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 FIRST LADY'S FAMILY LITERACY INITIATIVE
FOR TEXAS 2003 grant applications will be available February 3, 2003.
This statewide initiative is a partnership of the Barbara Bush Texas Fund,
the Texas Center for Adult Literacy and Learning at Texas A & M University,
and Texas literacy providers. Laura Bush, who founded this Initiative
when she was First Lady of Texas, is the Honorary Chair. These grants
of up to $25,000 each are given on a one-time basis to expand existing
instructional programs that may be currently working with just one generation,
e.g. children or adults, so that a complete family literacy program, which
includes parents and children learning and reading together, can be created,
replicated, or expanded. It is not expected that this grant will suffice
to fund all components of the proposed family literacy program. Successful
family literacy proposals include reading instruction for parents or primary
caregivers, reading or pre-reading activities for their children, and
adult/child reading time and interaction. Applications can be found at
www.tcall.tamu.edu, or email your request to ppeebler@cogentech.com.
Requests for applications can also be mailed to: The First Lady's Family
Literacy Initiative for Texas; Attn: Pat Peebler, Grants Administrator;
4400 Post Oak Parkway, Suite 1400, Houston, TX 77027; or by fax to 713-336-7709.
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.
Our registration table will be open on Sunday, May 4th from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
To avoid long lines on Monday morning, please make plans to check-in and receive
your conference materials on Sunday evening. A continental breakfast will be
served each morning at 8:00 a.m. and the General Session will begin at 9:00 a.m.
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.
TEA
UPDATES
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.
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.
CHARTER SCHOOL REPRESENTATION ON ESC BOARDS OF DIRECTORS
19 TAC Chapter 53, Regional Education Service Centers, Subchapter AA, Commissioner's
Rules, §53.1002, Charter School Representation establishes provisions relating to charter
school representation as non-voting members of the board of directors of each eligible
Regional Education Service Center (RESC). Section 53.1002 (c) of the rule addresses the
process for appointing charter school representatives. An application from an eligible
person shall be in the form of a letter seeking appointment to a specific RESC board of
directors, and must (1) include a description of the applicant's qualifications to serve as a
charter member of the RESC board of directors; (2) enclose letters of support signed by
representatives from at least one open-enrollment charter school in the education service
center region; and (3) supply contact information for the persons signing the letters of
support. Any eligible person wishing to seek appointment as a charter school member of
an RESC board of directors should file an application between February 1, 2003 and
February 20, 2003 with the Charter School Division of TEA. Applications may be filed
by mail only 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.
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 3rd 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. 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 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.
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