Presentations

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Thursday, 10:00-11:30; 1:45-3:15; and 3:45-5:15
Learning with iPad
Join us for an exploration of the latest Apple products for education. This interactive event is an opportunity to experience how the iPad, as well as apps, digital books, and digital content from iTunes U, can increase achievement in every subject area. From interactive lessons to study aids to productivity tools, you’ll discover how easy it is to integrate these valuable tools into your school’s learning environment.

Due to the expected popularity of this class, for the first time, GCSA will pre-register a breakout session.  We will accept up to 30 people in one of the three, 90-minute sessions being offered on Thursday, October 6^th.  You must be registered for the conference before you can register for the Apple Classroom.  Email Rena at ryoungblood@gacharters.org to register for this session.

Track:  Curriculum & Instruction
Place:  Room 303

Thursday, 10:00-11:30
Developing a High-Quality Petition: State Board of Education Charter Application Workshop
This interactive workshop, provided by the Georgia Department of Education, will prepare charter school petitioners to develop a high-quality, high-compliance application. Presenters will provide an overview of the state petition process and address key components of the application including: accountability and SMART academic goals, governance, budgets, and legal requirements.

Greg Wickersham,Education Program Specialist, Georgia Department of Education, Charter Schools Division;
Morgan Felts, Staff Attorney, Georgia Department of Education, Charter Schools Division;
Tabitha Press, Strategic Development Coordinator, Georgia Department of Education, Charter Schools Division; and
Ben Jakes, CEO, Destiny Achievers Academy of Excellence
Track:  Development, Authorization, Expansion & Replication
Place:  Room308

Thursday, 10:00-11:30
Grant Writing: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Grant Writing: The Good, the bad and the ugly provides in-depth information about the variety of granting organizations, the process of applying for grant funding, and the most common components of a grant application.  Grant Writing: The Good, the bad and the ugly will help you to be more competitive in the grant seeking process and assist you in increasing your success ratio.

Ginny Byrd Porter, LMSW, State Director, Research Associates; and
Dan Williams, Senior Team Leader, Research Associates
Track:  Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place:  Room 309

Thursday, 10:00-11:30
Funding Overview and Practical Considerations
For charter schools in Georgia, funding is always an area of concern.  Understanding how funding in Georgia works is critical for maximizing local, state, and federal revenue streams.  Topics addressed will include:  reviewing the QBE statute and its requirements; ensuring that schools code students properly so that full funding flows to them; understanding how waivers may impact funding; calculating expected funding in a charter school’s first year of operation and during years in which the student population expands dramatically. Charter school principals and governing board members responsible for financing are encouraged to attend.

Terence Washington Fiscal Analyst, Georgia Department of Education, Charter Schools Division
Track:  Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place:  Room 310

Thursday, 10:00-11:30
Ask the Customer: Using Student Feedback to Evaluate Teachers
Georgia is piloting the use of student surveys as an alternative means to evaluate teachers as part of the Race to the Top program, and Dekalb PATH Academy is the only Georgia charter school that was able to participate in the 2010-2011 pilot.  This session will provide an overview of the research on student survey effectiveness and methodology as well as feedback from teachers and administrators at Dekalb PATH who will share their experiences administering student surveys, interpreting student feedback and differentiating professional development.

Ryan Balch, Vanderbilt University Peabody College National Center on Performance Incentives (leading the student survey pilot program in Georgia);
Graham Balch, Assistant Principal at Dekalb PATH Academy; and
Lindsay Southworth,  Fifth Grade Teacher, Dekalb PATH Academy
Track:  Leadership & Governance
Place:  Room 324

Thursday, 10:00-10:45
Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships to Advance Faculty Professional Development
This workshop will explore the value and opportunities that public-private partnerships can bring to a school community.  We will describe the variety of partnerships that Drew Charter School in Atlanta, GA has fostered over the past six years and the positive effect these partnerships have had on creating a more dynamic school community.  We will focus on one of the partnerships with the Center for Teaching at The Westminster Schools.  This partnership has created a collaborative professional development culture between Drew Charter School and The Westminster Schools’ faculty.  We will share the design and outcomes of the Faculty Cohort Program, a joint professional learning community.  Participants have the opportunity to ask questions and explore the process Drew Charter has used to create and manage public-private partnerships.

Don Doran, Principal, Drew Charter School;
Robert Ryshke, Executive Director, Center for Teaching at The Westminster Schools
Track:  Development, Authorization, Expansion & Replication
Place:  Room 312

Thursday, 10:00-10:45
Operational Assessments – Prepare your school for state and district monitoring
This session will provide participants with an overview of operational assessments provided by GCSA and how they can help school prepare for monitoring by the DOE and local districts.

Elisa Falco, Director of Education & Training, Georgia Charter Schools Association
Track:  Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place:  Room 313

Thursday, 10:55-11:40
Using School Intelligence (Data) to Support Performance Management
Carefully analyzed data – and synthesis of the resulting information – can yield powerful insight that supports performance management for Georgia’s Charter Schools. This session will present examples and strategies that promote the progressive, pragmatic, and strategic use of school intelligence (data).

Derrick Brown, Director of Performance Management, Georgia Charter Schools Association; and
Sarah Oliver, Operations Analyst, Department of Education, Charter Schools Division
Track:  Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place:  Room 313

Thursday, 10:55-11:40
It Takes A Village to Learn Math
As expectations for mathematics achievement continue to rise, it is critical that parents reinforce and extend math concepts at home. In this session, participants will be given concrete strategies for creating and facilitating workshops that help parents overcome math phobias while learning how to academically supporting their children at home.

Tamara Pearson, PhD, Village Mathematics
Track:  Curriculum & Instruction
Place:  Room 312

Thursday, 1:45-2:30
Charter Schools-Culture and Autonomy – Do you have what it takes?
Charters are unique entities – How flexible can you be with your charter? Find out how to maximize the privilege of your charter to get the best results as and be renewed.

Louis Erste, Director, Georgia Department of Education, Charter Schools Division; and
Brian Burdette, Chair, Charter Committee, Georgia State Board of Education, Tenth Congressional District
Track:  Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place:  Room 308

Thursday, 1:45-2:30
Managing Internal Control Challenges
Charter schools typically operate with streamlined budgets as well as support staff.  This session will address how to establish appropriate internal controls, accounting procedures and segregation of duties.

Elisa Falco, Director of Education & Training, Georgia Charter Schools Association; and
Carol Cordray, CPA , CFO Junior Achievement
Track:  Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place:  Room 313

Thursday, 1:45-2:30
Innovative School Construction
Both new and existing charter schools struggle with facilities.  Learn how a local GA Developer led the effort to transform an abandon property into the largest new charter school in GA and helped to revitalize the area with other supportive properties.  Also, learn how innovative facility development techniques and best practices can be duplicated around our state to help your school.

Robert Giordano, Director of Marketing & New School Development, SABIS Education System; and
Arthur Cohen, President, Charter School Development LLC
Track:  Development, Authorization, Expansion & Replication
Place:  Room 312

Thursday, 1:45-2:30
Grant Writing: How to Change Fund-Raising into Friend-Raising
Successful fundraising requires an understanding of the value of relationships. Each organization has a myriad number of official and unofficial contacts with potential funders. This session is about developing, maintaining, and strengthening relationships with funders that will lead to improved and continued support.

Tom Sills, AICP, Sills Ventures
Track:  Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place:  Room 309

Thursday, 1:45-3:15
Power and Policy Making
This session provides the participants an understanding of political and policy issues in schools and society.  We will explore the importance of policy making and the power of influence as well as control; and become skilled at numerous ways to change policy.

Dr. David B. Ross, Professor, Educational and Organizational Leadership, Nova Southeastern University
Track:  Policy and Advocacy
Place:  Room 324

Thursday, 1:45-3:15
Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way
A panel of experienced school leaders will discuss the unique challenges of opening and leading a high quality public charter school and non-profit business.  The presenters will discuss how to facilitate collaboration and learning community among the board, administration, staff, parents, and community to help the school meet its mission.

Kelly Cadman, VP, School Services, Georgia Charter Schools Association;
Andy Geeter, School Director, Odyssey Charter School;
Kylie Holley, Principal, Pataula Charter Academy; and
Martha Nesbit, Director of Instruction, Oglethorpe Charter School
Track:  Leadership & Governance
Place:  Room 310

Thursday, 2:40-3:25
Why Certification Programs are Important to You AND Your School
Due to the federal requirement outlined in Title II of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, teachers are required to be highly qualified.  The challenge is that once highly qualified, Georgia teachers have three years in which to convert their highly qualified status to full certification  in accordance with Georgia’s Professional Standards Commission requirements or they are no longer highly qualified.  This session will provide schools with an option to help certify charter school teachers through an alternative teacher certification program unique to Georgia titled the Georgia Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy, as well as help to answer questions pertaining to the certification process.

Juli Sergi, Director, Certification Programs, Georgia Charter Schools Association; and
Track:  Leadership & Governance
Place:  Room308

Thursday, 2:40-3:25
Effective EMO selection and Service Provider Oversight
Many schools are finding the services of Educational Management Companies increasingly attractive.  This session focuses on cultivating an appropriate relationship between boards and EMOs and will specifically focus on oversight and contract negotiations.  Boards who are currently contracted with EMOs or those considering a partnership are encouraged to attend.

Elisa Falco, Director, Education & Training, Georgia Charter Schools Association; and
Tabitha Press, Strategic Development Coordinator, Georgia Department of Education, Charter Schools Division
Track:  Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place:  Room 313

Thursday, 2:40-3:25
Learn how to save $1,000+ in 45 minutes!
A brief discussion of key IT infrastructure items including interactive surfaces, paging, bells, and network cabling will be presented with options for cutting costs in each area. Discussion will include cost analysis of major IT systems and discussion on ways to reduce construction costs. Also,  a low cost interactive teaching solution will be presented….don’t buy an interactive board until you see this session!

Jeff Lennox, IT InterConnect, Inc.
Track:  Curriculum & Instruction
Place:  Room 312

Thursday, 2:40-3:25
Primary Readers Diving Into Nonfiction
Children are eager to plunge into the rich pool of “real world” reading and writing. How do we best teach nonfiction? What about children who are still mastering basic reading skills?  This session addresses the unique needs of K-2 readers as they learn and apply their emerging skills to nonfiction.

Johanna Harned, Literacy Coach, Rowland Reading Foundation
Track:  Curriculum & Instruction
Place:  Room 309

Thursday, 3:45-5:15
Legal & Regulatory Matters in Charter Schools
Charter schools must ensure that they comply with all national and state legal and regulatory requirements.  This session will provide an overview of some key requirements boards and leaders should ensure they understand.  Charter school expert attorneys and a national charter school policy advisor will explain to boards and principals how to keep their schools compliant, considerations for drafting policy, and ways to reduce exposure.

Morgan Felts, Staff Attorney, Georgia Department of Education, Charter Schools Division; and
Kelly Cadman, Vice President, School Services, Georgia Charter Schools Association
Track:  Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place:  Room 324

Thursday, 3:45-5:15
Special Education in the Charter School
Charter schools have a unique challenge in serving special needs students with limited staff and funding.  In addition, they often lack support to ensure compliance with IDEA and other statutes pertinent to serving special needs students.  Hear the experts discuss legal and regulatory requirements for charter schools considerations for implementing a quality Special Education program in your school.

JJ Griffin, M.Ed., Instructional Support Specialist/Consultant for Program for Exceptional Children, Tech High School
Track:  Leadership & Governance
Place:  Room 310

Thursday, 3:45-5:15
School Boards & Charters: From Frenemies to Strategic Partners
Now that local boards of education are the only avenue for charter school petitioners, charter school advocates must refocus on working within the system to strengthen their  relationship with local districts.  In this session you will meet parents who chose to work within the system, successfully running for school board to advocate for school choice.  hear the perspective of a district charter school director who believes that charters can and should be part of a district plan for innovation and choice.  It’s an uphill battle, but we can move from “frenemies” to true strategic partners.

Nina Rubin, Director of GPAN, Georgia Charter Schools Association;
Michael Geist, Cherokee County School Board; and
David Morgan,  Cobb County School Board
Track:  Policy and Advocacy
Place:  Room308

Thursday, 3:45-4:30
Using School Intelligence (Data) to Support Professional Development
Participants will review case studies of schools who enhance their instructional capacity by using available school intelligence (data) to (re)structure creative, strategic, and efficient approaches to professional development.

Derrick Brown, Director of Performance Management, Georgia Charter Schools Association
Track:  Leadership & Governance
Place:  Room 313

Thursday, 3:45-4:30
Defying the O.D.D.S. – Ongoing Dedication, Determination, and Support through Parental Partnerships
The urban school is often misunderstood and looked upon as a less than desirable setting by parents and sometimes educators.  Urban schools tend to have fewer resources, are large, and usually are located in high crime and high poverty areas; they commonly pose many challenges to educators.  One such challenge is that of lack of parental involvement.  Research conducted by Henderson and Berla (1995) led to two very important discoveries; (1) when parents are involved at school, the performance of all children improve, not just the performance of their own, and (2) the more comprehensive and well-planned the partnership between the school and home, the higher the achievement. Relationship-building is the beginning. Much of what is being done is related to building trust with our parents and families. This session will highlight the successful methods Atlanta Heights has incorporated into their system to build relationships and encourage parental support.

From Atlanta Heights Charter Schools:  Melissa Jones-Clark, Principal;
Catherine Wood, Fourth Grade Teacher;
Betty Robinson, Dean of Academic Intervention; and
Amund Williams, Intensive Learning Program Instructional Aide  
Track:  Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place:  Room 312

Thursday, 3:45-4:30
Teaching Mathematics as a Language: What Gets Lost in the Translation?
In reality, language is the key to education, regardless of subject matter.  Historically, students have no notion as to the structure of mathematical language.  They view the subject simply as “problems to solve”.  This promotes memorization of procedures, instead of analytical thinking.  In this session, attendees will discover the parallel between mathematical expressions and the grammatical structure of English.  First the audience will interact with the presenter, offering suggestions, based on the language-based questions asked by the presenter, regarding various mathematical symbols.  They will then be asked to combine those symbols in various ways, creating mathematical expressions, analyzing the makeup of those expressions, symbolically.  Finally, they will create a vocabulary list which will enable them to translate between Mathematics and English, illustrated by several “story problems”.  Attendees will leave the workshop with a thorough strategy for teaching Mathematics as a structured language.

Tom Clark, Author, VideoText Interactive
Track:  Curriculum & Instruction
Place:  Room 309

Thursday, 4:40-5:25
Enrollment & Lottery Best Practices
Charter schools are required to implement a transparent and equitable enrollment process.  There are many “gray” areas in enrollment practices that are not addressed in the law explicitly but that face charters every year, particularly new charters.  Learn key practices for developing forms and practices that are legally compliant, efficient, and transparent.

Elisa Falco, Director, Education & Training, Georgia Charter Schools Association; and
Sarah Oliver, Operations Analyst, Department of Education, Charter Schools Division
Track:  Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place:  Room 313

Thursday, 4:40-5:25
Simplifying Algebra for the Hesitant Learner
Because Algebra is the study of relations, it is essential that students understand the concepts necessary to solve them.  In this workshop, we will develop an inquiry-based approach which is applicable to all basic relations.  We will discover the analytical questions students need to ask, in order to “undo” all of the complications they may encounter, when solving algebraic equations and inequalities.  Questioning, after all, is a basic life skill, and educators should work to develop that ability.  Specifically, in this session, all attendees will discover that there are only two basic relations in Algebra, and only three complications on those two basic relations.  As a result then, the audience will generate the strategies which must be used in the classroom to help all students analyze algebraic relations by asking, and answering, the appropriate questions in order to be successful.

Tom Clark, Author, VideoText Interactive
Track:  Curriculum & Instruction
Place:  Room 309

Thursday, 4:40-5:25
Shortchanged Charters: A Study On How Funding Disparities Hurt Georgia’s Charter Schools and What We Can Do
A nine months study, conducted by the Georgia Charter Schools Association, of Georgia’s independent, start-up charter schools finds severe inequity between traditional public schools and charter public schools, costing these charters hundreds of thousands of dollars.  This session will provide information on the study and discuss potential legislative solutions.

Tony Roberts, President and CEO, Georgia Charter Schools Association;
Andrew Lewis, Executive VP, Georgia Charter Schools Association; and
Tabitha Press, Strategic Development Coordinator, Georgia Department of Education, Charter Schools Division
Track:  Policy and Advocacy
Place:  Room 312

Friday, October 7, 2011

Friday, 8:30-10:00
Working Backwards – Key to Quality Renewals
This session focuses on strategies to proactively plan for renewal of petitions.  Looking at expectations of authorizers and key learnings from the initial charter term, the facilitators will discuss practices that will position your school well for renewal and help ensure ongoing academic success and financial sustainability.

Morgan Felts, Staff Attorney, Georgia Department of Education, Charter Schools Division;
Elisa Falco, Director of Education & Training, Georgia Charter Schools Association; and
Dr. Maury Wills, Headmaster/CEO, Dekalb Academy of Technology and Environment
Track:  Development, Authorization, Expansion & Replication
Place:  Room 312

Friday, 8:30-10:00
Creating a Sustainable 5 Year Charter School Budget
This session will provide the framework and tools needed for new and renewal charter schools to create a high-quality and sustainable 5-year Charter School budget.

Terence Washington Fiscal Analyst, Georgia Department of Education, Charter Schools Division; and
Marc Johnson, Grants specialist, Georgia Department of Education, Charter Schools Division
Track:  Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place:  Room 324

Friday, 8:30-10:00
Advocacy Academy: How to Change Legislation with 1,000 Angry Parents
The charter school landscape changes overnight in our state when the state Supreme Court ruled the Georgia Charter Schools Commission unconsitiutional.  Now more than ever, political action is essnetial to advance charter and school choice opportunities.  Learn how to organize your parents and stakeholders into effective charter school advocates.  Hear from parents who “woke-up” when their schools were threatened and became front line warriors for choice and change.  Meet seasoned political organizers who know how to work the statehouse, frame effective messages to get the the word–and the vote–out.  This session will sharpen your skills as we fight for a constitutional amendment to restore our alternate authorizer and rewrite charter school laws in Georgia.

Nina Rubin – Director of GPAN, Georgia Charter Schools Association;
Rich Thompson, Founder 100Dads;
Angie Staines-Hillman, Center for an Educated Georgia; and
Kelly Marlow, Cherokee Charter Academy Parent;
Track:  Policy and Advocacy
Place:  Room308

Friday, 8:30-9:15
State of the Charter Sector Today in Georgia
An overview of how recent national and state events affect Georgia’s charter sector.

Louis Erste, Director, Georgia Department of Education, Charter Schools Division
Track:  School leadership
Place:  Room 309

Friday, 8:30-9:15
Lesson Study: Crafting Learning Together
Those attending this interactive session will hear how Lesson Study can help build a strong professional learning community and significantly improve instruction in schools. Participants will experience Lesson Study by viewing and discussing video examples showing teachers and students participating in the process.

Susan S. Young, Ed. D., National Education Consultant, Development Studies Center
Track:  Curriculum & Instruction
Place:  Room 313

Friday, 8:30-10:00
Funding a Facility – Financing Charters, What are Lending Institutions Looking For?
Panel discussion facilitated by Tony Roberts, President of the Georgia Charter Schools Association, helps explore how a charter school can best position itself for facility financing.  What should the school’s board do?  What are lenders looking for?  What’s a good credit rating?

Russ Caldwell, Sr. Vice President, D.A. Davidson & Co.;
Steve Saltzman, Commercial Loan Officer, Self Help; 
Reid Cavnar, Sr. Vice President, Merchant Capital; and
Tom Lauth, Partner, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP (bond attorney)
Track:  Development, Authorization, Expansion & Replication
Place:  Room 310

Friday, 9:25-10:10
Telling Your School’s Story: Creating an Effective Communication Committee
A dedicated communication committee ensures a process for sharing good news and not-so-good news with parents, stakeholders and the public. At The Museum School, our Communication Committee helps craft messages and distribute news, guaranteeing a consistent, calm, self-assured voice for our school.

Patti Ghezzi, communication committee volunteer, The Museum School of Avondale Estates
Track:  Leadership & Governance
Place:  Room 313

Friday, 9:25-10:10
Educational Leadership as a Hero’s Journey
Joseph Campbell outlines archetypal features of a Hero’s Journey – the Call, the Trials, the Confrontation, and the Return.  Applying these universal elements to the journey of educational leadership in charter schools, Dr. Eidelman will examine the timeless attributes of resilience and collaboration that enable today’s educational heroes to overcome the odds.

Dawn Eidelman, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chief Education Officer, Mosaica Education, Inc.
Track:  Leadership & Governance
Place:  Room 309

Friday, 10:30-12:00
Board Dysfunction Junction – What’s Your Function
Feel like you board is trapped by ineptness, ineffectiveness, indecision, inaction, or inertia?  Learn about some of the symptoms of board dysfunction and how to turn your board into a fully functioning group of directors moving the charter school towards meeting its mission and vision.

Louis Erste, Director, Georgia Department of Education, Charter Schools Division; and
Tony Roberts, CEO & President, Georgia Charter Schools Association
Track:  Leadership & Governance
Place:  Room 312

Friday, 10:30-12:00
Looking Back, We Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda…
Listen to founders of successful charter schools who have lived and learned the planning, development, and implementation of quality charter schools.  Take away lessons as a new petitioner or new school that will save you time and money and ensure you can focus on your mission.

Gary Martin, President, Hapeville Charter School and Career Academy;
Jelena Naim, Director of Curriculum and Development, Amana Academy; and
Kelly Cadman, VP, School Services, Georgia Charter Schools Association
Track:  Development, Authorization, Expansion & Replication
Place:  Room308

Friday, 10:30-12:00
Rethinking the Facility Challenge

Facility is almost always one of the most difficult challenges charter schools face.  The purpose of this session is to provide a framework for 21st century learning space design –and strategies and options for finding a suitable facility. We will present case studies where 21st century learning environments can be created through adaptive reuse.

Tom Sayre, AIA, LEED AP,Principal, Sizemore Group;
Josh Gregory, Vice President – LEED AP, Ackerman & Co; and
Darren Wiggins, Territory Manager, M Space Holdings, LLC
Track:  Development, Authorization, Expansion & Replication
Place:  Room 309

Friday, 10:30-11:15
Planting the Seeds of Educational Excellence:  Reflections on the First Year of a Charter School
This presentation will provide the multiple perspectives of a principal, governing board member, parent, and outside consultant of an  independent first year, start-up charter school serving five rural southern Georgia.   The successes and challenges of  instruction, student achievement, leadership, family involvement/support, school board guidance, and use of an outside consultant  that enabled a successful first year school to “plant the seeds of future success” will be discussed.

Penelope Wong, School Designer, Expeditionary Learning;
Kylie Holley, Principal, Pataula Charter Academy; and
Tiffany Bruner,  Chairperson of the Governing Board, Pataula Charter Academy
Track:  Development, Authorization, Expansion & Replication
Place:  Room 310

Friday, 10:30-11:15
How do You and Your Board Prepare to Talk to Your Bank About Facility Plans
In addition to being the most expensive investment, planning for a facility can be one of the most arduous, stressful and time consuming activities for charter school leaders and board members.  This session will provide leaders and board members with essential lessons in budgets, leases, management companies, what to expect when talking to the bank, as well as highlight red flags that could derail sustainability.

Steve Saltzman, Loan Officer, Self-Help
Track:  Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place:  Room 313

Friday, 10:30-11:15
Evaluating Your School Culture and Mission
They say if you do not develop and plan your school’s culture, one will evolve!  Learn how Brighten Academy makes sure its school’s mission and core beliefs are implemented.  You will learn how to create a mission based focus walk, teacher evaluations, and surveys all linked to your school’s individual mission, vision, or core beliefs.

Lisa McDonald, Director, Brighten Academy; and
Angi Andrews, Business Administrator, Brighten Academy
Track:  Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place:  Room 324

Friday, 11:25-12:10
Prospects of Your School Being Able to Bond
What are the prospects of your school being able to bond in this economy?  Hear how over 17 million dollars in bonds have closed in Georgia this year alone.  What are the success stories and pitfalls of bonding?

Russ Caldwell, Sr. Vice President, D.A. Davidson;
Lori Hardigree, Principal, Kennesaw Charter Science & Math Academy;
Dr. Maury Wills, Dr. Maury Wills, Headmaster/CEO, Dekalb Academy of Technology and Environment; and
Ken Pollock, Partner, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP (bond attorney)
Track:  Development, Authorization, Expansion & Replication
Place:  Room 310

Friday, 11:25-12:10
Due Process and Discipline in Charter Schools
This session will assist charter schools with understanding due process and how to effectively implement discipline policies.

Sharon Hill, Executive Director, Georgia Appleseed
Track:  Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place:  Room 324

Friday, 11:25-12:10
Building a Leadership Team
Scholars and practitioners agree that school success begins with a high-performance leadership team.  This session follows the real-world experience of several Atlanta charters and their quest for an outstanding leadership team.   This session will address how to build capacity among your leadership team and strategically develop a success plan.

Elisa Falco, Director of Education & Training, Georgia Charter Schools Association;
Katherine Kelbaugh, Principal, The Museum School of Avondale Estates; and
Matt Underwood, Executive Director, Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School
Track:  Leadership & Governance
Place:  Room 313