Presentations

GCSA is accepting presentation proposals for the upcoming Charter Schools Educators’ Conference. The program committee, made up of representatives from more than 25% of our member schools, will review these proposals for the most informative and innovative topics and/or best practices.

Please click here to submit your proposal.

Below are the presentations delivered at the 2012 Georgia Charter Schools Conference:

Thursday, October 4, 2012

The Highly Engaged Classroom – Three Part Series
Phil Warrick, Vice President, Marzano Research Laboratory
Track: Curriculum & Instruction
Place: B401

Thursday, 10:00-11:30
Effectively Introducing New Content to Learners
Thursday, 1:45-3:15
Helping Students Practice and Deepen Their Understanding of New Knowledge
Thursday, 3:45-5:15
Formative Assessment Practices
__________________________________________

Thursday, 10:00-11:30
Effectively Introducing New Content to Learners
This session will highlight research-based instructional strategies educators should consider when introducing new content at any grade level and in any content area. Attendees will learn and experience instructional strategies first hand so they can immediately take them back to their own schools for implementation.

Phil Warrick, Vice President, Marzano Research Laboratory
Track: Curriculum & Instruction
Place: B401

Thursday, 10:00-11:30
“But I Learned That Last Year!”
Expanding Gifted Instruction into the Regular Classroom
As teachers, many of us have bright and talented students in our classrooms who would benefit from varied instructional strategies that deepen their understanding and learning. This session will provide teachers with tips, techniques, and instructional strategies for integrating gifted instruction into the general education classroom setting.

Dana Pace, 2011 GA Charter School Teacher of the Year and Teacher, Brighten Academy
Suzanne Helms, Teacher, Brighten Academy
Track: Curriculum & Instruction
Place: B408

Thursday, 10:00-11:30
CharterSmarter: From Data To Information To Knowledge
This workshop will introduce techniques and strategies that can convert mountains of assessment and enrollment data into concise, informative summaries suitable for sharing with all school stakeholders. Workshop participants will review and discuss Georgia’s Charter Schools: By The Numbers (an annual data brief published by GCSA – in online and print versions), as well as the tools used to produce both publications (GCSA’s Performance Management System (PMDS), Georgia’s State Longitudinal Data System (SLDS), Microsoft Excel, and Tableau).

Derrick Brown, Director of Performance Management, Georgia Charter Schools Association
Track: Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place: B404

Thursday, 10:00-11:30
Creating a Fully Functional Special Education Department in Your School
This session will focus on how all members of the education community can work together and understand their personal responsibilities to ensure that all needs of the Special Education population are being met and that all State requirements are addressed. Participants will become familiar with:
-How and who organizes, stores, and manages student files and important state paperwork
-How to delegate caseloads to special education teachers
-How and when to provide needed information to regular education teachers of special needs students
-How to conduct essential meetings and understand your role in IEP, Eligibility, Transition, Pulse Checks, and RTI meetings
-Knowing which types of services best fit the needs of your students with regards to LRE
-How to work together to provide services in Co-teaching and Collaboration settings
-Progress monitoring and how to effectively collect data
-Bridging the achievement gap with testing

All participants will leave with resources and handouts to take back to their schools to further aid in organizing effective programs.

Kimberly Waters, Program Supervisor for GaTAPP and Professional Development Contractor, Georgia Charter Schools Association
Track: Curriculum & Instruction
Place: B402

Thursday, 10:00-11:30
Middle School Math: The Critical Transition from Arithmetic to Algebra
This educational and entertaining session will consider the Key Points of the Common Core Standards, as we explore the reasons behind the difficulty in transitioning from Arithmetic to the world of Algebra. Numerous topics will be discussed, determined by the audience, and will include several examples of the change in thinking that must occur for students to be successful in the “high school” courses. Very simply, our traditional approaches to teaching math at the Middle School level often result in the student thinking that High School Mathematics is naturally “difficult”. In fact, understanding the “why” of Mathematics is the secret. It is much to be preferred over memorizing tricks, shortcuts, rules, and formulas, and will ultimately result in, long-term retention. Further, it provides for a much smoother transition to algebraic thinking, which naturally leads to success in other high-level math courses.

Tom Clark
Author, VideoText Interactive
Track: Curriculum & Instruction
Place: B403

Thursday, 10:00-11:30
Redline – Addressing Needed Revisions to the Charter Schools Act
This workshop will engage participants in discussion of key areas of the Charter Schools Act that are problematic for schools. The facilitators will lead the group to develop suggestions for potential revisions in the law that will address the more pressing matters impacting the sector. These suggestions will be used to inform the Association’s legislative agenda for future advocacy efforts.

Andrew Lewis, Executive Vice President, Georgia Charter Schools Association
Kelly Cadman, Vice President, School Services, Georgia Charter Schools Association
Track: Advocacy
Place: B409

Thursday, 10:00-10:45
Differentiation in the Mixed-Ability Classroom
Sally Stephens, who teaches 9th grade comp/lit and 8th grade reading at Oglethorpe Charter School, will share video clips from teachers taking a gifted cohort class she taught during the 2011-2012 school year. She’ll share the highs and lows of their experiences and provide good discussion about the importance of developing a pre-assessment before planning differentiation activities and engaging all students in the classroom.

Sally Stephens, Middle School Teacher, Oglethorpe Charter School
Martha Nesbit, Director of Instruction, Oglethorpe Charter School
Track: Curriculum & Instruction
Place: B411

Thursday, 10:55-11:40
Conferring with Students: The Heart of the Work
Carl Anderson said, “Conferring is not the icing on the cake, it is the cake.” Explore the importance of conferring with your readers and writers during the literacy block. Examine how teachers can implement a framework to foster individual students’ growth as caring, thoughtful, and inspired readers and writers.

Susan S. Young, National Education Consultant, Developmental Studies Center
Track: Curriculum & Instruction
Place: B411

Thursday, 3:45-5:15
Formative Assessment Practices
Attendees will learn three different types of formative assessments and gain ideas about how to use a combination of all three to assess learner progress.

Phil Warrick, Vice President, Marzano Research Laboratory
Track: Curriculum & Instruction
Place: B401

Thursday, 1:45-3:15
Helping Students Practice and Deepen Their Understanding of New Knowledge
This session will highlight research-based instructional strategies educators can use to help learners practice and deepen their knowledge of new content after it has been initially taught. Attendees will learn and experience instructional strategies first hand so they can immediately take them back to their own schools for implementation.

Phil Warrick, Vice President, Marzano Research Laboratory
Track: Curriculum & Instruction
Place: B401

Thursday, 1:45-3:15
Conducting 33 Minute Data Dialogues
The purpose of this workshop is to teach participants a systematic protocol for analyzing data in their schools. This hands on workshop provides teachers and administrators with guided practice and time to apply their new learning.

The expected outcomes for this session are:

Participants will learn about the 33 Minute Data Dialogue protocol;
Participants will develop facilitation skills using this protocol to evaluate student achievement data (state assessments, benchmark/diagnostic, classroom level, collaborative assessments, etc.) as well as other available data (attendance, discipline, etc.) and
Participants will be able to model and train others in this process.

Dr. Ildiko Laczko-Kerr, Vice President of Academics, Arizona Charter Schools Association
Track: Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place: B404

Thursday, 1:45-3:15
Leading Change with Data you can use – Common Core Standards and Formative Assessments paving the way
Leading change with Data you can use describes the use of Measures of Academic Progress data aligned with Common Core Standards being brought to life at multiple stakeholder levels as well as at the classroom level using Keeping Learning On Track Formative Assessment best practices.

Tamika Chambers, Senior Account Executive, Northwest Evaluation Association – NWEA
Kristine Hammond, Account Executive, Northwest Evaluation Association – NWEA
Track: Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place: B402

Thursday, 1:45-3:15
Meaningful and Manageable RTI for your Charter School
The Response to Intervention (RTI) model holds great promise to improve the graduation rate and to transform low-performing schools into highly effective, motivating learning environments. Despite the fact that RTI is being implemented in the majority of US schools, many charter schools are struggling to make the process work consistently. These challenges often arise from lack of buy-in, limited resources, and confusion about how to apply the process to all grade levels. Participants in this session will hear from charter school leaders and representatives who have successfully implemented the RTI model.

Lisa McDonald, Principal, Brighten Academy
Elisa Falco, Director, Education and Training, Georgia Charter Schools Association
Track: Leadership & Governance
Place: B403

Thursday 1:45-3:15
One-to-One initiatives, BYOD Style! “The Good. The Bad. And The not as Ugly as once thought.”
If your school is considering a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program, you’re not alone. Once dismissed due to the inherent complexities, the approach has gained momentum in recent years as budget constraints force schools to do more with less. Co-sponsored by CDWG and Educational Collaborators, this session will explore BYOD with a panel of experts, all who have different perspectives and firsthand experience with the approach. The panelists will share their knowledge and discuss the challenges they have faced. Participants will come away with valuable insights into whether the approach would be a good fit for their schools.

Craig Weinland, K-12 Business Development Manager, CDW-G
Connie White, Director of Technology & Learning, Lakeview Academy
Mike Manning, VP Business Development, Education Collaborators
Track: Leadership & Governance
Place: B411

Thursday, 1:45-2:30
CharterLeader, a New Ed.S. Program
Representatives from GCSA, Kennesaw State University, and Lake Oconee Academy will discuss their partnership in a federal dissemination grant geared towards developing highly effective charter school leaders, stimulating the pipeline of leaders for a growing sector, and retaining top talent through CharterLeader, a new Ed.S. program. The panel will discuss issues with charter school leadership roles impacting high turn over rates, gaps in higher education programs that CharterLeader will address with its program, and the role of the state association, a university, and a model school in developing a foundation for stronger leaders and more effective charter schools.

Kelly Cadman, Vice President, School Services, Georgia Charter Schools Association
Dr. Otho Tucker, CEO, Lake Oconee Academy
Juli Sergi, Director, Certification Programs
Mike L. Dishman, J.D., Ed.D., Professor of Education Policy & Governance, Kennesaw State University
Track: Leadership & Governance
Place: B409

Thursday, 1:45-2:30
Discover a Future Student of the Month
Is there a student in your classroom that disrupts the learning environment via:
•         Confrontations with classmates, and/or bullying?
•         Verbal outburst, and attention seeking or inappropriate behaviors?
•         Combative and defiant towards the faculty?
If you answered yes then your student potentially has a Disruptive Behavior Disorder. DBD’s are the most common mental health disorder among children with a rate of 4-9% of all children from birth to 18 years old. Untreated, these disorders will continue to have an adverse effect on the student and their learning environment. Learn how to turn disruptive students into leaders in your classroom • Utilize methods you can begin using in the classroom immediately.• demonstrated success in the classroom • Experience with schools in your respective communities• Documented Success Stories

Donald Chapman, Speaker, Impact My Youth
Nadiyah Rodgers, Special Ed Lead Teacher, Ivy Prep Academy
Douglas Bass, Educational Consultant, Ivy Prep Academy
Track: Curriculum & Instruction
Place: B408

Thursday, 2:40-3:25
Debunking the Charter School Myths in Your Community
Public charter schools have been around now for 20 years but the “myths” and “misconceptions” continue to plague the movement. This session will look at these myths and misconceptions, how they are being utilized here in Georgia, and best strategies to combat with facts and transparency.

Andrew Lewis, Executive Vice President, Georgia Charter Schools Conference
Ehab Jaleel, Executive Director, Amana Academy
Track: Advocacy
Place: B408

Thursday, 2:40-3:25
Strategies for Growing a Culture of Shared Leadership in Your School
Our session is applicable to both leadership teams and teachers in all schools that want to achieve or improve a culture of shared responsibility and ownership. We will describe common causes and effects of communication breakdowns and provide solutions to increase shared leadership in your school. Our participants will leave with tangible resources they can use to achieve this positive change in their schools, including tools for setting up safe-spaces for communication, and streamlined methods for gauging school climate.

Adrienne Doanes, Teacher, G.W. Carver School of Technology
Gavin Samms, Principal, Fulton Leadership Academy
Charles Gardner, Assistant Principal, North Springs High School
Track: Leadership & Governance
Place: B409

Thursday, 3:45-5:15
Beyond Filtering & Sorting: Using Excel Pivot Tables
The purpose of this workshop is to teach participants how to use Excel Pivot Tables/Pivot Charts to interpret and analyze data from multiple sources. This hands on workshop teaches administrators and teachers how to effectively and quickly analyze data in Excel (i.e., benchmarks/diagnostics, classroom level assessments, attendance, discipline, etc.) to drive program and instructional decision-making.

The expected outcomes for this session are:

Participants will learn to use a tool that will save them time and energy;
Participants will be able to create a PivotTable and PivotChart using their own AIMS student level data;
Participants will be able to use PivotTables and PivotCharts to more quickly, efficiently and effectively analyze data;
Participants will be able to identify other potential uses for PivotTables and PivotCharts.

* This training requires school level data in excel and it would be beneficial to bring a laptop to the training to work with the data.

Dr. Ildiko Laczko-Kerr, Vice President of Academics, Arizona Charter Schools Association
Track: Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place: B404

Thursday, 3:45-4:30
Common Legal Concerns for Charter School Administrators and Teachers
Discussion with the Director of Legal Services for the Association of American Educators about the most common and preventable reasons parents sue charter school administrators and teachers. A false allegation can be nearly as damaging as a legitimate one. What can your school do to prepare for and prevent lawsuits.

Sharon Nelson, Director of Legal Services, Association of American Educators
Track: Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place: B408

Thursday, 3:45-4:30
Exploring Science and Social Studies Through The Museum School Model
The Museum School model is student-centered, project-based and interdisciplinary. During this session, we will demonstrate how to turn your classroom or school into a museum that showcases your student’s learning. Feel the excitement when your students share their knowledge of Science and Social Studies with others in an authentic and creative way. Teachers, principals, and support staff will all enjoy learning how to apply this model in their schools and classrooms!

Amy Rodriguez, First Grade Teacher, The Museum School of Avondale Estates
Amy Delashmit, Kindergarten Teacher, The Museum School of Avondale Estates
Lillian Galicia, Teacher, The Museum School of Avondale Estates
Track: Curriculum & Instruction
Place: B402

Thursday, 3:45-4:30
Flipping Your Classroom
Flipping the classroom is an innovative and powerful approach to teaching that helps empower students to play a much more active role in the learning process. In this model of instruction, students watch recorded lectures for homework and complete their assignments, labs, and tests in class. Participants will learn about the benefits of the flipped classroom as well as how flipping the classroom can lead to real differentiation of instruction and increased opportunities for student learning.

Elisa Falco, Director, Education and Training, Georgia Charter Schools Association
Track: Curriculum & Instruction
Place: B411

Thursday, 3:45-4:30
Making Faculty Meetings Count!
How can school leaders plan and conduct faculty meetings that are meaningful, engaging, and effective? Based in practical experience, lessons from the business world, and principles of leadership, this session will address strategies, practices, and norms for maximizing the value of your meetings for you, your staff, and ultimately your school and students.

Lisa McDonald, Principal, Brighten Academy
Lara Zelski, Elementary Campus Principal, Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School
Natilee Brown-Van, Principal, Heritage Preparatory Academy
Greg Wickersham, Education Research and Evaluation Specialist, GaDOE
Track: Leadership & Governance
Place: B409

Thursday, 3:45-4:30
Reading to Learn WHILE Learning to Read: Meeting the Common Core Standards for Informational Text, K-2
Participants will be introduced to the Common Core Standards for Nonfiction Literature and to selection criteria for reading instruction in the primary grades. Effective strategies for using decodable texts will be demonstrated, as will ways to support student application of decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension skills using nonfiction materials.

Johanna Harned, Literacy Coach, Rowland Reading Foundation
Track: Curriculum & Instruction
Place: B403

Thursday, 4:40-5:25
Avoiding the Legal Pitfalls of Digital Communication in Charter Schools
Charter schools are at the forefront of utilizing new technology and digital media to educate students and enhance communication. However, texting and social networking websites such as Facebook introduce a range of liability concerns for teachers and administrators. This presentation offers advice from a teacher association attorney about how best to incorporate digital communication tools without inviting unnecessary lawsuits, job actions, and headaches.

Sharon Nelson, Director of Legal Services, Association of American Educators
Track: Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place: B408

Thursday, 4:40-5:25
Bringing the Standards to Life: A Survey of Integrated Curriculum Models and their use in Charter Schools
In this presentation we will focus on the power of integrated curriculum and the usage of various curriculum integration models in some charter schools (Expeditionary Learning, Environment as an Integrating Context, Montessori, arts integration etc). We will describe the models and give examples of how they have been put into practice throughout the country. Finally, participants will work in groups to brainstorm how they might develop a thematic unit or lesson based on a randomly selected curriculum integration model and two content areas.

Stephanie Babcock-Wright, Director of Operations, Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School
Mevonnie Biggins, Band Director, Banneker high School
Cherisse Campbell, Freshman Focus Director, Roswell High School and STEM Consultant, Amana Academy
Emily Boatright, Instructional Coach, Coan Middle School
Lisa Williams, Assistant Principal, Osborne High School
Track: Curriculum & Instruction
Place: B409

Thursday, 4:40-5:25
Charting the Path to Career Success with GCIS
Georgia Career Information System (GCIS) is an online career and college awareness resource used to help your middle and high school students make informed decisions about their future. Attend this introductory workshop to learn about GCIS assessments, school and financial aid research, job search tools, occupations, learning activities, educational resources, and portfolios.

Quiana Howard Gordon, Marketing and Training Specialist III, Georgia Career Information Center, Georgia State University
Track: Curriculum & Instruction
Place: B411

Thursday, 4:40-5:25
Effective RtI Using Common Core State Standards – Every Classroom, Every Day
All teachers, PreK-12, can accelerate student progress in reading and writing using the 7 Principals of RtI and CCSS. Learn how to do it NOW! The session will describe an RtI Full-accountability model and formative assessment system that provides: • Rigor through grade-level instruction of Common Core State Standards • Leveling system for books and students built on CCSS text complexity • Expert differentiated and scaffolded support across a wide range of reading levels • Accountability for all stakeholders • Demonstrated success in urban, suburban, and rural populations.

Amy Pierce, Executive Coach former Instructional Coach, American Reading Company
Track: Curriculum & Instruction
Place: B403

Thursday, 4:40-5:25
Google Docs: Online Student Collaboration Made Easy
How can you identify contributions of individual students collaborating on team projects? Google Docs is a free, easy way for students to work together online, with each student’s contributions tracked onscreen. Using their laptops in teams, conference participants will create a simple document and presentation to experience Google Docs collaboration.

Lars Leader, Professor of Instructional Technology, Valdosta State University
Track: Curriculum & Instruction
Place: B402

Friday, October 5, 2012

Friday, 8:30-10:00
Bonding for Georgia Charter Schools is Still Alive. Can Your School Meet the Requirements of the Changing Market Place?
A broker, a lawyer and a real estate expert will describe the profile a charter school must present to receive long term fixed rate bond money to acquire or build a building. You will be able to “measure” your school as a bond candidate in a market place that has changed dramatically since 2011! The panel is oriented toward Board Treasurers, Administrators and Business Managers.

Russ Caldwell, Managing Director of Public Finance, D.A. Davidson & Co
Ken Pollock, Partner, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP
Josh Gregory, Vice President – Brokerage, Ackerman& Company
Track: Leadership & Governance
Place: B402

Friday, 8:30-10:00
Charter Renewal Start Now: Developing a Plan for Charter Sustainability
This interactive session is geared for existing charter schools in at least their second year of operation. The session will cover the key standards of high-quality and discuss how to prepare for charter renewal. Please come prepared to complete a self-assessment and to participate in developing a recommendation plan for at ‘at-risk’ charter school up for renewal. This session will have plenty of time for questions from the audience.

Tabitha Press, Strategic Development Coordinator, Georgia Department of Education, Charter Schools Division
Morgan Felts, Staff Attorney, Georgia Department of Education, Charter Schools Division
Terence Washington, Fiscal Analyst, Georgia Department of Education, Charter Schools Division
Elisa Falco, Director, Education and Training, Georgia Charter Schools Association
Track: Leadership & Governance
Place: B404

Friday, 8:30-10:00
Fix Your Board Meetings Strengthen Your Board
Board meetings should be focused, strategic, efficient, and engaging. But, very few charter school board meetings can be described in these terms. If you want to learn how to dramatically improve the effectiveness of your overall governance by improving your board meetings, come to this lively, interactive session. You’ll get lots of helpful tips you can put to use right away. Participants will gain an understanding of:

Who does what in meeting preparation – the School Leader, the staff, the committees, the board chair?
Learn how to shift meeting preparation from being reactive to being strategic
Quick tips to making your meetings run on time
How distribute the workload of meeting preparation effectively
Easy ways to evaluate the effectiveness of your board meetings and develop a concrete path for improving them
How to use board meetings to attract recruit and retain outstanding trustee

Marci Cornell-Feist, Founder/Chief Executive Officer, The High Bar
Track: Leadership & Governance
Place: B401

Friday, 8:30-9:15
Financial Best Practices
Interested in learning how to optimally run the financial side of your rapidly-expanding, multi-million dollar business known as a charter school? Feel like you are constantly reinventing the wheel unnecessarily? Ever wonder whether “someone has figured this all out already”? Implementing effective practices can save a ton of time and leverage dollars to place back into your students and staff. Schools tend to take financial management seriously only after a disaster has occurred. Take your finance department to a whole new level by learning what to do, what NOT to do and why.

This interactive session will allow attendees to:

Learn numerous best practices that have been implemented in hundreds of schools around the country
Assess which effective practices can yield an instant return on investment
Professionally develop, which happens for teachers and principals, yet often ignored for business and operations professionals

Raj Thakkar, Chief Executive Officer, Charter School Business Management Inc.
Track: Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place: B408

Friday, 8:30-9:15
How to Prepare to Talk to Your Bank
Sooner or later most charter schools need to obtain a facilities loan. Schools can greatly increase their chances of successfully securing a loan by knowing what to expect and being prepared. This session will prepare school leaders and board members with an understanding of the loan process, discuss the importance of various documents and steps, and inform attendees of how banks generally evaluate a school’s financial capacity.

Steve Saltzman, Loan Officer, Self-Help Credit Union
Track: Leadership & Governance
Place: B409

Friday, 8:30-9:15
Maximizing Board Effectiveness: D.A.T.E. Shares its Journey from Cautionary Tale to Success Story
Studies have found that one of the leading causes of charter school closures is ineffective governance. Heed lessons learned from the growing pains of a successful charter, and learn to identify and remedy the sources of board dysfunction. Upon completion of the presentation, participants will be able to: 1) Identify board roles and responsibilities. 2) Define and articulate the school’s values relating to governance. 3) Segregate the roles and responsibilities of the board and those of the school administrator. 4) Build parent and community alliances through engagement and collaboration. 5) Use committees effectively. 6) Develop and utilize matrices, flowcharts, and other tools to enhance the decision making process. 7) Develop a formal process for policy-making. 8 ) Adopt a policy for board renewal and succession. 9) Implement a plan for ongoing board training and assessment. 10) Develop policies and procedures relating to financial oversight and risk management.

Gregory Coleman, Managing Partner, Burroughs Johnson Hopewell Coleman
Dr. Maury Wills, Headmaster/CEO, DeKalb Academy of Technology and Environment
Shannon Presha, Law Clerk, Burroughs Johnson Hopewell Coleman
Track: Leadership & Governance
Place: B411

Friday, 8:30-9:15
Using Social Media to Get the Word (and the Vote) Out
We are only 31 days out from the most important election ever facing the charter school movement in Georgia. In this laser-focused workshop you will learn how to leverage existing social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In etc.) to educate voters for November 6th. Your networks are powerful — learn from the pros how to dramatically maximize your messaging and encourage voter turnout.

Phil Vangelakos, VP Digital Media, The Stoneridge Group;
Holly West, Communications Assistant, Families for Better Public Charter Schools Campaign
Nina Rubin, Director of Communications, Georgia Charter Schools Association (moderator)
Track: Advocacy
Place: B403

Friday, 9:25-10:10
The Numbers Don’t Lie – Foolproof Financial Reporting, Forecasting & Analysis
Interested in predicting the future financially and recognizing financial disasters from a mile away? Want to know key financial ratios that help assess the financial health of your charter school? Ever wonder what level of detail your financial reports should contain to ensure organizational viability? Being on top of your finances can enhance your school’s academic program. Take your financial reporting to a new level by learning what information Boards and School Leaders should be asking for from their Business Managers and how to interpret them.

This interactive session will allow attendees to:

Understand what information effective financial reports contain
Know what key ratios to look for and pay attention to
Learn how to forecast and act on what your projections are telling you

Raj Thakkar, Chief Executive Officer, Charter School Business Management Inc.
Track: Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place: B408

Friday, 9:25-10:10
Using Technology to Leverage Grassroots Efforts
Learn the easy technique of phone banking to properly educate voters on the charter school referendum, as well as the top 5 ways to get OUR message out.

Jason O’Rouke, Political Director of the Families for Better Public Charter Schools Campaign;
Caitlyn Cooper, Grassroots Coordinator; Families for Better Public Charter Schools Campaign
Zach Johnson, Regional Director, Families for Better Public Charter Schools Campaign
Nina Rubin, Director of Communications, Georgia Charter Schools Association (moderator)
Track: Advocacy
Place: B403

Friday, 10:30-noon
30 Day Countdown: Educating Your Community as a 501c3, Not For Profit
The November 6th charter schools amendment is one month away and your supporters want to inform the community, the media, business leaders and others on the issue. What are the do’s and don’t for a charter school, a charter school board, and the charter school community in proper messaging?

Andrew Lewis, Executive Vice President, Georgia Charter Schools Conference
Ben Vinson, Associate, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP
Track: Advocacy
Place: B403

Friday, 10:30-12:00
Evaluating Board Performance—A Concrete Roadmap to Dramatically Improving Governance
Wondering how your board stacks up to the best charter school boards across the country?
Think your board is pretty good, but wondering how to up your governance game?
Mastered the governance basics and ready to take your governance to new levels?
Assessing the governance of your school is as important as assessing the school’s performance. Yet few boards know how to do this. Take your board to new levels of effectiveness by learning when a board should assess itself, what questions you should ask, and what to do with the information.

This highly hands-on and interactive session will allow participants to:

Complete a diagnostic tool to allow them to pinpoint their board’s strengths and weaknesses
Develop a clear road map to translate results from the diagnostic tool into concrete action steps
Leave the session with concrete tools they can put into immediate action with their full board
Participants will know when to conduct a board assessment; who should do it and how to create a road map for improvement

Marci Cornell-Feist, Founder/Chief Executive Officer, The High Bar
Track: Leadership & Governance
Place: B401

Friday, 10:30-12:00
From larvae to butterflies: How to grow gracefully from a founding board to a highly effective charter school governing board
The facilitators of this engaging session will walk through the life cycle of a charter school governing board and will clearly outline the key elements that effective charter school boards have and do as a matter of practice. The facilitators will discuss common “red flags” that take boards off course and impact a school’s academic or operational success. Case studies will be analyzed by participants to identify best practices and red flags, and participants will leave with several tools to help strengthen their board.

Tabitha Press, Strategic Development Coordinator, Georgia Department of Education, Charter Schools Division
Kelly Cadman, Vice President, School Services, Georgia Charter Schools Association
Track: Leadership & Governance
Place: B404

Friday, 10:30-11:15
Developing the Most Important Committee on your Board: The Finance Committee
Interested in understanding what role the Finance Committee of your Board should be playing? Do you place too much or too little responsibility on your Finance Committee? Is there confusion around what financial reports your Finance Committee should be requesting from your Business Manager? Dividing and conquering roles and responsibilities at the right levels can ensure your financial house is in order. Take control of your finances. Don’t just hope and pray for the best.

This interactive session will allow attendees to:

Understand which duties should be handled by your Business Manager, School Leader, Finance Committee and entire Board of Trustees
Assess what your school is doing well and where improvements can be made
Learn how to recognize whether your Business Manager is performing at optimal levels and see how to help them succeed

Raj Thakkar, Chief Executive Officer, Charter School Business Management Inc.
Track: Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place: B408

Friday, 10:30-11:15
The Legal Implications of House Bill 797
If the proposed constitutional amendment is approved by voters on November 6, the accompanying legislation, HB 797, will provide a statewide method for authorizing and funding state charter schools in Georgia. HB 797 will create new opportunities and considerations for prospective and existing charter schools.

This panel will address the legal effects of HB 797, focusing on three issues in particular:
1. Will our petition be approved?
2. If so, how much funding will we receive?
3. What if we already have a charter?

Significant time will be reserved for attendees’ questions, discussion—and perhaps debate. The panelists are three education lawyers who focus on charter schools:

Chris Adams, Attorney, Krevolin & Horst, LLC.
Rob Fortson, Attorney, McGuireWoods
Joshua Mayes, Attorney, Sutherland’s Litigation Practice Group
Track: Advocacy
Place: B402

Friday, 10:30-11:15
Toot Your Own Horn & Get Some Attention
With a little advance planning, and just one simple event per month, you can bring positive media attention – and prospective donors – to your school. We’ll show you how to create a monthly action calendar that can dramatically increase your school’s profile in the local community, impress potential funders, and boost parent engagement.

Nina Rubin, Director of Communications, Georgia Charter Schools Association;
Lauren Azoulai, Director of Development, The International Community School
Track: Advocacy
Place: B411

Friday, 11:25-12:10
Designing Schools with Learning and Community in Mind
Schools have a significant influence on the performance and development of students and teachers and are also an integral part of the community. We look at ways to design schools that accomplish both objectives. Facility design to promote student achievement, benefits of Community Based Planning and the design process as a fundraising tool are only a few of the topics discussed.

John Shurley, AIA, Vice President, Insight Architects
Vince Ciccarelli, AIA, CEFPI, President, Insight Architects
Track: Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place: B411

Friday, 11:25-12:10
Don’t Tread on Me! Everything Charter Schools Need To Know (But Are Afraid to Ask) About Georgia’s Open Meetings, Open Records and Procurement Laws
This session will discuss the ramifications of Georgia law on charter school boards when conducting board meetings, responding to document requests, and contracting for construction projects or professional services. The session will provide an overview of issues including proper meeting procedures for notifying the public, posting agendas, and entering executive session; responses to public records requests; recent changes to the Open Meetings and Open Records Acts; and procurement requirements under the Local Government Public Works Construction Law.

Rob Fortson, Attorney, McGuireWoods
Track: Leadership & Governance
Place: B402

Friday, 11:25-12:10
Optimal Structuring of the Finance & Operations Departments from Start-up through Full-growth
Are you burning out the staff in your finance and operations departments? Have any idea whether you have enough staff members to operate the non-academic departments of your school optimally? Can you recognize the difference between staff members who are ineffective versus ones who are doing the work of several people? Dividing up duties appropriately can prevent the departure of your critical staff members and avoid disruption of your daily operations.

This interactive session will allow attendees to:

Understand how and why positions shift from multi-talented generalists to highly-focused specialists over time
Learn why the financial and operational workloads increase exponentially when your school is growing linearly
Value the finance and operations staff now instead of only after they are no longer working at your school

Raj Thakkar, Chief Executive Officer, Charter School Business Management Inc.
Matt Underwood, Executive Director/Prinicpal, Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School
Track: Performance, Accountability, Compliance & Operations
Place: B408

Friday, 9:25-12:00
Engineering the World: Using Expeditionary STEM Education as a Vehicle for Developing Citizen Scholars
A special innovative practices dissemination grant opportunity. Learn from nationally recognized Amana Academy teachers and school designers how to use Expeditionary Learning practices that engage students through developing engineering products that address a real-world need while fulfilling on CCGPS.
Audience: Teachers, Instructional Coaches, Curriculum & Instruction leaders.
Presentation Format: A three-part hands-on workshop.
As a result of this workshop, participants will: (1) Gain an understanding of Expeditionary Learning instructional approaches, (2) Get exposure to actual examples of and resources used in “STEM Expeditions” implemented at Amana Academy and around the country, and (3) Draw on these examples to build their own interdisciplinary thematic units that engage students in their local communities and for higher academic achievement.

Tasha Roth, Amana Academy Middle School Science Teacher
Anne Vilen, Expeditionary Learning School Designer
Track: Curriculum & Instruction
Place: B409