Volume III, Number 9, March 3, 2000
A publication of the Resource Center for Charter Schools
© Resource Center for Charter Schools
All Rights Reserved

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU who attended the Third Annual Texas Charter School Conference in Corpus Christi.  Commissioner of Education Jim Nelson was very pleased to see all of our great Texas charter school leaders in attendance! Attached is the Top Ten Reading Publications list from Phyllis Hunter’s presentation at the conference.

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT REQUIREMENTS The Texas Education Code requires that charter applicants “specify any type of enrollment criteria to be used.” See attached statement from TEA attorney Christi Martin, regarding parental involvement requirements, and information from Dr. Chris Kallstrom, Director Emeritus at Treetops International School.

TEACHER FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM The Council for Basic Education announces Charter School Teacher Fellowships for all classroom faculty in public charter schools. See attached.

SIX WEEK ATTENDANCE REPORTS See attached memo from Nora Rainey.

CONGRATULATIONS to Paso del Norte Academy in El Paso for obtaining an 80% passing rate on the October math TAAS Exit Exam.  Director, Mario A. Griffin, also reported that the ASVAB was administered to 72 juniors and seniors and 56% of them qualified for college scholarships awarded by the Navy.  Six students obtained scores that qualified them for the Naval Nuclear Power Program which includes scholarships of $62,000.
 

The following statement regarding Parental Involvement was released by the Texas Education Agency’s attorney, Christi Martin, January, 2000:
 

Section 12.111(14), Texas Education Code, requires that Charter applicants “specify any type of enrollment criteria to be used".  Thus, a student may not be excluded from a charter school unless the reason for the exclusion is specified in the charter.  Further, the Texas Education Code and other sources of law impose various limits on the types of criteria a charter school may rely upon in denying admission or continuous enrollment.  It is the TEA’s position that a charter school may not require parental involvement as a condition of a student's continued enrollment at the school.

The finding of the Case study was that schools primarily paid only lip service to providing parent involvement through such strategies as seminars, a resource library, and aide service, but looking at research across the country, a review of “ideal” projects was the basis for starting one of the first parent- professional cooperatives in Texas.

From its inception, parents were informed that enrollment was based on parent participation in the overall running of the school. Choices included everything from transportation to telephone secretary to fund raising to contributing whatever their unique talent might be to enriching the learning of--not just their child--but all the children interested in their topic: Young Astronauts, Odyssey of the Mind, Junior State Debate, Drama Clubs, Athletic and Arts groups, Tutoring, and much more.

It was clear that some form of service or an alternative payment was required of each family to do their hours as a condition of enrollment.  When a family illness or crisis made it impossible, families with excess hours would pitch in their credits to help.

The goal was not the funds but the enrichment that parents could add to the learning environment for all participants.  The co-op grew and by 1990, there was a 20 acre campus, filled with a host of learning resources, and all, debt free.  In 1998, that co-op became a charter school.  I do not know if it is involved in the TEA ruling but I urge you not “to throw out the baby with the bath water” by negating the power of any school to prioritize collaborative effort by parents, staff, and students to create environments second to none where learning is a celebration!
 

From: Dr. Chris Kallstrom

Director Emeritus, Treetops International School

1.  Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children*
Catherine E. Snow, M. Susan Burns & Peg Griffin, Editors. National Research Council, The National Academy Press: Washington, DC, 1998.  ISBN 030906418X.  Order online at www.nap.edu or call toll free 1-800-624-6242 Cost: $35.95.

2.  Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print* 
Marilyn Adams. MIT Press: Cambridge, MA, 1994. ISBN 0262510766. Cost: $24.00.

3.  Beginning Reading Instruction, Components and Features of a Research-Based Reading Program Texas Reading Initiative, Texas Education Agency. Austin, Texas. Publication Number: CU7 105 01.  To order, contact TEA Publications at 512-463-9744 or visit www.tea.state.tx.us/publications.  Cost: $1.50.

4.  Start Early, Finish Strong: How to Help Every Child Become a Reader 
The America Reads Challenge, US Department of Education, November 1999. 
Download on line at http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads, or order single copies for free 
at 1-8004ED-PUBS

5.  Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experiences of Young Children* 
Betty M. Hart and Todd R. Risley.  Paul H. Brookes Publishing, November 1996. ISBN 1557661979. Cost: $26.00

6.  Beginning Reading Instruction: Practical Ideas for Parents 
Texas Reading Initiative, Texas Education Agency. Austin, Texas, Fall 1997. Publication Number: GEB 160 01.  To order, contact TEA Publications at 512-463-9744 or visit www.tea.state.tx.us/publications.  Cost: $3.00.

7.  Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom* 
Lisa Delpit. New Press, January 1996. ISBN 1565841808.  Cost: $14.95

8.  Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children's Reading Success* 
Catherine Snow, M. Susan Burns & Peg Griffin, Editors. The National Research Council, National Academy Press: Washington, DC, 1999. ISBN 0309064104. Order online at www.nap.edu or call toll free 1-800-624-6242. Cost: $14.95.

9.  Teaching Reading is Rocket Science: What Expert Teachers of Reading Should Know and be Able to Do Louise C. Moats. American Federation of Teachers, June 1999.  Item # 372.  Download at http://www.aft.org/Edissues/trocketscience.htm

10.  Every Child Reading: An Action Plan 
Learning First Alliance. Washington, DC, June 1998.  Item number: 180.  Order, or download for free, on line at www.learningfirst.org/publications.html Cost: $3.00.

*Publications available through local or online bookstores.
PRICES LISTED MAY VARY.

The Council for Basic Education (CBE) announces Charter School Teacher Fellowships for all classroom faculty in public charter schools.

Teams of 3 teachers will spend 6 weeks together in self-directed study of an academic topic of their choice - with time devoted to reading, writing, and thinking.  Team members will each receive $2,500 and their schools will receive $500 each.

Application materials may be obtained on CBE's website, www.c-b-e.org.  Completed applications must be received at CBE in Washington, DC by Monday, May 8.  Winners will be notified on Friday, May 19 by telephone.  Share this information and apply today.

For additional information, contact Elsa Little or Susannah Patton at 202-347-4171.
 

Please make sure that six-week attendance reports are submitted within 10 school days of the end of the reporting period.  Failure to submit reports in a timely manner may result in a disruption of state aid payments.

Revisions to previously processed six-week attendance reports must be accompanied by a letter from the Superintendent or Director of the charter school with an explanation for the change and indicating the specific change required.

Please make sure that six-week attendance reports indicate the specific attendance reporting period (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6), calendar track, dates of the reporting period, and the number of days taught.  Please make sure that the reports match the calendars on file with the Division of State Funding and please review for mathematical errors before submitting to the Division of State Funding.

Please make sure that all correspondence includes the charter county district number.

Unless a charter school has a specific waiver or board approval, all tracks must offer 180 days of instruction.  Please make sure that the division of state funding has a calendar on file for each track you will be operating.

Charter Schools should submit an attendance report for each reporting period in a track (within 10 days of the end of a reporting period on a track).  If a charter has 5 tracks (calendars), the charter will be required to submit a total of 30 six-week attendance reports throughout the year.  Please note that students are not permitted to switch tracks for the purpose of generating additional days of attendance/state funding.

If a charter school is not utilizing vendor software to generate the six-week attendance reports, this information must be submitted on the District Summary Attendance Report and the Membership Report templates available at <http://www.tea.state.tx.us/school.finance/charter/> .  Please make sure that total days in membership, days absent, ineligible days and eligible days are the same on both reports.  If these numbers are not the same it may indicate an error in the attendance data and/or lack of controls in attendance procedures.

The latest Summary of Finances may be viewed on the internet at  http://www.tea.state.tx.us/school.finance/funding/sofweb2.html
<http://www.tea.state.tx.us/school.finance/funding/sofweb2.html> .  Just type in your county district number.

Payment information can be obtained on the internet by going to
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/press/payments/
<http://www.tea.state.tx.us/press/payments/>. You can access the report by:
(1) Selecting your agency category (2) Selecting the Fiscal Year (3) Typing in your 9-digit Taxpayer ID and (4) Pressing the "Get Payments" button.

If you have any questions, please call Nora Rainey at 512-463-9238.