Volume 5, Number 29, July 19, 2002 Pages: 9
A Publication of the Charter School Resource Center of Texas
Phone 210-348-7890 Fax 210-348-7899
© Charter School Resource Center of Texas All Rights Reserved

Patsy O'Neill, Executive Director Jimmie Driver, Assistant Director
Sally Friedli, Office Manager Sara Murphy, Administrative Assistant
Barbara Graham, Education Specialist
                      

SUBSIDIZED SERVICES FOR SPECIAL ED

SUBSIDIZED SERVICES FOR SPECIAL ED We are pleased to announce that Harris County Department of Education (HCDE) is exploring options for new Special Education service arrangements for Houston-area charter schools. As one possibility, HCDE is considering starting a Charter School Special Ed Coop in Houston beginning in 2003. Because HCDE is a governmental agency with tax-based revenue, Special Ed services they provide are subsidized for any school located in Harris County. A free Special Ed needs assessment will be conducted by HCDE for any charter school that thinks they might be interested in this Coop.

The HCDE will co-host a planning meeting, to discuss the possibility of a Special Ed Coop, on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 at 1:30 p.m. at the HCDE office at 6300 Irvington Boulevard in Houston. This meeting will be co-hosted by the Resource Center and Association of Charter Educators (ACE). Susan Barnes, Patsy O'Neill, Barbara Graham, and Christi Martin will attend the meeting to help answer questions. Any school not in Harris County will not be eligible for subsidized Special Ed services, but is welcome to attend the meeting. Please RSVP by July 29th to the Resource Center at 210-348-7890 or oneillp@texas.net.

ACADEMIC/ACCOUNTABILITY ACADEMIES The Charter School Resource Center's Academic/Accountability Academies 2002 will focus on assisting charters to prepare for the new Texas assessments (TAKS) and can provide excellent in-service for your teachers and administrators for the 2002-2003 school year. The schedule and registration form is attached. Please list workshop attendees individually on the registration form and fax to the Resource Center at 210-348-7899 . Each topic listed is a separate, all-day workshop beginning at 9:00 a.m. and ending at 3:00 p.m. Register early as each workshop is limited to 45 participants. For questions call the Resource Center at 210-348-7890. Workshops will be provided at no cost to the charters.

WORKSHOPS FILLED The following Academic/Accountability Academy workshops are filled and we are no longer accepting registrations for these workshops:

Reading K-2 Tuesday, July 23
Math K-2 Wednesday, July 24
Writing 4-7 Friday, July 26
Taming Your Universe Monday, July 29
Writing 4-7 Thursday, August 8

CHARTER SCHOOL ORIENTATION The Charter Schools Division at TEA is hosting a charter school orientation on Monday and Tuesday, July 22 and 23, 2002 in room 1-104 of the William B. Travis building at 1701 N. Congress Avenue in Austin. The orientation is a two-day program including presentations from many divisions across the Agency. A tentative schedule is attached. New charter schools are required to attend an orientation program before starting school. Staff members from existing schools are also welcome, as are ESC staff and other interested parties. Please let us know you plan to attend by registering on our webpage at www.tea.state.tx.us/charter/orientation.htm or calling 512-463-9575. There is no charge. Parking is available on the roof in Garage Q on San Jacinto between 16th and 17th streets. Due to increased security, you will need to provide your license plate number to staff immediately upon arrival. Cars parked on other floors of Garage Q or in other state garages may be ticketed and/or towed. Parking is also available in two U T parking garages off MLK Boulevard for approximately $7.00 per day.

SCHOOL BOARD TRAINING The Charter Schools Division at TEA will host a public meeting on Friday, August 2, 2002 to discuss proposed Commissioner's rules regarding charter school board training. The meeting will be from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in room 1-104 of the William B. Travis building at 1701 N. Congress Avenue in Austin. All interested parties are invited to attend. The Resource Center will schedule board training as soon as the Commissioner's rules are finalized.

CHARTER REPRESENTATION ON ESC BOARDS New commissioner's rules relating to charter school representation on the boards of directors of Regional Education Service Centers became effective on July 8. See the attached letter and rule for further information.

WINFREE ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL R.O.P.E.S. TRAINING Fulfill PE requirements, raise student achievement and self esteem, and increase student involvement with the least amount of money, staffing and space with R.O.P.E.S. Training. All materials and curriculum will be provided for you with an enrollment fee of $350. The training will take place July 29 - 31, 2002. Call Tripp Jackson at Winfree Academy at 972-251-2424 for more information.

CHARTER SCHOOL ORIENTATION
July 22 & 23, 2002

Room 1-104
Texas Education Agency
William B. Travis Building
1701 N. Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas

Monday, July 22

Welcome

 9:00-9:15

 Ron McMichael, Deputy Commissioner
Finance and Accountability
Charter Schools Overview

 9:15-10:15

Susan Barnes, Assistant Commissioner
Charter Schools Division
Textbooks

 10:15-11:15

 Dora Cortez
       Lunch

 11:15-12:45
Legal

 12:45-1:30

 Margaret Baker
Financial Audits

 1:30-2:15

 Steve Chiang
       Break

2:15-2:30
EEO Compliance

 2:30-2:45 Pam Williams
Child Nutrition

 2:45-3:00

 Sharon Welborn
Curriculum

 3:00-3:45

 Janet Russell
Financial Services 3:45-4:00

 David Alonzo

Tuesday, July 23

PEIMS (Public Education Information Management System)

 9:00-9:45 Cynthia Carrasquillo
Mark Walker
Bilingual Education
English as a Second Language (ESL)

 9:45-10:00 Elaine Martinez
State Funding

 10:00-11:00 Nora Rainey
       Break

 11:00-11:15
Federal Programs

11:15-12:30 Dina Hernandez
Special Education Monitoring

 12:30-1:00 Pamela Baker
       Lunch

 1:00-2:30
Special Education

2:30-3:30 Carolyn Dietrich
Student Assessment

 3:30-4:00 Phyllis Kirkpatrick & Becky Wofford
Accountability Evaluations

 4:00-4:30 Mary Perry
(Contact is Rosemary Manges)

 

M E M O R A N D U M

To: Charter School Administrators

From: Susan Barnes, Assistant Commissioner for Charter Schools

Date: Thursday, July 11, 2002

Re: Representation on Regional Education Service Center Boards

On July 8, 2002, a new commissioner's rule pertaining to charter schools became effective. 19 TAC Chapter 53, Regional Education Service Centers, Subchapter AA, Commissioner's Rules, §53.1002, Charter School Representation on Board of Directors, establishes provisions relating to charter school representation as non-voting members of the board of directors of each eligible Regional Education Service Centers (RESC). The attached rule specifies details regarding the charter school member, the term of office, the appointment process, and transition period timelines.

Section 53.1002 (d) of the rule addresses the process for appointing charter school representatives for the coming year. As is stated in the attached rule, any eligible person wishing to seek appointment as a charter school member of an RESC board of directors should file an application with the commissioner of education between the tenth day after and the 30th day after the rule became effective. This means that applications should be filed with the commissioner between July 18 and August 7, 2002. The application must be in the form of a letter seeking appointment to a specific RESC board of directors. The letter must include a description of the applicant's qualifications to serve as a charter member of the RESC board of directors, and it must supply contact information for the persons signing the letters of support. In addition, applicants must enclose letters of support signed by representatives from at least one open-enrollment charter school in the education service center region.

The application may be filed by mail if sent by certified United States mail, return receipt requested, or by an overnight courier service. The envelope must be addressed to the Charter School Division, Texas Education Agency, 1701 N. Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701-1494.

ATTACHMENT II
Text of Proposed New 19 TAC

Chapter 53. Regional Education Service Centers

Subchapter AA. Commissioner's Rules

§53.1002. Charter School Representation on Board of Directors.

(a) Charter school member. Notwithstanding the provisions of §53.1001 of this title (relating to Board of Directors), where a

(b) regional education service center (RESC) has at least one open-enrollment charter school , as defined by §100.1011(3) of this

(c) title (relating to Definitions), approved to operate [located] within its boundaries on or after June 1 , the commissioner of education

(d) shall appoint a representative of the open-enrollment charter schools in the region to serve as a non-voting member of the board of directors of that RESC as provided by this section.

(b) Term of office.

(1) A charter school member of an RESC board of directors shall be appointed for a one-year term. The term of office shall

(2) begin June 1, and may be extended for up to three years by the commissioner.

(3) If a vacancy occurs due to death or resignation of a charter school member of an RESC board of directors, a 30-day period

(4) shall elapse, after notice has been given to the board chair, before the vacancy is filled.

(3) At the beginning of the 30-day period, notice of any vacancy shall be given to the president of the governing body and the

(4) chief executive officer of each open-enrollment charter school in the education service center region and shall be posted in appropriate locations.

(5) A vacancy for the unexpired term of a charter school member of an RESC board of directors shall be filled by appointment

(6) by the commissioner of education.

(c) Appointment process.

(1) A charter school member of an RESC board of directors must be a United States citizen and a resident of the State of Texas,

(2) and must be at least 18 years of age. A person may be appointed to serve as a charter school member of more than one RESC board of directors.

(2) Any eligible person wishing to seek appointment as a charter school member of an RESC board of directors shall file an application between February 1 and February 20. The application shall be in the form of a letter seeking appointment to a specific RESC board of directors. The letter must:

(A) include a description of the applicant's qualifications to serve as a charter member of the RESC board of directors;

(B) enclose letters of support signed by representatives from at least one open-enrollment charter school in the

(C) education service center region; and

(C) supply contact information for the persons signing the letters of support.

(3) The application for appointment as a charter school member of an RESC board of directors may be filed by mail if sent

(4) by certified United States mail, return receipt requested, or by an overnight courier service. The envelope must be

(5) addressed to the Charter School Division, Texas Education Agency, 1701 N. Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701-1494.

(5) Not later than May 31, the commissioner of education shall notify the board of directors of each qualifying RESC

(6) of the commissioner's appointee to serve as the charter school member of that RESC board of directors effective June 1.

(e) Transition period deadlines. Notwithstanding anything in this section, the following provisions shall govern where a charter

(f) school member of an RESC board of directors is appointed to a term of office that includes any of the period from June 1, 2002,

(g) through May 31, 2003:

(1) Any eligible person wishing to seek appointment as a charter school member of an RESC board of directors shall file an application during a period commencing on the tenth day following the effective date of this section and ending on the 30th

(2) day following the effective date of this section. The application shall be filed in accordance with the process specified in subsection (c) of this section.

(3) Not later than the 90th day following the effective date of this section, the commissioner of education shall notify the board

(4) of directors of each qualifying RESC of the commissioner's appointee to serve as the charter school member of that RESC board of directors.

(3) The term of office of a charter school member of an RESC board of directors appointed under this subsection shall begin on

(4) the day the commissioner of education notifies the board of directors of the qualifying RESC of the commissioner's appointee to serve as the charter school member of that RESC board of directors and shall expire May 31, 2003.