REGISTRATION DEADLINE
EXTENDED

May 5-6, 2003 Renaissance Hotel Austin

Registration Deadline for the Texas Charter School Conference has been extended to Wednesday, April 16, 2003. The conference will be May 5 - 6, 2003 at the Renaissance Hotel in Austin. Please note that all fees will increase by $100 in each category if received after April 16th.

Overflow Hotels The Renaissance Hotel is completely booked so for hotel room reservations call the Holiday Inn Northwest at 512-343-0888 or the Staybridge Suites at 512-349-0888. When you call let the hotels know you are with the Texas Charter School Conference to receive the special room rate.

Legislative Update and 87 Breakout Sessions

• 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)

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS FOR THE CONFERENCE

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, through a dissemination grant, is publishing a series of three manuals to share practices that have helped them be successful. These documents are titled Practices Aligned for Charter Excellence: PACE I, II, and III. PACE I is a governance manual, PACE II is a board policy manual, and PACE III is a collection of more than 200 administrative forms to aid in the day-to-day operation of a charter school. Each charter and each ESC will receive a copy of these manuals, free of charge, during the training at the charter school conference on May 5-6.

SIX FLAGS OVER TEXAS BUFFET DINNER All registered attendees for the Seventh Annual Texas Charter School Conference are invited to the Six Flags Over Texas buffet dinner Monday evening, May 5^th, at the University of Texas Alumni Center. Transportation will be provided from the hotel to the Alumni Center.

CONFERENCE CHECK-IN will be open on Sunday, May 4^th from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. and on Monday, beginning at 8:00 a.m. at the Renaissance Hotel. Check-in tables will be located on the Atrium Level adjacent to the Ballroom. Conference packets and nametags will be available at this time. To avoid standing in line with 800 other attendees on Monday morning, we encourage you to check-in on Sunday evening if possible.

CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD AND OFFICER TRAINING RULES Text of the proposed commissioner rule addressing training for charter school officers and members of governing bodies was published in the March 28 issue of the Texas Register. The 30-day public comment period began when the text was 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://www.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/index.shtml .

NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOL SURVEY 2003 The Center for Education Reform will soon publish it's National Charter School Directory. Attached is a survey that they would like for you to complete and mail to them at the address listed at the bottom of the second page by Friday, May 2, 2003. For questions you may call 202-822-9000.

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