From innovation to regulation, discover how California's charter school movement has evolved and where it's heading in this revealing episode of Boarding Pass. Host Caitlin O'Halloran Hellar and charter pioneer Dr. Ting Sun explore the shifting landscape of charter education, from its original mission of innovation to today's complex reality. Learn how charter boards can navigate changing expectations while staying focused on their schools' core mission and student success. 

Charter school governance comes with great responsibility.  It’s easy for board members to feel inundated with expectations and they might wonder what their most important roles are. In this episode of Boarding Pass, we hear from Malka Borrego, a charter school founder and the founder of MB Consulting Company as she breaks down the most important duties of board members and underscores the vital role board members have part of a charter school governance team. 

Understanding California’s Open Meeting Law, the Ralph M. Brown Act is complicated and high stakes.  In this episode, Jennifer McQuarrie,  a leading expert in California on charter school policy and legal issues, shares her insight and thoughts about the Brown Act including common governing board pitfalls. 

After years of working in both private and public sectors within human resources, Laura Regan currently serves as the Director of Human Resources at the Rocklin Academy Family of Schools.  In this episode, Laura discusses a charter school board member’s roles and responsibilities when it comes to human resources. She also emphasizes the value of comprehensive goal setting for and evaluation of a school’s lead administrator.   

Board members should make data-informed decisions in both school finance and in supporting student success.  But that data can be voluminous and confusing. Join Caitlin O’Halloran Hellar and GALS Executive Director, Vanessa Garza as they define assessment terms and types, talk about effective practices for board presentations and even consider some questions board members might ask when the data is presented to them.  

Show notes:  

For the free powerpoint deck covering the topics discussed in this podcast, go to chartercenter.org/boardingpass.

Join CSDC today for direct access to California's most experienced charter school specialists, who provide personalized technical assistance, extensive resources, and expert guidance on everything from governance to operations. Members save thousands on professional development while gaining password-protected access to essential tools, templates, and exclusive training programs that help their entire leadership team navigate the complexities of charter school management.

Takeaways:

Vanessa Garza emphasizes the importance of monitoring vulnerable student groups.

Keywords: charter schools, governance, student achievement, data collection, board member responsibilities, educational leadership, California

One of the two most important responsibilities of charter school board members is effective fiscal oversight (the other is monitoring student achievement). Tune in to this episode of Boarding Pass to hear veteran charter leader Joyce Montgomery as she shares tips for effective oversight and outlines a board member’s financial oversight obligations.   

Show notes:  

For the free powerpoint deck covering the topics discussed in this podcast, go to chartercenter.org/boardingpass.

CSDC Members Only: Budget Basics Explained 2024

Join CSDC today for direct access to California's most experienced charter school specialists, who provide personalized technical assistance, extensive resources, and expert guidance on everything from governance to operations. Members save thousands on professional development while gaining password-protected access to essential tools, templates, and exclusive training programs that help their entire leadership team navigate the complexities of charter school management.

Takeaways:

• Building and maintaining a high-quality charter school is challenging.

Charter school advocacy a critical part of keeping the charter school movement alive and well in California.  Charter school leaders – board members and administrators play a critical role in advocacy both at the local and state level.  In this episode, CSDC’s Laura Kerr shares a few funny stories as she talks about myth busting, relationship building and becoming a successful charter school advocate. 

For the free powerpoint deck covering the topics discussed in this podcast, go to chartercenter.org/boardingpass.

CSDC Members Only: Quick Guide to Educational Acronyms

Join CSDC today for direct access to California's most experienced charter school specialists, who provide personalized technical assistance, extensive resources, and expert guidance on everything from governance to operations. Members save thousands on professional development while gaining password-protected access to essential tools, templates, and exclusive training programs that help their entire leadership team navigate the complexities of charter school management.

Keywords: charter schools, advocacy, education policy, school board, community engagement, legislative process, California education, public education, charter school governance, political landscape

Join Boarding Pass host Caitlin O'Halloran Heller and Yu Ming Charter School Board Chair Reggie Lee for an insightful discussion on leading a successful charter school through critical transitions. Drawing from his experience at California's first Mandarin immersion charter school, Reggie shares practical wisdom on succession planning, leadership evaluation, and building an effective board that truly represents its community. Learn how to navigate the complex charter renewal process while maintaining strong community engagement and ensuring equitable outcomes for all students.

• Building a charter school is more challenging than it seems.

For the free powerpoint deck covering the topics discussed in this podcast, go to chartercenter.org/boardingpass.

Are you a new board member and wondering how to prepare for your first board meeting?  Or are you a veteran board member hoping to gain deeper insight and improve your school’s board meetings?  In this enlightening conversation, Kennedy Hilario, CEO of ACE charter school discusses foundational documents, recruitment process, board workshops and more. 

For the free powerpoint deck covering the topics discussed in this podcast, go to chartercenter.org/boardingpass.

CSDC Members Only: Quick Guide to Onboarding New Board Members

CSDC Members Only: Quick Guide to Rosenbergs Rules of Order

Join CSDC today for direct access to California's most experienced charter school specialists, who provide personalized technical assistance, extensive resources, and expert guidance on everything from governance to operations. Members save thousands on professional development while gaining password-protected access to essential tools, templates, and exclusive training programs that help their entire leadership team navigate the complexities of charter school management.

Let’s kick off Season One of Boarding Pass learning about the history and creation of charter schools in California.  In this episode, we hear from Eric Premack, CSDC Founder and Executive Director about the work of crafting the charter school law, and we pick his brain to gain an understanding of charter school corporate structure.  

Topics Covered: 

• Charter schools began as a response to ineffective state control of education.

For the free powerpoint deck covering the topics discussed in this podcast, go to chartercenter.org/boardingpass.