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TEXAS
CHARTER SCHOOL CONFERENCE
 THE SEVENTH ANNUAL TEXAS CHARTER SCHOOL
CONFERENCE will be May 5 & 6, 2003 at the Renaissance Hotel
in Austin. Confirmed keynote speakers include Dr. Howard Fuller, Institute
for the Transformation of Learning, and Dr. Felipe Alanis, Commissioner
of Education. This year we ask that you mail, not fax,
the registration form(s) with your check to the Resource Center. Conference
information and registration forms are attached.
We expect approximately 1,000 attendees, so please call 512-343-2626 to
make your hotel room reservations. To receive the $125 room rate with
up to four people in a room, let them know you are with the Charter School
Conference.
SUBMISSION OF EXPANSION AMENDMENTS The
deadline for the submission of expansion amendments requests for the 2003-2004
school year is March 1, 2003. Expansion amendments include those that
would (1) expand grade levels served, (2) increase maximum enrollment
(3) add a campus, or (4) expand the geographic boundary. The amendment
request form is available at www.tea.state.tx.us/charter/forms/csforms.htm.
Print the form, fill it out, and fax it, along with any additional information
you would like to include, to Kirsten Christophersen in the Charter Schools
Division of TEA at 512-463-9732. Forms may also be mailed to the Texas
Education Agency, 1701 N. Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701-1494. Call
Kirsten at 512-463-9575 if you have questions.
TEA
UPDATES
THE RENEWAL INFORMATION SESSION FOR
GENERATION THREE schools will be held at the Agency February
3, 2003, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., in Room 1-100. More specific information
about application requirements and the general components of the renewal
review will be provided. Staff from Financial Audits, Legal, Special Education,
and the Charter Schools Division will present information and be available
for questions.
The February 3, 2003 information session is scheduled primarily to accommodate
schools whose applications are due February 28, 2003. Another session
is planned for early March. However, all Generation Three schools are
welcome and encouraged to attend the February 3 session. Attending a renewal
information session is not a requirement for application for renewal.
The tentative agenda is as follows:
| 9:00 - 9:20 |
Introduction |
| 9:20 - 10:20 |
Special Education |
| 10:30 - 11:30 |
Legal (i.e., governance structure, nepotism/conflict of interest) |
| 1:00 - 1:30 |
Financial Audits (business and financial management) |
| 1:30 - 3:30 |
Program Evaluation, Monitoring Follow-up, and other issues |
Please register for the information session via the Charter School Division
web pages, http://www.tea.state.tx.us./charter/rfa.htm,
or contact Johnny Galvan at 512-936-6688. Please contact Ertha Patrick,
512-463-9575, for any questions about renewal.
Parking is available on a first come first serve basis on the roof (flat,
open area) in Garage R directly behind the Travis building
at no cost. 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 R or in other state garages may be ticketed
and/or towed. Parking is also available in two UT parking garages off
MLK Boulevard for approximately $7.00 per day.
CHARTER SCHOOL CHILD COUNT Charter schools
were mailed a packet containing detailed information for submitting special
education child counts. The child count will be used to determine eligibility
for 2003-2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B (IDEA-B)
allocations. These funds are available to charter schools
opening since November 1, 2002, that provide special education services
to students with disabilities based on current full and individual evaluations
and individualized education programs (IEPs). Additional funds may
be available if, since November 1, 2002, your charter school has experienced
a significant expansion of enrollment based on an event unlikely to occur
on a regular basis. Any expansion must have resulted in a significant
increase in the number of enrolled students for whom the charter school
provides instruction.
The child count should be reported in the New and Significantly Expanded
Charter School Child Count screens on the automated 2002-2003 Web Standard
Application System (WEB SAS) for Special Education Programs. The reporting
system will be available on the web from February 3, 2003, through February
24, 2003, and any child count information must be reported through the
WEB SAS system during this period of availability.
For assistance in completing the child count, contact your education
service center special education contact. If additional assistance is
required, contact Debbie Conaway in the Division of Special Education
at (512) 463-9362.
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