Charter School Leader Community COVID-19 Collaboration
Hey School Leaders,
Our team and strategic partners meet every Thursday at 1:00 dozens of public charter school leaders meet virtually to Inform, Connect, Guide, and Unite charter and business leaders during this time. We will continue to do so until we are back in school.
Start by saving these School Leadership Community Created Resources to your DRIVE:
Shared COVID-19 Resource Document
Here is access to the archived recordings (latest to earliest)
June 25th, 2020 (Special Guest Dave Machado from the NC Office of Charter Schools)
June 18, 2020 (Google DOC Notes- Look Under NEW for latest)
June 11, 2020 (Google Doc Notes)
June 4 Call (Clarence Henderson Archive)
May 21, 2020 (Return to School Committee Resources and Recommendations)
Safely Opening Your School Webinar (Insurance People)
May 14, 2020 (Special Guest, Jennifer Wagner from EdChoice)
"Telling Your Charter Story"
May 7, 2020 (Special Guests for K-12 Virtual Academies)
- Jeanna Pignatiello – Senior Vice President, Chief Academic Officer
- Joel Medley – Director of Leadership Development
April 30, 2020
April 23, 2020
Topics:
Grading, Teacher Licensure, CARES ACT Funding, and Developing a Return to School Committee. (Click to Access Committee Framework Power Point)
April 16, 2020
Listen to our School Leadership Community call where charter leaders had the opportunity to share their concerns with local legislators.
Key discussion topics:
- Funding for schools
- Licensure
- Testing
- School calendar flexibility
- Equity and access for all
Here was the order of speakers
- Rhonda Dillingham, NCAPCS
- Rep. Craig Horne
- Rep. Aston Clemmons
- Joy Warner, Community School of Davidson
- Joe Caraher, Cornerstone Academy
- Teresa Harrison, Tillery Charter
- Andrew Moceri, Pine Lake Prep
- Alex Quigley, Healthy Start Academy
- Kelly Painter, Bradford Prep
April 9, 2020
Charter Leaders from across NC learn and share!
Here is an outline:
- Five High School Principals share their thoughts on education plan and
end of the year ceremonies.
- Rhonda Dillingham gave strategies for enrollment
- Acadia NorthStar on grading: GPA, CARES ACT Funding
- Lisa Gordon Stella: Minimizing risk, and misconceptions about "layoff pay"
- Steve Joyner Consulting: Internet Safety, digital platforms and video conference safety, purchasing items, projecting computer loss and damages, student created account protection
- Katy Ridnouer: Creating predictability and student safety
- Tom Miller...what is your call to action? Moving from good intentions to results with short and long term planning
If you are loving the collaboration, join our "Inner Circle" Mastermind for principals and school leaders. Click here to apply
April 2, 2020
Experts weigh in on:
Build is as we go, Tom Miller 5 minutes
154 Funding, Cory Draughon, 20 minutes
CARES ACT, Legal and HR Update, Lisa Gordon Stella, 15 minutes
State Emergency Leave, Acadia North Star 10 minutes
Education Plan Updates, 10 minutes
Grading and Legislation, Rhonda Dillingham, 10 Minutes
Call to Action (Self Care!) Tom Miller
March 26, 2020 (Discussion points: Unemployment, Hourly Employees, FERPA, Student Attendance, Accountability, Education Plan Learning, Teacher Development and Oversight, Licensure, Grading and Accountability, STATE OF NC FAQ SHEET)
March 19, 2020.
A Few Items discussed:
- Human Resources (Great guidance listed in the Google Doc below)
- Serving Students with Disabilities
- Education Plan Updates (Need more guidance here)
- Extended Calendar (Waiting for Legislation)
- Testing (Waiting)
- Preparing for long closing (Start now)
- Gaining Access (Tools for teachers and families)
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Resources:
State's Response and Resource COVID-19 Page
State Remote Learning Resource
Exceptional Children:
- The Department of Education has created a Q & A tipsheet to address these questions.
- DPI has offered guidance: DPI Tipsheet
- National Center Special Education Charter School Guidance: IEP Guidance
- NACSA: A copy of the presentation can be found here and you can access the recordings found here: March 23rd Recording
Local Charter School Plans of Action and Resources:
HR Document from Lisa Gordon Stella
Sample COVID-19 Instructional Packets Henderson Collegiate
Cape Fear Center for Inquiry Plan of Action
Sample COVID 19 Instructional Packets K-12 from Pitt County
The Exploris School Resource: From Middle School Director Deborah Brown ([email protected])
- How will we take attendance? What constitutes being "in" school? We settled on a daily google form and at least one check in with a crew (like our homeroom) teacher.
- How much work should be assigned? I've attached some online learning best practices below
- How will the teaching team split the work? There's no reason to have everyone follow a traditional path. For example, one teacher could make teaching videos while another hosted online office hours while another does personal phone calls
- What does your admin team do? We gave each grade level just one contact person on the admin and support team, and then our admin team is having daily (hopefully will transition to every other day once we're settled in) meetings to gather what teachers are stuck/struggling, what kids they are concerned about, etc, and then triage that info to decide if it's a counseling concern, an intervention, disciplinary, etc.
- Our EC team was way ahead of the curve and has been phenomenal with making sure services are delivered and in compliance. I've attached their notes below.
- It's helpful, but not required, for your staff to pick a single platform (google classrooms, Zoom, etc) just to minimize the number of new digital programs your kids & families have to learn, and for admin and support to be able to follow.
- I recommend there's at least some face to face contact for your kids-- either your staff is recording teaching videos (see the attached slides-- I like VoiceThread as a platform) and/or your staff is using some kind of conferencing call-- it's really important that your kids get to see and hear their own teacher's face, voice, gestures, etc.
- Try to streamline the number of emails your families and students are getting. Appoint a communications person from each team, maybe, and try to bundle communications. We found our families and kids were just overloading with so many directions, updates, check ins, etc
- Same goes for teachers. Be deliberate in how you share resources-- our staff felt absolutely bombarded by people trying to be helpful by sharing this new app and that new website and this cool digital trick. Pick one or two and work with those, and then you can adjust as needed.
- Be ready with a LOT of grace for yourselves, each other, your kids and families through this process. It will be messy and chaotic at first, but it's completely doable. Allow people to make mistakes, try new things, and adjust programs and schedules as you all find what works.
Join our Private Facebook School Leadership Community: Click Here
Zoom Online Platform Resources:
Need Additional Guidance or Resources?
Schedule Complimentary Thinking Partner Sessions with Tom or Katy:
- Click to Schedule Time with Tom
- Click to Schedule Time with Katy
- Reach out to Rhonda Dillingham (NC Association)
- Reach out to Lisa Gordon Stella (Legal Support)
Take care of yourself, and each other.
Tom
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