Strong governance boards are the cornerstone of every thriving charter school. Whether you're a new or aspiring charter school board member, stepping into a founding role, or looking to strengthen your existing governance practices, this breakout session is designed to equip you with the essential knowledge and tools for effective charter school board leadership.
Join WRCCS Associate Director Dan Lathrop to learn about: Building a strong board through recruiting skilled members with expertise in a variety of relevant areas and/or connections that will increase community buy-in and engagement: - Running efficient and effective meetings by crafting clear agendas, facilitating productive discussions, defining clear action steps, and producing accurate minutes that support accountability and transparency - Remaining mission-focused and prioritizing strategic proactive activity over reactive management - Building collaborative relationships with school leaders and authorizers
Innovative Assessment for the Whole Child: How we measure the impact of forest schooling
Join Kickapoo Valley Forest School (KVFS) founders and educators for an inspiring workshop on whole child assessment. At KVFS, we have intentionally created a matrix to record and communicate the real and important learning occurring through our model of forest schooling. We measure student growth and achievement with traditional academic assessments in literacy and mathematics, but also by tracking a unique set of growth markers we call Multiple Literacies that portray how forest schoolers grow and develop across a full spectrum of modalities. We’ll share the full child development we see across years and how we communicate this to students and families.
As the governing body of an independent charter school, your board holds ultimate fiduciary and legal responsibility for ensuring full compliance with federal and state requirements in two of the most complex and high-stakes areas: special education and finance. This session will focus on providing a clear framework for effective board-level oversight of special education and financial compliance. Key topics will include:
Understanding the essentials of special education compliance, including IDEA, Section 504, FERPA, least restrictive environments, and monitoring for equity in discipline
Building an understanding of the foundations of financial compliance, including federal grant requirements, board responsibilities for auditing, and charter-specific funding issues
Establishing protocols for regular special education and financial monitoring
Chamomile Nusz is a co-owner of Circle Education LLC, a consulting service working to support innovative education. She works with the Wisconsin Resource Center for Charter Schools (WRCCS) supporting the development of high-performing charter schools throughout the state of Wisconsin... Read More →
