OCS Weekly Newsletter for August 14, 2020

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logoOffice of Charter Schools

6307 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-6307  

Weekly Newsletter- August 14, 2020

This week's outline of content:

  1. OCS Guidance on recent Legislation
  2. OCS Saves The Dates 
  3. Updates and resources from beyond OCS
  4. OCS updates and resources
  5. Other news from our charter schools
  6. Employment opportunities at charter schools
  7. OCS Contacts

Please be sure to keep EDDIE up to date!

 


Upcoming Events and Reminders!

Save the Date!

 

OCS OFFICE HOURS: Monday August 17th, 11:30am-12:30pm
  • August 27th, 12:00: Meet and Eat for Charter School Leaders offered by the Office of Charter Schools, Integrated Academic and Behavior Systems, and Exceptional Children Division (see flyer here
  • August 27th, 2:00: New MTSS Coordinator Meeting (see flyer here

PLANNING YEAR SESSIONS

Board members from charter schools that are opening in 2021, as well as acceleration applicants,  are required to attend 5 virtual Planning Year Sessions from September to March; this year we have spaced the sessions out more throughout the year.  Schools is a delay year are not required to attend but are welcome to. The school leader and some of the board members are also required to attend the New Charter School Leaders Institute in June 2021.  As a customer service, the Office of Charter Schools continues to open up these sessions to all charter schools.  If you have a new school leader and/or a new board member interested in attending any of the sessions, he or she must register to attend.  Registration for the September 30 virtual Planning Year Session I is OPEN NOW THROUGH THIS LINK.

 

Please note the schedule below:

 

2020-21 Planning Year Professional Development Schedule

Date

Time

Location

Topic

September 30, 2020

8:30 – 4:00

VIRTUAL

Charter School Governance

October 28, 2020

8:30 – 4:00

VIRTUAL

Charter School Finance

January 27, 2021

8:30 – 4:00

VIRTUAL

Charter School Operations & Accountability

February 24, 2021

8:30 – 4:00

VIRTUAL

Meeting the Needs of All Students

March 24, 2021

8:30 – 4:00

VIRTUAL

Our School Opens in 5 Months!  Now What?

Note: Dates and topics are subject to change.  If needed, other trainings may be scheduled.  Site visits and/or board meeting observations may be scheduled during these months, as well.


Innovative Childcare and Remote Extended Support (ICARES) Grant Competition: CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

If interested, please complete  the “Intent to Apply” by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 28, 2020.

Don't Miss This

NC CENTER FOR SAFER SCHOOLS

NC Dept. of Public Instruction

Task Force Meeting

September 24

10:00 am until 2:00 pm

Virtual Link and Additional Info Coming Soon

Safer Schools

A Note From the State Superintendent

Educators, Parents, and Caretakers –

  These are challenging and frustrating times for everyone. There are a lot of different opinions on how to return to learning this month. About the only thing we can all agree on is that no one is going to be happy with how this school year is starting.

  We get it. Distance learning doesn’t replace being in a classroom and is a struggle for parents, students, and teachers. At the same time, many educators and parents share concerns about the potential for the spread of COVID-19 at schools.

  The tough decisions on how communities are returning to schools are being made by your local school leaders under the requirements set forth by Governor Cooper and his team. Every school faces unique challenges that reflect the uniqueness of each community, so different decisions will be made for different communities. Currently, two out of three of North Carolina’s students will start this school year with distance learning.

  At your NC Department of Public Instruction, we have been supporting local schools and communities by providing multiple strategies on how schools can meet the COVID-19 requirements for in-person learning. We have worked closely with local districts to strengthen distance learning so that it is improved from what students, parents, and teachers faced at the end of last school year. It still will not be perfect, but it will be better and specifically should have more live interactions with teachers, even if over video chats. Please click here to visit our resource page for parents and teachers.

  Please join us as we work to help encourage each other and our students. We can all agree that no one is happy that COVID-19 has created obstacles unlike any we have ever faced. We don’t have to agree on everything after that, but let’s work together, with grace and encouragement, to overcome the challenges ahead.

Sincerely,

 

Mark Johnson
NC Superintendent of Public Instruction


COVID TOP TEN:

To help recap important news of the week, we are pleased to bring you the NCDPI COVID-19 WEEKLY TOP TEN.   The link does not change.  New content is added to the top of the document weekly.  


FBS CRITICAL INFO

The School Nutrition Section has provided additional guidance on the use of PRC125 CRF School Nutrition.  This document is posted on our website at https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/district-operations/financial-and-business-services under “PRC125 School Nutrition 75m”

 

The 2020-21 Allotment policy manual is posted at

https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/district-operations/financial-and-business-services/allotments-%E2%80%94-funding-public-school-units

 

The 2020-21 Salary Schedules are posted at

https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/district-operations/financial-and-business-services/compensation-public-school-employees

 

The 2020-21 Salary Manual is posted at

https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/district-operations/financial-and-business-services/compensation-public-school-employees#state-salary-manual-and-forms

 

Alexis Schauss

Chief Business Officer of NC Public Schools

 

Division of School Business

NC Department of Public Instruction

301 N Wilmington St.

Raleigh NC  27699

984.236.2438

Budget

Confirmation of Funds for Annual Financial Statement Audits by CPA firms

 

DPI is providing the appropriate reports to your independent auditors via the internet. These reports for FY20 are now posted in a public application at: http://apps.schools.nc.gov/auditorconfirmationreports (Annual Reports).

Please direct your independent auditor to the site provided.

 

Please contact Roxane Bernard at roxane.bernard@dpi.nc.gov with any questions.


 

 Charter School Teacher of the Year process

NC Burroughs Wellcome Teacher of the Year Process

https://www.bwfund.org/

2021 EOY Timeline 


Charter leaders, please take a look at the timeline and requirements for the Second Annual NCCAT Beginning Teacher of the Year Award! Recognize your amazing beginning charter leaders. All the details are right here!

 

Second Annual NCCAT BTOY Award

 

The NCCAT Beginning Teacher of the Year  timeline has changed due to these unprecedented times. Please find a link here to the new timeline. https://drive.google.com/file/d/19cGanTnK5KwiXlKe2BNp2mgtn7Eb5Xgr/view

NC Elementary Teacher and Student

NCPAPA has recently partnered with DPI to host a new virtual PD program, Distinguished Leadership in a Remote Learning Environment (DLR). This program is available to all NC practicing principals to attend individually or attend with their leadership team. Please see detailed information linked here.

North Carolina Principals and Assistant Principals' Association


Resources Galore:

 

School Business Resources 8/14/20

Digital Teaching and Learning Insider 8/14/20

HOME BASE Bulletin 8/13/20

Growing Success for ELs 8/13/20

Foreign Language Scholarships Available 8/13/20

K-12 STANDARDS, CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION NC Arts Education 8/13/20

K-12 STANDARDS, CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION Global Education 8/13/20

K-12 STANDARDS, CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION: Social Studies Update 8/12/20

K-12 STANDARDS, CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION ELA Resources 8/12/20

K-12 STANDARDS, CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION - World Languages 8/11/20

Early Childhood & Child Care 8/11/20 Update

Integrated Academic and Behavior Systems(IABS) 8/10/20 Message

Professional Learning Opportunities 8/10/20

August NCDPI K-3 Literacy Newsletter


Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates

logo

 


From the desk of Dave Machado, Director of OCS


      The charter school movement started in 1996, and who could have imagined that 24 years later we would have 200 schools, over 116,000 students, 20,000 employees, and over 60,000 students collectively on our waiting lists. The answer is …. the families of North Carolina looking for quality school choice. As you open your schools under these very challenging times, I want to thank you for all your hard work to provide the best possible education for your students. I often tell charter school leaders that we have to give our families a reason to come to our schools every day. They don’t come to our schools because they are assigned to us, they come because they choose to. I challenge you to continue to provide the best education to all students in the safest setting possible.


Georgia Maimone agreed to help us out temporarily, and it turned into a seven-month gig. She was instrumental in assuring our schools received accurate and timely communication during the Covid 19 pandemic. Georgia is now doing what she loves, teaching. Thank you, Georgia, we miss you already!


The Office of Charter Schools is committed to supporting our schools with professional and timely assistance. Do not hesitate to contact us, we are here to serve. Thank you for all you do!

Please send general inquiries to ocs@dpi.nc.gov or contact us individually.


Professional Learning & Renewals Newsletters

Professional Learning 101

 

The Scoop With Coop-All Things Renewals 


Other News from Our Charter Schools:

WBTV Reports on our ACCESS Grant

WBTV Reports on our ACCESS Grant

WECT Reports on Roger Bacon Academy Reopening Plan

WECT Reports on Roger Bacon Academy Back to School with parental option of full in-person or full virtual

Arapahoe Charter back to school 2020

WITN Reports: Arapahoe Charter School returns to in-person classes

Essie Mae Kiser Foxx reopening with blended model, virtual option

Salisbury Post Reports: Essie Mae Kiser Foxx reopening with blended model, virtual option


Leadership Opportunities:

Pine Springs Prep 8th Grade Science Teacher

The Exploris School K-8 ESL Teacher

Brevard Academy Assistant School Director

Lake Lure Classical Academy Classroom Teacher K-12Curriculum Resource Teacher (CRT), and Assistant K-12 Principal

Socrates Academy Elementary school teachers, middle school ELA teachers, and middle school band teacher

The Experiential School of Greensboro: 5/6th grade Teacher, 7/8th grade Teacher, EC Teacher, Part-time Social Worker


Whom Should I Contact at the Office of Charter Schools?

 

Please note that response times to voicemails left on our phones will be much slower than usual due to the COVID-19 response efforts. Sending us an email is ideal.  Clicking the link on our names will bring up an automatic email prompt. Thank you!

OCS Main number: 984 236 2700 ocs@dpi.nc.gov

Dave Machado         984 236 2702

Director of the Office of Charter Schools

 

VACANT       984 236 2701

Program Administrative Assistance, Communications

 

Shaunda Cooper      984 236 2707

Consultant, Renewals & Performance Framework

 

Claire Porter              984 236 2709

Consultant, Professional Learning & Ready to Open Process

 

Ashley Baquero         984 236 2708

Consultant, Amendments & Compliance

 

Joseph Letterio       984 236 2703

Consultant, Epicenter Tech Support & Performance Framework

 

Darian Jones           984 236 2705

Consultant, Applications & Renewals

 

Jay Whalen              984 236 2711

Program Administrator, NC ACCESS Program

 

Barbara O'Neal        984 236 2706

Program Coordinator, NC ACCESS Program

 

Please join us in welcoming(emails and phone numbers coming soon):

Davida Robinson, NC ACCESS Subgrant Program Manager

Lakisha Robbins, NC ACCESS Finance Administrator