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Please join with the Office of Charter Schools in congratulating Sally B Howard School, of Wilson County, recognized by The US Department of Education as a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School!
Sally B Howard School of Arts and Science was the sole charter school in North Carolina to receive this year's award and 1 of 15 charter schools nationwide. 7 other non-charter schools from North Carolina were also recognized. This is the 3rd school in Wilson County history to receive the award, the others being James B Hunt HS in 2000 and Rock Ridge Elementary in 2015.
The National Blue Ribbon School Award recognizes those schools, public and private, who successfully close the student achievement gap, igniting the innate potential of all children to succeed.
Please read the SBHS Press Release
Check out their website
Learn from their success!
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School Business Division
Just a reminder the overall application submission for Consolidated and FY22 Initial ESSER PRC 171, 172, 173 and 181 and 182 submissions are due by September 30th, 2021.
*Carryover Budgets for ESSER PRCs approved last year were due by July 31st and Continuation Applications for PRC 171 and 181 must also be submitted to Chief Administrator Approved to approve the carryover budget with the application.
*Small Rural School Achievement (SRSA) Funds- Please note that the deadline to obligate (binding commitment to spend) FY 2018 and 2019 SRSA funds is the end of this month: September 30, 2021. The deadline to obligate FY 2020 SRSA funds is next year: September 30, 2022.
RLIS Update: The planning allotments for RLIS have triggered the RLIS section to open in CCIP in the consolidated application and are ready to be completed by qualifying PSUs. Please reach out to Alex Charles (alex.charles@dpi.nc.gov) or James Popp (james.popp@dpi.nc.gov) if you have any questions.
The Federal Programs Monitoring and Support (FPMS) division in collaboration with School Nutrition and the Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration hosted a technical assistance webinar on ESSER II PRC 174 and 176-177 applications in CCIP 9/23/21. Please utilize the link below to access the recording of the webinar and find attached a PDF of the PowerPoint presentation as resources to complete these two applications. Please contact Dr. Lynn Harvey at Lynn.Harvey@dpi.nc.gov with questions in regards to PRC 174 and Lynne Barbour at Lynne.Barbour@dpi.nc.gov for PRC 176-177. FPMS will be processing the applications.
ESSER II PRC 174 and PRC 176/177 CCIP Technical Assistance Webinar
https://ncgov.webex.com/ncgov/ldr.php?RCID=9bbd13c4b3874d352031e42443ed1c04
Password: eKfweJA7
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Extension of School Immunization and Health Assessment Requirements
Superintendents and Public Information Officers,
To ensure that children are not excluded from school because of increased demands on health care providers amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Roy Cooper issued a new Executive Order and State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Tilson issued a State Health Director Memo that suspends, but does not waive, documentation deadlines for proof-of-immunization and health assessment requirements for school and child-care facilities.
The Executive Order is needed because increased case rates and viral transmission caused by the Delta variant have limited providers’ ability to schedule immunization and health assessment visits. According to the North Carolina Pediatric Society, pediatricians are experiencing record levels of demand for sick visits due to viral illnesses.
In typical years, proof of required immunizations and health assessments are required within 30 days of the first date of attendance of school. After the 30 days, children are to be excluded from school until the family provides documentation of requirements. This year, the 30-day "grace period" for all students will begin on November 1, 2021. Extending these deadlines by will allow more time for families, schools and providers to facilitate access to needed immunizations and health assessments.
Families are required to provide the school or child care facility proof of an upcoming appointment (which could include a written statement from a parent or guardian) by October 8, 2021, and are strongly encouraged to obtain the required immunizations for their children on a timely basis.
The Executive Order and State Health Director Memo will apply to students enrolled in public, private, or religious educational institutions, including child care facilities and K-12 schools. The Order also extends the deadline for each child entering a North Carolina public school for the first time to submit proof of a health assessment with that proof of an upcoming appointment.
Whether children are home-schooled, attend school in-person or by remote learning, they are required by state law to be immunized based on their age for certain vaccinations as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More information on North Carolina’s requirements for vaccines can be found on the NCDHHS website.
Charter Leaders call with DPI Senior Leadership
Procedures for the Transfer of Local Payments to Charter Schools
Superintendents, Charter School Leaders, and Finance Officers,
Please see the attached memo, Procedures for the Transfer of Local Payments to Charter Schools, from state Superintendent Catherine Truitt.
Recent Memos and Need to Know
ESSR Reminder
Dear Charter Directors,
This is a reminder that the 2021-2022 Eligible Schools Summary Report (ESSR) must be submitted in PowerSchool for all local education agencies (LEAs) and charter schools in North Carolina. All charter schools are required to report these data regardless of whether they accept any federal funds and the report is used to meet several requirements, such as School Report Card, CEDARS and Teacher Loan Forgiveness. Thank you in advance for your support.
Information regarding the data collection can be found at https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/federal-program-monitoring/federal-program-data-collection
SCHOOL SAFETY GRANT
NEW School Safety Grant Application – The 2020 School Safety Grant provided districts and schools the opportunity to apply for a total of $18 million in grant funds* for each year of this 2-year grant. Approximately $16.7million has been awarded. Current awardees who have submitted their mid-term and final reports will automatically receive their requested funds* for year 2, i.e., the 2021-22 school year.
Since approximately $1.3 million of the $18 million has not been awarded, the Center for Safer Schools is opening a new application for year 2 of the grant to utilize these funds. The new application, which will open on September 1, 2021 in CCIP, is available only to schools and districts that have not already been awarded funds through the 2020 School Safety Grant.
* All state funding is contingent upon state appropriations by the NC General Assembly.
If you have questions, contact David Prickett at Dave.Prickett@dpi.nc.gov or 984-236-2810.
Announcing Learning Innovations: Fall Webinar Sessions for Educators
7 Strategies for Cultivating Classroom Community
September 29th, 1:00 pm EST
Presented by Candice Chambers, NCSSM Teacher Development Specialist
Registration link: https://bit.ly/3A3dS2o
Best Practices for Implementing Successful HyFlex Learning
October 21st, 11:00 am EST
Presented by Joyce Ventimiglia, NCSSM Instructional Design Specialist
Registration link: https://bit.ly/bestHyFlex
10 Tips to Make Canvas Work for You
November 18th, 11:00 am EST
Presented by Rob Caldwell, NCSSM Instructional and Information Designer
Registration link: https://bit.ly/10canvastips
New Cybersecurity Standards: Why You Should Care
December 9th, 11:00 am EST
Presented by Charlotte Dungan, NCSSM AI Program Architect
Registration link: https://bit.ly/3loMu8G
OCR/CRDC - SY2021 Getting Started Information - PowerSchool Setup
Note: PSUs that were not open in the school year 2020-2021 are not required to participate in this collection.
Thank you for submitting your contact information in EDDIE for the CRDC collection. EDDIE will continue to be the authoritative source for CRDC contacts moving forward. Please remember to update the system if the collection process has been assigned to another staff member. Contact information recorded in EDDIE as of September 24, 202, for this collection will be sent to the federal partner support team for the first log ins to the CRDC Federal Submission Tool.
SY20-21 CRDC Screens in PowerSchool are Ready for Update
All PSUs must perform specific functional tasks within the PowerSchool system prior to running the PowerSchool CRDC Preview report. These tasks can be performed by a single staff member with access to all entities within the PowerSchool instance or some school level tasks can be delegated. Update these screens before the PowerSchool CRDC Preview Report opens in October.
Download the ‘Setting Up PowerSchool for the CRDC’ on the NCDPI CRDC Documentation and Webinars page under the North Carolina Specific Process and Procedures tab. On this page you will also see NCDPI's timeline the collection process, links to federal resources, and NC specific documentation. Webinar events are still pending.
The OCR will Open the Federal Submission Tool in December 2021
For those of you who may not be aware, the OCR sent a communication on August 13, 2021, stating they will open the Federal Submission Tool to the nation December 13, 2021. Users across the nation will have 75 days to make corrections and must Certify the data in the tool by February 28, 2022. The OCR also announced there will be back-to-back submissions. The official OMB package has yet to be published for the school year 2021-2022 collection. You can read this message and others on the NCDPI CRDC Communication and Support page.
PowerSchool CRDC Preview Report Opens October 25, 2021
To provide all PSUs as much time as possible to review data in the Federal Submission Tool, NCDPI will open the PowerSchool CRDC Preview Report Monday October 25, 2021. The PowerSchool report will close midnight of Friday December 1, 2021.
NCDPI has also been working with the PowerSchool vendor on improvements to the PowerSchool CRDC report. Most noticeably this year is that all views reside in one report. Also included are views at the LEA level that allow you as the data collector a more global view of the CRDC setup process within your schools. In addition, the student detail reports at the school level have been grouped by data set and the logic has been improved.
Thank you again for submitting your information. NCDPI wishes you a smooth collection year!
Please contact Terra Dominguez at any time with questions.
EC Division
Please see the attached parent newsletters.
Also, we would like to share with you a Save the Date for the 70th Conference on Exceptional Children, November 17-18, 2021 at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro NC. Registration information will be available on our website: EC Annual Conference | NC DPI
Learning Opportunities for Charter School Homeless Liaisons
Are you a charter school homeless liaison and have questions about McKinney-Vento responsibilities? Join NCHEP staff each Tuesday from 10:30AM – 11:30 AM for an informal discussion on the challenges and successes of identifying and serving McKinney-Vento students in charter schools. All sessions use the same recurring access information, which can be obtained from Tricia Lentz or 336-681-7561. 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM – Weekly on Tuesday
“411” Support for New Charter School Homeless Liaisons
New charter school homeless liaisons are invited to join NCHEP staff the third Wednesday of each month, beginning on October 20, 2021, to learn more about their role of liaison, compliance activities, as well as seek guidance from NCHEP on immediate homeless education needs. Each monthly “411” Support session will build upon training content provided in the annual September new homeless liaison training and will allow new liaisons to share program questions on protocol, best practices and related homeless education collaboration. Session times will be 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM. Attendance is optional, and no registration is required to attend. The recurring access information can be obtained from Tricia Lentz or 336-681-7561. 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM – Monthly on Third Wednesday
Office of Charter Schools (OCS) Updates
2021 A.I.M. Conference Registration Reminder
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is hosting the A.I.M. Conference at the Raleigh Convention Center November 29-December 1, 2021. The Office of Charter Schools would like for all NC Charter Schools to send some representation the conference. There is no registration cost for attending conference, however schools will be responsible for hotel fares, transportation, and meals. The conference is requesting that each charter school select a working team of only three (3) persons to attend the conference. The registration for each school team will take place through the Office of Charter Schools. You will email the names of the three attendees to anita.holbrook@dpi.nc.gov. Please designate one person as the team lead in your email and make sure there is an email address for the team lead person. When you arrive at the conference the team lead person will have received an email to tell them where to go and pick up the conference packets for the entire team. If you have any questions about registration, please contact anita.holbrook@dpi.nc.gov. If you have general questions about the conference, contact barbaraoneal@dpi.nc.gov or dave.machado@dpi.nc.gov.
Important Weighted Lottery Guidance
ARE YOU PLANNING A WEIGHTED LOTTERY IN 2021-2022? If you do not currently have a weighted lottery approval from the State Board of Education, you must seek it through an amendment. This process takes a minimum of three months and must be aligned to the CSAB and SBE meeting calendars. For example, if you plan a lottery in March 2022, you must have approval by that time which means it must be approved by OCS and sent to CSAB by its December meeting (SBE would consider in February). If you have questions or need guidance on the process, please contact Ashley Baquero at ashley.baquero@dpi.nc.gov. There are several outstanding weighted lottery requests, so please make sure you are communicating with our office and seeking guidance to make sure you meeting deadlines. Our office does not “create” the deadlines and they are not flexible.
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Planning Year Calendar 2021-2022
The Office of Charter Schools is pleased to release the dates for the 2021-2022 Planning Year Professional Development calendar. All schools (boards and school leaders) in the Ready to Open process are required to attend five (5) planning year sessions as well as the New Charter Leaders Institute in June, 2022, as part of the successful completion of the Ready to Open and Planning Year process. While these sessions are mandatory for brand new charter schools, we invite those who may new to a leadership role at an established charter school to join the virtual sessions, or access the materials online, under the Planning Year tab of the Office of Charter School's website.
Planning Year Session II: Charter School Finance October 27, 2021
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Teammate in the Spotlight
With the new school year we are adding a new feature to our newsletter. Each month we will put a face to the name of one of the amazing staff at the Office of Charter Schools. For September we are featuring Ms. Claire Porter!
Claire Jenkins Porter joined the OCS in 2019 and currently serves as the lead for the Ready to Open/Planning Year process. Claire has served in a variety of roles in public education: French teacher, Principal, Director of Secondary Instruction, BOD member and founding administrator of a charter school. Claire grew up overseas as her parents served in the Foreign Service (U.S. Department of State) and has studied and worked abroad. She is also a former attorney and mediator who practiced law in her native Virginia prior to returning to education. Most importantly, Claire is a wife and mother of two teens and she values family time above all else. In her spare time, Claire enjoys travel, family adventures, reading, yoga, baking, time spent in nature, and art history. Claire is a graduate of Smith College(B.A.), Iowa State University (M.Ed.), and Tulane University School of Law (J.D.)
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OCS Consultant Sites:
The Scoop With Coop-All Things Renewals
Ready to Open/Planning Year
Performance Framework Companion Site
Professional Learning 101
NC ACCESS ASPIRING MINORITY SCHOOL LEADERS PROGRAM
SEEKING INTERESTED PARTICIPANTS FOR A FALL 2022 COHORT
The NC ACCESS Program is looking to potentially offer two cohorts of the Aspiring Minority School Leaders Program with only 20 slots available! One track for applicants WITH a master’s degree to complete a MSA Add-on Licensure program AND one track for applicants WITHOUT a master’s degree to complete a Masters in School Administration program. Learn more about the Add-on Licensure Program here. The full MSA program would be a new offering.
PLEASE SEND THE NAMES AND EMAIL ADDRESSES OF POTENTIAL CANDIDATES FOR THE PROGRAM TO:
DR. BARBARA O’NEAL (barbara.oneal@dpi.nc.gov)
OFFICE OF CHARTER SCHOOLS
NC ACCESS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
2021-2022
Session 1 - Creating a Culture of Collaboration: Professional development from the teacher next door - September 14, 2021, 4-5pm
Session 2 - Digging the Data: Assessing students abilities in a way that cultivates and motivates growth - September 28, 2021, 4-5pm
How do you get to know your students in a meaningful way, in order to build relationships and capitalize on students’ strengths? We will discuss how to collect meaningful data from your students in order to create relevant lessons that set your students up for success. This session is geared toward any educator or staff member who works to build a relationship with students and uses that relationship to make informed instructional decisions. Participants will leave the session with templates and resources to use in their classroom.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAkcuihqTwsHdYgdVIkA-96pocMxRv-yPU8
Session 3 - Teaching the Whole Child: Addressing the needs of each child in the classroom - October 19, 2021, 4-5pm
This session examines ways to address the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive needs of students. This session is geared toward any educator or staff member that works with students.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZckduysrTkqG92utcZyxSO4JKg4duIlaH9b
Session 4 - Embrace Your Space: Digital tools for the virtual, in-person, and hybrid classroom - November 16, 2021, 4-5pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kde2uqToiHtyLiyO5lHXo9oisrCkfQ85q
The past year educators spent countless hours learning digital tools to make their lessons dynamic and engaging. In this session we will dive into how to use different digital tools, no matter what your classroom space looks like. Come ready to share with and learn from other participants. This session is geared toward any educator who delivers instruction.
Session 5 - Teaching Through a Literacy Lens - December 7, 2021, 4-5pm
We will dive into tips and tricks for teaching content area literacy. This session is for teachers of all grade levels and subjects.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYld-2vrjouH9KkCjP6Ng5xEi2UOVkvxBJK
Resources Galore:
25th Anniversary Art Contest
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the charter school law, which was passed in June 1996, the NC Association for Public Charter School hosted an art contest, sponsored by Insight Architects of Charlotte, NC. Each student receiving recognition was awarded a $25 prize with the school art department receiving a $250 donation. The framed art pieces will be displayed at the NC Department of Public Instruction. The school communities that received recognition were:
Grades K-2: Classical Charter Schools of Leland (Leland, NC)
Grades 3-5: The Expedition School (Hillsborough, NC)
Grades 6-8: INVEST COLLEGIATE: Transform (Charlotte, NC)
Grades 9-12: Piedmont Community Charter School (Gastonia, NC)
Best,
Wendy Dunn
Assistant to the Executive Director
NCAPCS
Leadership Opportunities:
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 / Email: ocs@dpi.nc.gov
Dave Machado 984 236 2702
Director of the Office of Charter Schools
Shaunda Cooper 984 236 2712
Consultant, Renewals & Stakeholder Support
Claire Porter 984 236 2707
Consultant, Planning Year & 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, Professional Development
Melanie Rackley 984 236 2712
Consultant, Charter Applications
Jay Whalen 984 236 2711
Program Administrator, NC ACCESS Program
Barbara O'Neal 984 236 2706
Program Coordinator, NC ACCESS Program
Davida Robinson 984 236 2878
NC ACCESS Subgrant Program Manager
Lakisha Robbins 984 236 2704
NC ACCESS Finance Administrator
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