Spring training and network building are well underway through the Charter Authorizer Support Initiative (CASI), the statewide initiative for authorizers. CCAP is implementing CASI in collaboration with the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) and regional partner county offices of education (COE).

                               

Quarterly Regional Trainings
CASI held its first quarterly regional trainings last week with some 60 participants attending in person and virtually. Three partner COE’s—Contra Costa, Sutter, and Riverside—hosted the three-hour trainings, tailored to meet the needs of local authorizers.

This quarter the workshops focused on annual school performance reports, which help provide the foundation for reviewing charter school renewal applications. CCAP and SCCOE led the trainings using CCAP’s annual report toolkit, which includes frameworks for academic performance, operations and governance, financial health and sustainability, and site visits. SCCOE also shared its site visit protocols.

The next quarterly trainings are scheduled for July and will address “Hot Summer Topics: Credentialing, Williams, and Universal Meals.” Stay tuned here and on the CASI website for further information and registration for these free workshops.

Charter Chats
The second monthly virtual Charter Chat is scheduled for April 27. These monthly statewide meetings include regional breakout rooms to bolster regional networking, especially in areas with small and rural authorizers. They also provide an additional opportunity to share best practices and discuss local hot topics in charter authorizing.

Key conversations in the first Charter Chat touched on developing, reviewing and approving comprehensive school safety plans; Williams Act monitoring; support for differentiated assistance; and annual site visits.

Charter Chats are held from 10:00 am to 11:00 am on the last Wednesday of the month. This is the place to check out the 2022 calendar and register for the free Charter Chats.