Wisconsin Charter School Summit 2026: Full Schedule

12:00pm CDT

Lunch w/ WRCCS Network - Governance Board

Monday June 15, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm CDT

1:15pm CDT

Governance Boards 101 - From Starting a Board to Running a Strong Meeting

Monday June 15, 2026 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT

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

Monday June 15, 2026 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT

Governance Board

1:15pm CDT

Innovative Assessment for the Whole Child: How we Measure the Impact of Forest Schooling

Monday June 15, 2026 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT

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.

Speakers

Jonel Kiesau

Kickapoo Valley Forest School - La Farge School District

Monday June 15, 2026 1:15pm - 2:30pm CDT

Governance Board

2:45pm CDT

Compliance Support for ICS Special Education and Finance

Monday June 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT

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

Speakers

Chamomile Nusz

Charter School Consultant, Circle Education

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 →

Cathy Cramer

ICS Business Mgr Consultant, CESA 1

Monday, June 16th from 2:40-4:30 PM

Monday June 15, 2026 2:45pm - 4:00pm CDT

Governance Board

9:15am CDT

Navigating Charter Contract Renewals

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am CDT

The charter contracting process is one of the most critical responsibilities of a governance board. Effective board leadership during contracting and renewal directly impacts the school's future, student outcomes, and community trust. In this session, WRCCS Director Sarah Hackett and contracted partner, Chamomile Nusz, will help governance board members navigate the contracting and renewal process with clarity, focus, and purpose.

Topics will include:
- The governance board’s role in preparing for and navigating the contracting process
- Building a strong collection of evidence based on academic data, student and family surveys, self assessments, and a variety of other indicators
- Identifying strengths and weaknesses by analyzing evaluation criteria, performance data, and findings from site visits
- Collaborating with school leadership to develop a compelling, evidence-based proposal by addressing deficiencies proactively and demonstrating a clear plan for continued or improved performance

Speakers

Chamomile Nusz

Charter School Consultant, Circle Education

Sarah Hackett

Director, WRCCS

Sarah Hackett is the Director of the Wisconsin Resource Center for Charter Schools at CESA 9. She earned a PhD from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in Curriculum and Instruction. She is a graduate of the rural public school system in Wautoma, Wisconsin, and the small but mighty... Read More →

Tuesday June 16, 2026 9:15am - 10:30am CDT

Governance Board

10:45am CDT

Discovering Continuous Improvement for Advanced Boards

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT

Session details coming soon!

Speakers

Chamomile Nusz

Charter School Consultant, Circle Education

Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:45am - 12:00pm CDT

Governance Board

12:00pm CDT

Lunch Breakout - Governance Board

Tuesday June 16, 2026 12:00pm - 12:45pm CDT

Governance Board

1:00pm CDT

Onboarding and Recruiting New Members

Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT

Recruiting skilled and committed governance board members, and then onboarding them into their roles, is critical for the long-term success of the school. In this session, WRCCS Associate Director, Dan Lathrop, will share proven strategies to strengthen your board through intentional recruiting and effective onboarding by exploring:

How to recruit strategically by identifying skill and perspective gap in current board composition, then developing a clear recruitment plan
The need to prioritize candidates who bring relevant experience and/or expertise (education, finance, fundraising, community engagement, etc.) and reflect the students and families of the school
How to design a thorough onboarding program that includes orientation sessions, key policy training, school site visits, as well as setting clear expectations for roles, responsibilities, and time commitment

Speakers

Dan Lathrop

Associate Director, WRCCS

Dan Lathrop comes to us from the Stevens Point, where he was the leader of a charter school for 12 years. He also has coached schools across the nation, and collaborated locally to build a vast understanding of charter schools, strong relationship-building skills, and trusting systems... Read More →

Tuesday June 16, 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm CDT

Governance Board