Please note that sessions related to creating positive school culture for adults should be submitted under "Strategic Leadership: Staff Culture.") |
To provide strategies and offer reflection opportunities for charter school leaders in their efforts to cultivate effective, collaborative, and purpose-driven teams.
| Data driven leadership | Includes sessions on setting ambitious goals and creating cycles of continuous improvement, driven by data. For example: setting school priorities to be tracked with data,using data cycles to guide staff learning, using multiple measures that align with school mission, and collecting internal data to track progress on CCI and college persistence. |
| Strategic planning | Includes sessions on setting vision and building strategic plans. For example: yearly action plans, change management planning, building sustainable organizations, and LCAP. |
| Staff development | Includes sessions on how school leaders build staff capacity. For example: adult learning, coaching best practices, effective professional development plans, career conversations, and goal setting. |
| Staff culture | Includes sessions on staff wellness, buy-in, and avoiding burn out. For example: investing staff in a compelling vision, building relationships among staff, staff mindfulness, and self-care. |
To support educators in running safe schools of operational integrity.
| Communications and marketing | Includes sessions on effective communications with a variety of stakeholders for the purposes of family and community enrollment, engagement, retention. For example, telling your school's story to the public, online presence, and effective communication with families. |
| Facilities | Includes sessions focusing on the acquisition and/or design and development of school facilities. Also, state and local regulations applicable to charter school facilities such as zoning, permitting, and environmental regulations, Proposition 39 and co-locations, the SB 740 program, state and local bond funding programs, charter school facilities finance options, and working with various real estate professionals. |
| Funding | Includes sessions on state and local policies related to budget, school-level budgeting, monitoring financial statements, cost saving strategies, using categorical programs and grants, Local Control Funding Formula, audits, fundraising strategies and building relationships with funders, grant writing, and new school start-up capital. |
| School governance | Includes sessions about creating effective school boards. For example: financial management for board members, transparent decision making, retaining effective board members, managing board transition, board best practices, and effective principal-board relationships. |
| Human Resources | Includes sessions on recruiting, hiring, firing, evaluations, and wage and hour issues. For example: increasing diversity in the workplace, personnel responsibilities (FERPA, mandated reporters, student rights, etc.), and 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, expulsions, and admissions practices and lottery preferences. |
| Physical and Online Safety | Includes sessions related to school safety. For example: disaster planning, risk management, student playtime safety, building codes, cyber security, and traffic management. |