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Welcome to the April MOVE!
Big News From Last Night! HB24-1363 was defeated in the House Education Committee after an enormous turnout of support from you, our supporters! Read the League’s statement here. Also in the MOVE, read more from Dan Schaller’s take on the latest legislative success, the League’s member survey, and a brief on the pursuit of the Federal Charter Schools Program Grant.
Be sure to explore the League's upcoming events and training sessions for the rest of the school year in the Leagues News & Events section below. If your campus has an update to share, please submit it to us by 12 PM each Thursday.
House Education Committee Defeats 1363
By Dan Schaller
Last night the Colorado House Education Committee voted decisively to kill HB1363, an extreme and expansive bill that would have had devastating impacts on Colorado’s well-regarded charter school sector. Common sense has prevailed. In an 8-3 vote the bill was defeated around 9:45.
What was most impressive was the outpouring of testimony from school leaders, students, and parents. Thank you, all! We once again demonstrated the collective strength of our community when we stick together and speak as one.
From the beginning, the League led the charge in opposing this effort and the many harmful impacts it would have had on our schools and students. Our advocacy team is six strong and soon growing to seven, but our greatest strength comes when our members and supporters like you are working with us to both protect and advance the sector.
Beyond just the defense represented by defeating HB1363, I wanted to highlight several other recent positive legislative developments that League efforts have brought:
- Late yesterday the Speaker’s long-anticipated bill to update and reform the school funding formula was introduced (HB1448). In addition to the $500M it would inject into public education and our schools over the next 6 years, League advocacy also managed to ensure critical facilities dollars for charter schools were included in the bill. If finalized, these dollars would not only offset the declines in marijuana excise tax revenue that we told you about previously, but they could also tee us up for some significant facilities matching dollars from the federal government later this year.
- Full mill equalization for CSI schools is now in a very solid position as we head into the legislature’s final stretch. Working closely with CSI, we successfully beat back last-ditch efforts in both the House and Senate over the past couple weeks to remove the final $22M from the budget that is necessary to fully – and finally – equalize funding for CSI’s more than 20,000 students.
- Finally, a couple of our proactive pieces of legislation – SB132 on privacy protections for charter educator evals and HB1154 on removing barriers to bonds for CSI schools – are now on a glide path to adoption and signature by the Governor.
These efforts at the Capitol represent significant progress for all of the 261 charter schools around the state. But that isn’t the only way that the League is supporting you this month. We’ve built a robust resource center for your use, convened a wide variety of networking groups to connect you to each other, visited you through our regional gatherings, and brought you all together in town halls to explore a variety of topics.
All these items are examples of how we regularly update and develop our offerings for you through your feedback. If you haven’t already done so, please fill out your membership survey this year to help us improve our 2024-2025 offerings and events. Remember that the membership survey includes ten $50 gift card incentives to randomly reward our survey takers. The survey closes soon, so please take it today.
As you complete this year’s testing window and sprint toward the end of the school year, THANK YOU for all that you’re doing to keep us strong and support the work we do at the Capitol and beyond.
Sincerely,
Dan Schaller, President
Colorado League of Charter Schools
Raise Your Voice, Give Gratitude, & Celebrate this May
With two week-long celebrations coming soon in May, there’s much to celebrate as we near the end of the school year. Teachers go above and beyond for their students every day; May 6-10 is the time to share your gratitude for all they do during Teacher Appreciation Week. The following week (May 12-18) is National Charter School Week, another opportunity to celebrate your school’s achievements as well as those of charter schools across the country. Start planning now for these five ideas to celebrate Colorado’s incredible charter ecosystem this May.
Read the full article here.
Legislative Update: A Frantic Final Month Teed up in the Legislature
With just over a month to go, the Colorado General Assembly has entered its final stretch. Two weeks ago, the Joint Budget Committee diligently worked to finalize the budget, which went through the House last week. This precipitated some unexpected drama in the form of a fight over charter funding equity, which is why you received an action alert from us late last Wednesday asking you to contact your legislators. Read the full April Legislative Update here.
Extended Deadline: Participate in Our Member Survey!
Your valuable insights are pivotal in shaping the future direction of the Colorado League of Charter Schools. We are extending the deadline for our 2023-24 Member Survey until April 19 to ensure we capture your feedback. Your responses, which take only 10-15 minutes to complete, will play a significant role in guiding our efforts to effectively meet our members' needs. As a token of appreciation, participants will be entered into a drawing to win one of ten $50 gift cards.
Congratulations to our first two winners, Steven Bartholomew and Brendon Feddema - CONGRATS! Please contact [email protected] to arrange for your certificate. For any questions or concerns about the survey, please reach out to Kevin Hesla at [email protected]. Thank you for your valuable contribution.
| Take the survey today |
Manage like an ostrich: Marrero eliminates principal feedback on his leadership [Boardhawk Article]
By Alan Gottlieb
If Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero ever writes one of those management manifesto books that were once so popular, he should title it “Manage Like an Ostrich.”
This year, Marrero cut off the main channel by which his subordinates could provide feedback on his leadership. The CollaboRATE Survey has been used by the district since the days of Tom Boasberg and provided an opportunity for direct reports and building leaders to offer their thoughts on the district’s leadership.
As I reported last year, Marrero is the first superintendent not to share his results with subordinates and the general public. But now he has taken it a step further and simply removed his name and the names of his senior team members from the survey altogether. Read Alan Gottlieb’s full Boardhawk article here.
League Pursues Federal Charter Schools Program Grant: Enhancing Education in Colorado
In discussion, collaboration, and cooperation with CDE SOC, the League has agreed to apply for the upcoming round of the Federal CSP. The U.S. Department of Education will release the notice inviting applications (NIA) for the Federal CSP in the coming weeks, and awardees will be notified by September 30, 2024. In the spirit of the entire charter ecosystem working together toward our goal of helping students have more quality educational options, we wanted to highlight why this is happening and more about CSP. Read the statement put out by the League here.
Save the Date: Charter School Leadership Summit & 2025 Colorado Charter Schools Annual Conference!
Mark your calendars for October 11! Our highly anticipated Charter School Leadership Summit is back, bringing educators, administrators, and policymakers together for a day filled with empowerment and collaboration. Stay tuned as we unveil the venue next week. Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain valuable insights and connect with fellow leaders in the charter school community! Save the date to your calendar. COPY THIS TO YOUR CALENDAR: [October 11, 2024, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at a very special Denver-area Resort]
Embark on a transformative educational journey at the highly anticipated 2025 Colorado Charter Schools Annual Conference! Join us on February 27 and February 28 for an immersive experience at the Denver Marriott Tech Center, where innovation meets inspiration. This conference promises to foster a dynamic environment for educators, administrators, and stakeholders alike. Discover cutting-edge strategies, engage in thought-provoking discussions, and connect with visionaries shaping the future of education. Unleash your potential, embrace new perspectives, and be part of a community dedicated to redefining the landscape of learning. Don't miss out on this unparalleled opportunity to elevate your educational endeavors.
COPY THIS TO YOUR CALENDAR: [February 27-28, 2025, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm (both days) at the Marriott Denver Tech Center]
Community Announcements
Lunch & Learn | Choice Enrollment of Students with Disabilities
This month, we’re hosting two special Lunch & Learn events addressing the equitability of the Choice process. Students with disabilities deserve the opportunity to participate in Choice just like their non-disabled peers and the 2022 state rule change was meant to protect students with disabilities from discrimination when they participate in the Choice enrollment process. Join these two sessions to learn more about the Dos & Don'ts when enrolling Students with Disabilities through the Choice process! Register here.
OERColorado May Webinar Series
New to openly-licensed educational resources (OER)? Or ready for a deep dive? Either way, the May 2024 OER Webinar Series offers free knowledge for everyone. Want to find out more about OER and Open Education? Register for the upcoming OERColorado webinar series to learn more about OER for Colorado. Can’t attend live? Register anyway to access recordings of the webinars. Each webinar is 90 minutes, from 9am to 10:30 MST on May 7, 2024, and May 14, 2024.
House Education Committee Made Right Call Defeating HB24-1363
The League is grateful to members of the Colorado House of Representatives Education Committee for voting to kill Colorado House Bill 24-1363, which took unnecessary aim at students benefiting from Colorado’s effective and impactful public charter school system. The Colorado League of Charter Schools believes that all children in our state, regardless of zip code or background, deserve access to high-quality public school options. We express our gratitude to the Representatives who voted against this bill and prevented it from moving forward to the detriment of students statewide. Read the League's full statement here.
How the Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act Supports Equity and Innovation
Educators who aspire to open a new school may be able to make their dreams a reality with a new bill moving through Congress. On October 18, 2023, Senators Cornyn (R-TX) and Booker (D-NJ), along with Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Senator Cassidy (R-LA), Senator Bennet (D-CO), Sen. Scott (R-SC), Sen. Hassan (D-NH), Sen. Braun (R-IN) and Sen. Schatz (D-HI) introduced S.3072, the Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act. The purpose of the bill? To provide more equitable access to pre-planning resources needed to open a school and tear down barriers for those who need the most help. Read more on this topic from the NAPCS.
Get Your School in its A-GAME
Over the past five years, a bold group of charter school authorizers from across the country have been reflecting on better ways to measure school quality. We have embraced the slogan: Measure What Matters, When It Matters. We now know we can only go so far without YOU at the table. Join these upcoming conversations as we get on our A-GAME together.
Making Sense of 2024: A Presentation for High School Students
The current political context is daunting and discouraging for everyone, but perhaps most of all for young Americans. What is happening in our country’s politics, how did we get here, and what is our role within it? Drawing on history, political science, original research, and popular culture, Stephen Hawkins, Global Director of Research for More in Common, seeks to answer these questions in a way that is grounded yet inspiring, all in a 35-minute presentation. Developed for students in grades 9-12, the presentation is 35 minutes, followed by Q&A. For more information, contact [email protected].
New Collaborative to Fund Charter Research
MIT Blueprint Labs recently launched a Charter School Research Collaborative to make charter research more actionable, rigorous, and efficient. The Collaborative will fund research proposals on long-term student outcomes, non-test score measures of school quality, the determinants of school quality, charter governance practices, and more (the full research agenda is here). The first request for proposals is now open, and Blueprint seeks proposals of various sizes, with grants ranging from $10,000 to $500,000 based on research scope and stage. Apply here by April 17, 2024.
Funding Opportunities
Cahn Fellowship
Cahn Fellowship provides advanced leadership development and recognition in large metropolitan areas to strong, talented school leaders to improve public education. The best schools are led by strong principals. Cahn Fellowship selects high-potential principals to participate in programs that maximize their talents and enhance their skills. These programs aim to have a dramatic impact on the performance of the school, the outcomes for the students, and the satisfaction and commitment of the principals themselves. Learn More.
CDE Updates
Public School Finance Act Rules Update
On Thursday, March 14, the State Board of Education approved changes to the Rules for the Administration of the Public School Finance Act of 1994 (1 CCR 301-39), which will be implemented in the 2024-25 school year. The School Auditing Office will continue to host office hours to discuss these changes and provide clarification as the office works to update the Student October Count Audit Resource Guide for 2024. Districts are encouraged to send their questions to the School Auditing Office at [email protected] by Friday, June 7.
Nominate an Exceptional Teacher for the 2025 Colorado Teacher of the Year
Do you know an exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable and skilled K-12 teacher? Nominate him or her to apply for the 2025 Colorado Teacher of the Year award by Monday, May 20. The selected teacher will represent the entire profession in the state and automatically become Colorado’s nominee for the National Teacher of the Year Program. For more information contact Patty Gleason at [email protected] or 303-910-5721.
UIP Feedback Released on a Rolling Basis
Schools and districts on Performance Watch (i.e., Priority Improvement, Turnaround, On Watch, On Hold) or ESSA Comprehensive Support are being reviewed by the School Improvement and Planning Team. Feedback will be shared with district accountability contacts and will be available in the Collaborate Tab of the plan Online UIP System as it is available. Reach out to the UIP team for support in implementing feedback.
UIP Template Roll Over April 15: New Streamlined Template Option for 2024-25
The UIP template will roll over on Monday, April 15, changing from the 2023-24 template to the 2024-25 template. Once the template rolls over, school users will only have access to the 2024-25 template; previous UIPs and feedback will be view-only. District users can still access, edit, and post 2023-24 UIPs, if needed.
For the 2024-25 school year, schools and districts have the option to use the new streamlined Unified Improvement Plan (UIP) Template beginning on April 15. This template will be accessed by district staff in the online portal, and school users can be given access by district LAM assignment. For more information visit the online system website.
Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer data collection due Tuesday, April 30
The mandatory Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer data collection will be open from Monday, April 1, to Tuesday, April 30. Household income information may be collected from families through free and reduced lunch applications, a combo form or the Family Economic Data Survey form. CDE will host an S-EBT webinar training at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26. and will also provide updates on the data collection during the Data Pipeline Town Hall every Thursday in March from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. For more information and to access an informational flyer for families in English and Spanish, visit the Summer EBT webpage. For questions, contact Madeleine Breza at [email protected] or 720-471-7049.
Math Instruction Professional Development
Elementary, middle school and high school teachers are invited to register for free online professional development in math instruction. The virtual asynchronous sessions will begin in June and will provide participants with practical tools and techniques to engage students, foster deeper understanding and cultivate an engaging learning environment around math. For more information contact Rachel Moore at [email protected].
Colorado Educator Loan Forgiveness Program opens March 15
Colorado educators can apply for student loan forgiveness beginning Friday, March 15. The program is designed for Colorado educators who are later in their career. Disbursement of payments will begin in July. This program is limited and not all who apply can be awarded. First preference will be given to applicants in approved rural schools/districts, followed by applicants in content-shortage area in non-rural schools/districts. Learn more about program qualifications on the Colorado Department of Higher Education website. For more information contact April Gonzalez at [email protected].
Informational CMAS Science & AEC Performance Framework Results Now Live
The 2023 informational performance framework reports containing 2023 CMAS Science for all districts and attendance/truancy results for Alternative Education Campuses have been provided to district accountability contacts via Syncplicity. For questions related to Syncplicity, training or support, email [email protected].
League News & Events
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Top News
Local Headlines
Effort to gut charter schools dies in Colorado House committee
April 11, 2024 | Boardhawk
A bill that would have stripped much of the autonomy from Colorado’s public charter schools died in the Colorado House of Representatives Education Committee on a bipartisan 8-3 vote late Thursday. Read more.
Colorado lawmakers defeat bill that would have changed charter school operations and made it easier to close them
April 12, 2024 | Chalkbeat
A bill that would have significantly changed how Colorado charter schools operate, making it simpler for local districts to close them, was defeated by state lawmakers Thursday in its first hearing. After hours of testimony in the House Education Committee, the bill failed on a 3-8 vote. Several Democratic lawmakers joined Republicans to defeat the bill. Students, teachers, parents, many charter school leaders, and some advocates testified against the bill for several hours. Far fewer people spoke in support of the bill. Read more.
Upending consensus on Colorado’s charter schools | PODIUM
April 10, 2024 | Colorado Politics
There was a time in the state legislature when the two parties found common ground on important issues. Though it may seem a quaint relic of the past, one issue where there was broad agreement was Colorado’s groundbreaking system of public school choice, including our dynamic system of charter public schools. Read more.
Fort Collins school's dual-language immersion program certified by French government
April 10, 2024 | The Coloradoan
The French dual-language immersion program at Fort Collins' Axis International Academy received the Label of FrancEducation from the French government. Read more [paywall].
2024 election: Colorado voters, what should the presidential candidates be talking about?
April 8, 2024 | Chalkbeat
Educators, parents, and all Coloradans: What education issues would you like the 2024 presidential candidates to talk about, prioritize, and eventually take action on? Take the survey.
Colorado International Language Academy marks 10 years of operations
April 6, 2024 | Colorado Springs Gazette
It doesn’t take long for Shaunna Kimble to get interrupted by one of the students at the Colorado International Language Academy. Throughout a tour of the charter school, the assistant principal is routinely stopped by students between classes for a hug and a quick word. Read more.
What’s in Colorado’s budget for K-12, early childhood, and higher education?
April 5, 2024 | Chalkbeat
Colorado’s 2024-25 budget proposal cleared the Senate on Friday morning, giving the bill approval from both chambers and paving the way toward sizable investments in K-12 and higher education next year. Read more.
These Colorado school districts are testing new ways to boost student attendance after record absences
April 4, 2024 | The Colorado Sun
Rates of chronic absenteeism spiked across Colorado and the country during the pandemic. Schools are making progress in drawing kids to school regularly but still have more work to do. Read more.
Snow Birds for Snowschool!
March 25, 2024 | Winter Wildlands Alliance
On a winter day in early March in Southwestern Colorado, educators Kelle and Keith Bruno are leading a group of SnowSchool students on snowshoe romp through the snow-filled forests outside Pagosa Springs. The day’s activities include some SnowSchool program classics such as digging snow pits and a race to calculate snow-water equivalent. Read more.
National Views
The “case for curriculum” is about reducing teachers’ workload
April 11, 2024 | Fordham Institute
Last weekend, I gave a talk at the U.S. ResearchEd conference in Greenwich, Connecticut, on “The Case for Curriculum,” based on a paper I wrote for Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, which was published this week at The 74. Read more.
The Danger in Drawing Conclusions from Amelia Bedelia
April 10, 2024 | CharterFolk
Some of you may have seen this article resurface in recent days. The Atlantic highlighted it in their “One Article to Read” feature last week. It highlights a sobering problem, the fact that youngsters these days read for fun much less than prior generations. Read more.
189 Innovative School Leaders: Teacher Staffing, AI, Mental Health Top Ed Issues
April 9, 2024 | The 74
Latest Canopy Project survey identifies educators' leading concerns — and what some cutting-edge schools are doing to address them. Read more.
Science Fiction May Be the Key to Helping Students Understand AI
April 5, 2024 | EducationWeek
A machine is trained to write deceptively humanlike poetry. Children learn mostly passively, through mechanical devices. Genius is defined as identifying the right questions to ask an all-knowing entity—but strange things happen if you try to joke around with it. Read more.
Can an upfront cash incentive improve teacher recruitment and retention?
April 4, 2024 | Fordham Institute
A recent study in the Economics of Education Review Journal looks at one promising effort to recruit and retain teachers: providing upfront grants and loans to financially-strapped potential teachers to encourage them to become and remain educators. Read more.
Leadership Is Key, Autonomy Matters: Lessons in Why Tutoring Programs Work
April 3, 2024 | The 74
Study from Louisiana, Texas and New York finds not all tutoring is equal, relationships motivate students, federal funding is needed. Read more.
Health & Wellness
Professional Development
The Impact of Stress on Learning and Behavior
April 15-16 | 8 AM - 4:30 PM MT
Hosted By: Mountain Plains MHTTC
Registration Deadline: February 23, 2024
Register here.
Topic: Adverse Childhood Experiences: What Does the Evidence Say and What Can We Do?
April 22 | 11 AM MT
This presentation will define and describe adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and review the substantial empirical evidence on their mental and physical health effects. Multiple ways of understanding and assessing for ACEs will be discussed, as will how to identify and address them in clinical practice. Register here.
Empowerment Through Education: Stewards of Children Training - April 24, 2024
April 24 | 2 PM MT
Stewards of Children is an evidence-informed, award-winning training designed to empower adults with practical actions to reduce instances of child sexual abuse in organizations, families, and communities. By participating, you'll acquire valuable insights, skills, and resources to recognize, respond to, and contribute to creating a safer environment for youth. Register here.
School Garden Summer Programming
April 30 | 1 PM MT
Get ready for summer and learn best practices from two different programs in Del Norte County, CA and Savannah, GA about how they structure volunteers over the summer and run a summer camp program for youth ages 5-13. Register here.
Improving Student Health & Wellness for Educators
May 9
The Colorado Healthy Schools Collaborative is excited to announce the upcoming hybrid meeting on May 9 th, 2024! The meeting will be held in person in Colorado Springs and hosted virtually. In addition to the meeting, we have a variety of professional development opportunities available in the afternoon. Review the May 9 event schedule and register!
Eighth Annual Shared Risk & Protective Factors Conference: Building Sustainability & Action in Prevention
May 21–23, 29–31
The Shared Risk and Protective Factors Conference is a gathering for prevention professionals and community members of all ages interested in driving positive change. Attendees will gain skills in prevention, diversity, equity, inclusion, and Positive Youth Development. The conference aims to equip participants with tangible skills, strategies to address racial inequities, and inspire passion, while providing a space for healing, celebration, and forming new connections. Register here.
Free Health Equity Training
On-Demand
Check out the Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC)’s 90-minute recording of Equitable Language and Why it Matters. School Health Professionals play a vital role in student health! Register here.
Enroll in the Health Equity Online Module, a 2.5-hour, self-paced online course from the Rocky Mountain Public Health Training Center. The course is free and meant for those who are serious about walking their health equity talk but aren’t quite sure how to get started.
Register here.
Resources
Study: Overscheduling Harms Students' Well-being
A recent data analysis by economists from the University of Georgia and the Federal Reserve Board highlights the psychological costs of overscheduling for students, particularly during high-school years. The study reveals that excessive homework and extracurricular activities can harm mental well-being, making students more anxious, depressed or angry. Read more in The Hechinger Report.
Recess for Adults
You are, let’s say, eight years old, sitting at your school desk. Yes, that desk: the one that confines you in your chair, the one sitting in orderly roles, where you are supposed to do, well, whatever, with self-control and, above all, without causing trouble. Getting things done, under the teacher’s gaze. The bell rings. You are overcome with adrenaline-fueled excitement. It’s recess. Let’s go out to the playground. Doing something else. Read more.
Educator Residency Improves Teacher Diversity, Well-being
PEBC's pilot program, supported by a $1.5 million, 2-year grant from Kaiser Permanente, aims to rebuild the educator workforce in Colorado by recruiting teachers from historically underserved populations. The Teacher Residency program, aligned with the Thriving Schools initiative, focuses on integrating social and emotional well-being into classrooms to address burnout and retention challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, during the 2022-2023 school year, 9% of teaching positions in Colorado remained unfilled. Since the grant, the program has seen a 32% increase in participants from historically underrepresented groups, with retention rates 25% higher than the national average for program graduates. Learn more about the impactful PEBC Teacher Residency program.
Free Crisis Service
Colorado Crisis Services offers free, confidential support 24/7. Call 844-493-TALK (8255) or text TALK to 38255. Walk-ins are welcome for all Colorado residents, regardless of ability to pay. Visit the website for mental health, substance use, or emotional concerns.
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Recent League Newsletters
- ACT (March 21, 2024)
- NEWS (April 5, 2024)
- MOVE (March 15, 2024)
- LEGISLATIVE UPDATE (April 1, 2024)
- Legislative Update Special Report (April 9, 2024)
- CONNECT COHORT (March 28, 2024)
Upcoming TrainingsThe League provides a variety of quality professional development opportunities for member schools. |
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Health & WellnessThe Healthy Schools Hub: Join the League at a new One-Stop Location for Health & Wellness Resources. |
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