MOVING FORWARD
2003 TEXAS CHARTER SCHOOL CONFERENCE

May 5-6, 2003 Renaissance Hotel Austin Registration Deadline April 8, 2003

Keynote speakers

Howard Fuller          Chairman, National Charter School Alliance
Dean Millot              President/CEO, National Charter School Alliance
Nina Rees                Deputy Under Secretary USDOE
Felipe Alanis            Commissioner of Education

• The North Hills Charter School Dissemination Grant team is pleased to announce that each charter that has a Board member or Administrator registered for the conference and attending one of the designated Board /Administrator breakout sessions will receive at no charge:
            PACE I   Governance Manual             (100 page notebook)
            PACE II  Board Policy Manual           (200 page notebook)
            PACE III Administrative Forms           (263 page notebook)
  
  
• Six one-hour training sessions designed to meet the state-mandated training requirements for Board Members, CEOs, Central Office Administrators and Campus Administrators -- covering but not limited to the topics below. All training is without charge to registered conference attendees. Training will be conducted by Bob Schulman, an attorney with the Feldman and Rogers Law Firm.
            School Law
                        “Staying Out of Court and Various Unsavory Locations”
            Health, Safety, and Student Discipline
                        “Law and Order and Other Favorite Television Series”
            Open Meetings
                        “Keeping Your Meetings & Your Records Open & Your Wallets Closed”
            Public Records
                        “The Hidden World of Public Records”
  
  
• More than 70 breakout sessions on educational / financial needs of charters (see attached)
            TAKS Updates
            Content Sessions in Reading, Math, Social Studies, and Science
            Instructional Programs that have Increased Student Performance in Charters
            TEA Updates in Special Ed, Finances, Textbooks, and Bilingual
            ACE: Texas Association of Charter Educators

CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD AND OFFICER TRAINING RULES Text of the proposed commissioner rule addressing training for charter school officers and members of governing bodies is set to be published in the March 28 issue of the Texas Register. The 30-day public comment period begins when the text is published. If you would like to make comments on the proposed rule text, please submit them in writing. You may fax comments to the Charter Schools Division of the Texas Education Agency at (512) 463-9732 or mail them to 1701 N. Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701. The Texas Register is available online at http://lamb.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/index.html

PHONE NUMBER CHANGE Please note that Jimmie Driver, Assistant Director for the Resource Center, has a new phone number – 361-516-1689.

DRAFT NON-REGULATORY GUIDANCE FOR NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND (NCLB) and charter schools is now available at www.ed.gov/offices/OII/choice/charterguidance03.doc. This guidance addresses the topics of accountability, qualified teachers and paraprofessionals, supplemental educational services, corrective actions, and school choice provisions.

ATHLETIC CONFERENCE A number of charter schools in North Texas are interested in forming a statewide charter school athletic conference. The Big State Athletic Conference is now conducting meetings in different regions of the state in order to find interest and form this athletic conference. Plans call for play to open in a number of sports in the 2003-04 school year. For more information call Nick Farley at The Education Center Charter School at 972-292-2405.

Texas Charter School Conference
May 5 - 6, 2003
Austin

Legislative Update – General Session

General Topics for Breakout Sessions (Partial listing)
Board Training

• School Law (3 hours)
• Health, Safety, and Student Discipline (1 hour)
• Open Meetings (1 hour)
• Public Records (1 hour)

Click here to download the PDF Registration Form