Friday Wire (10-10-14)

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October 10, 2014

Welcome to another edition of the Friday Wire. Let us know if your school is in the news! Please send any articles or announcements to Stacy Rader, Director of Communications at the League. Articles and announcements are due by noon on Thursday of each week. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ANNOUNCEMENTS

2015 Colorado Charter Schools Conference: Today's Students. Tomorrow's Leaders. Registration and Call for Presentations Now Open! Call for Presentations and registration for the 2015 Colorado Charter Schools Conference is now open. The Conference is scheduled for February 26-27, 2015 at the Marriott Denver Tech Center. More information about the event is available at www.cocharterconference.org. Register by November 30 for lowest rates.

A Great Teacher in Every Classroom: The Role of Pensions in Recruiting and Retaining Quality Teachers Join us for a discussion about how Colorado can ensure all teachers benefit from a secure retirement and more competitive salaries. Colorado offers comparatively low pay for teachers and suffers from comparatively high teacher turnover - and the current public retirement system perpetuates the problem. Hear from a distinguished panel of experts on how the state's current public pension system affects schools' ability to attract and retain the best teachers. This free event takes place on Thursday, October 16 from 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM in the Craig Hall Community Room at the University of Denver. Click here to register.

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The CollegeInvest Matching Grant Program Is Now Accepting Applications The CollegeInvest Matching Grant Program is one more reason to feel good about living in Colorado! Designed to help lower to middle-income Colorado families save money for higher education, this program can provide eligible account holders with matching funds - up to $2000 - when they open and contribute to a CollegeInvest 529 College Savings Account. For more information please go to: https://www.collegeinvest.org /matching-grant

Daniels Fund Scholarship Applications Due November 14 Do you know a high school senior with character, leadership, a commitment to community, and the drive be successful? Be sure to tell them about the Daniels Fund Scholarship. Applications are online at www.DanielsFund.org and are due November 17, 2014. Don't wait - get started NOW so there is plenty of time to complete all the requirements! Apply at http://ow.ly/AHR7X

News Articles

Testing issue follows candidates on campaign trail Chalkbeat Colorado - October 9, 2014 Ask candidates running for the State Board of Education this year what voters want to talk about and you generally get a quick answer - testing. The four candidates for two contested seats all expect that the question of how much and what kind of standardized tests should be given will be a major issue for the new board and legislature that take office in 2015. The candidates have differing but nuanced views on the issue, but most of them are open to considering changes in the state's assessment system.

Fired science teacher did not have state license 9News - October 9, 2014 "There are always challenges in finding good teachers and so we're actually able to go outside the realm of the traditional teacher licensure program to try to find the best fit for our schools," Flood said. "It's one of the things we hold dear and that is, that it is up to the school to be able to determine for themselves whether they want to have that licensure piece."

State has limited flexibility on testing, feds say Chalkbeat Colorado - October 8, 2014 Colorado has few options if policymakers want to create a more flexible state testing system, or one that lets districts make their own assessment choices, the State Board of Education learned Wednesday.

Colorado Springs charter school serving impoverished students gets major boost Colorado Springs Gazette - October 8, 2014 A big boost from Colorado Springs-based philanthropic powerhouse El Pomar Foundation will help a local charter school that caters to low-income and special education students complete its high school.

Amendment 68 backers, opponents make their pitches on proposed casino Denver Post - October 8, 2014 Mainly, supporter say the amendment would mean $114 million annually for K-12 education and charter schools statewide by charging casinos a 34 percent fee on gambling proceeds. School districts have not supported the amendment.

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Open meetings initiative could have unintended side benefit to unions Chalkbeat Colorado - October 8, 2014 The conservative think tank the Independence Institute is no fan of teachers' unions, so some observers find it interesting that an institute-driven ballot measure might have the side effect of giving those unions a little advantage in contract negotiations with school districts. The proposed change in state open meetings law, which appears on the Nov. 4 ballot as Proposition 104, would require that union-district contract negotiations be held in public.

Charter school duplicates success across the city 9News - October 4, 2014 Across the nation, this question sometimes arises: When schools show success in hard-to-teach areas, why can't those programs just be duplicated? The Denver School of Science and Technology is doing exactly that.

Christie Campaigns For Beauprez In Colorado Gov's Race CBS Denver - October 3, 2014 Colorado's governor's race is top priority for the Republican party with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie campaigning for GOP challenger Bob Beauprez. The pair made an appearance at the American Academy charter school in Castle Pines Friday morning.

District seeks 'innovation status' to skip tests 9News - October 4, 2014 For years, the Douglas County School District has tried to do things differently. Now, it is attempting to use the legal distinction of "innovation" to waive tests required by the READ Act.

Opinion/Commentary Articles & Press Releases

Please Note: The following is a sampling of opinion articles about charter schools that appeared in the media over the past week. The opinions in these articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Colorado League of Charter Schools. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SkyView Academy X-Country Boys' Team Wins 3A Metro League Meet SkyView Academy - October 6, 2014 SkyView Academy (SVA), home of the Hawks, is a preschool through 12th grade public charter school in Highlands Ranch and the newest member of the 3A Metro League. The school's high school cross country team took home high honors on Thursday, October 2nd during the 3A Metro League meet held in Broomfield, CO. The SVA Boys' team won the league championship (the first in the high school's history) beating a top five--ranked Jefferson Academy in the process. In addition, the girls' team took third in a very strong group, also taking down a top five--ranked team in Colorado Academy.

Standards and assessments: Education reform's bridge to nowhere The Denver Post - October 3, 2014 Sigmund Freud's classic definition of insanity - doing the same thing over and over yet always expecting different results - seems not to have registered with American education reformers who endlessly propose look-alike standards and assessments they claim will really, really work this time.

Education Blogs, Forums and Resources

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Below are some other great education reform news, blog and discussion sites that may be of interest: Chalkbeat Colorado Charter Pulse Charter School Solutions Blog Democrats for Education Reform Blog EdisWatching.org (Independence Institute) National Alliance for Public Charter Schools - The Charter Blog ScoopToo

Community Calendar

Webinar: Edlio Custom School Websites Date: Wednesday, October 15 Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Location: Online/Webinar Cost: No cost to attend Description: Edlio creates custom designed websites with an intuitive content management system. This system allows individuals with minimal computer backgrounds to be able to update the school website and pages. Edlio's goal is to increase marketing, enrollment, and communication for your school. Edlio has worked with over 2,000 schools and school districts nationwide and have helped launch several charter schools web presence. Please join us, as our webinar will be discussing ways to launch your school to greater levels of success through social media marketing, SEO, advanced communication, and ways that you can increase enrollment all through your web presence alone. Registration: Click here to register.

A Great Teacher in Every Classroom: The Role of Pensions in Recruiting and Retaining Quality Teachers Date: Thursday, October 16 Time: 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM Location: Craig Hall Community Room, University of Denver 2148 S. High Street, Denver, CO 80208 Cost: No cost to attend Description: Join us for a discussion about how Colorado can ensure all teachers benefit from a secure retirement and more competitive salaries. Colorado offers comparatively low pay for teachers and suffers from comparatively high teacher turnover - and the current public retirement system perpetuates the problem. Hear from a distinguished panel of experts on how the state's current public pension system affects schools' ability to attract and retain the best teachers. Registration: Click here to register.

UIP Workshop - Grand Junction Hosted by the Colorado League of Charter Schools Date: Thursday, October 16 Time: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM Location: Caprock Academy, 714 24-1/2 Road, Grand Junction Cost: League Members: $75 for one person. $25 for each additional attendee. | Non-Members: $100 for one person. $25 for each additional attendee. Meals: Light breakfast will be provided. Lunch will NOT be provided. Please consider bringing a sack lunch and snacks. There will be a break for lunch. Audience: School Leaders and Teachers Description: These workshops will provide time for charter schools to work through each

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section of their Unified Improvement Plan (UIP) (Data Narrative, Root Cause, Target Setting and Action Planning). League staff will be present and available to provide support. There will also be an opportunity to network with other schools. For more information, contact Tisha Bouwmeester at [email protected]. Registration: Click here to register. Deadline: October 10.

UIP Workshop - Grand Junction Hosted by the Colorado League of Charter Schools Date: Friday, October 17 Time: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM Location: Caprock Academy, 714 24-1/2 Road, Grand Junction Cost: League Members: $75 for one person. $25 for each additional attendee. | Non-Members: $100 for one person. $25 for each additional attendee. Meals: Light breakfast will be provided. Lunch will NOT be provided. Please consider bringing a sack lunch and snacks. There will be a break for lunch. Audience: School Leaders and Teachers Description: These workshops will provide time for charter schools to work through each section of their Unified Improvement Plan (UIP) (Data Narrative, Root Cause, Target Setting and Action Planning). League staff will be present and available to provide support. There will also be an opportunity to network with other schools. For more information, contact Tisha Bouwmeester at [email protected]. Registration: Click here to register. Deadline: October 11.

Administrator Mentoring Cohort (AMC) Date: Tuesday, October 21 Time: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Location: Stargate Charter School, 3951 Cottonwood Lakes Blvd., Thornton Cost: $20 per person. Lunch will be provided. Description: A mentoring program that meets five times a year, geared toward new administrators or experienced administrators that are new to the charter school environment (though administrators outside these categories are welcome). Administrators will work as a cohort team, work one-on-one with a mentor, and participate in site observations as they build leadership capacity among new charter school administrators. Registration: Click here to register. Deadline: October 19 at 8:00 AM

3rd Annual Colorado NWEA MAP Users Conference Hosted by the Colorado League of Charter Schools Date: Friday, October 24 Time: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Location: Cherry Creek Schools Student Achievement Resource Center, 14188 Briarwood Avenue, Centennial Cost: $225 per person Description: During the state assessment transition, the Colorado Department of Education encourages districts and schools to rely more heavily on local assessments, such as the NWEA MAP assessment, for improvement planning and establishing performance targets in the 2014-15 UIPs. Join MAP users from across the country, NWEA staff and CDE presenters for this one-of-a-kind event. Improve your use and understanding of this valuable assessment while networking and learning from experts in the field. The conference will feature over 20 breakout sessions in a variety of topics designed for advanced, intermediate and beginner users. Registration: Click here to register. Deadline: October 20.

Rigorous Curriculum Design Workshop

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Hosted by Colorado League of Charter Schools Date: Monday, October 27 Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Location: Colorado League of Charter Schools Training Center, 4201 E. Yale Avenue, Denver Cost: League Members: $175 for one person; $100 for each additional attendee. Non-Members: $225 for one person; $100 for each additional attendee. Audience: School Leaders & Teachers Description: This one day overview will walk you through what a rigorous curriculum includes, and how curriculum fits perfectly into the "big picture" of standards, assessments, instruction, and data practices. You will leave with a preview of the step-by-step sequence for first laying a strong curricular foundation and then designing the actual curricular units of study, from start to finish. The final part of the overview describes how to effectively implement each unit of study in the classroom and instructional program setting.The model defines a rigorous curriculum as "an inclusive set of intentionally aligned components-clear learning outcomes with matching assessments, engaging learning experiences, and instructional strategies-organized into sequenced units of study that serve as both the detailed road map and the high-quality delivery system for ensuring that all students achieve the desired end: the attainment of their designated grade- or course-specific standards within a particular content area." The RCD Process is broken down into four parts in which: Registration: Click here to register. Deadline: October 20.

Common Formative Assessment Workshop Hosted by Colorado League of Charter Schools Date: Thursday, November 6 and Friday, November 7 Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Location: Colorado League of Charter Schools Training Center, 4201 E. Yale Avenue, Denver Cost: League Members: $300 for first attendee. $150 for each additional attendee. Non-members: $400 for first attendee. $150 for each additional attendee. Audience: School Leaders & Teachers Description: Common Formative Assessments or interim assessments allow teachers to collaboratively design grade-level and content area assessments in order to regularly evaluate student learning and to provide consistent data to inform instruction. This two-day workshop helps teachers learn to use assessments for learning in a collaborative process that offers students descriptive feedback and multiple measures of success. Content provided by The Leadership and Learning Center, www.leadandlearn.com Registration: Click here to register. Deadline: Thursday, October 30.

Business Managers Network Meeting Hosted by CDE Schools of Choice and Colorado League of Charter Schools Date: Friday, November 7 Time: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM Location: Summit Conference and Event Center, 411 Sable Blvd., Aurora Cost: $20 per person-Please bring a check or money order made out to CDE with your name in the Memo. Coffee and lunch will be provided. Description: These meetings are hosted jointly by the SOC Unit and the Colorado League of Charter Schools and occur bi-monthly on Fridays during the school year. Each meeting includes the Business manager 101 course for those with less than three years' experience, networking and troubleshooting for more experienced managers, and Responsive and Technical Expert presentations on key issues of relevance to all business managers. Registration: Click here to register - https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NXN5FMB

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Classical Education Summit - 2014 Where the GREAT Conversation LIVES On Sponsored by Twin Peaks Academy and Classical Solutions Date: Friday and Saturday, November 7 and 8 Time: Friday - 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM Saturday - 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Location: Longmont Cost: $249 per person. Register before October 6 and save $49 per person. Description: This day and a half summit will provide a unique opportunity to enrich your understanding of classical education, to learn how it can be best implemented in the classroom and school wide, to hear how classical schools are faring in Colorado and beyond, and to discuss what all of us can do to further advance its future. Registration: Click here to register.

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Let us know if your school is in the news! Please send any articles, comments, or questions to Stacy Rader. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Visit us online at: http://www.coloradoleague.org Quick Links...

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