|
|
|
Charter School Authorizing and Administration
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Happy Spring!
We hope your Spring Break vacations proved restful and you and your staff are ready for a strong last quarter of the school year. We look forward to seeing your faces and hearing from you this week during our quarterly operator councils. Our agenda for the upcoming council meeting features:
-
Welcome and Introductions
-
Updates from TEA
-
Amendment Processing
-
Tutoring Summit
-
Supplant Resources
-
Texas Charter School Incubator
-
Rule Revision and Engagement Timeline
-
Feedback and Engagement
-
Charter School Common Application and Waitlist Process
As a reminder, the dates and Zoom links for the meetings are below:
Small (Single Campus Operators) – Tuesday, March 29 – 11 a.m. CST
Medium (2 to 5 Campuses) – Thursday, March 31 – 10 a.m. CST
Large (6 or More Campuses) – Thursday, March 31 – 1 p.m. CST
As always, you can email, call, or text me with any questions or concerns.
- Marian
|
|
UPDATES FROM THE CHARTER DIVISION
|
|
|
Do you know your Charter School ESC contact?
Each of the region service centers that has a charter school located within its boundary has at least one staff person who serves as the ESC contact for that region’s charter schools.
Our ESC charter contacts (as we call them) provide direct support to our charters by communicating agency information, providing training for charter administrators and boards, and serving as an important resource to answer questions and receive feedback related to the operation of charter schools in their region.
Our charter contacts are an important part of our statewide support network, and they are excited to assist you any way they can!
Updating AskTED
AskTED is a directory of Texas public schools, including charters. AskTED is the primary source used by TEA and other agencies to communicate important information to school districts. This information includes due dates, deadlines, grant opportunities, statutory requirements, trainings, and other resources.
Several personnel fields in AskTED are statutorily required including: Cybersecurity Coordinator, Foster Care Liaison, Homeless Liaison, and Transition & Employment Designee.
In addition, all charter schools are required to have a person listed in the superintendent role which may include:
Superintendent, Acting Superintendent, Area Superintendent, or Interim Superintendent, Administrator, Director, and Executive Director.
Although it is recommended to have each role filled for optimal agency communication, vitally recommended roles include:
Bilingual/ESL, Child Find Contact, PEIMS Coordinator, Special Education Director, Technology Coordinator, and Test Coordinator.
AskTED updates are submitted through the CharterAskTED@tea.texas.gov email address. Keep in mind the following updates require an amendment and/or board resolution:
- Superintendent - Board Resolution
- Mailing and Physical Address - Amendment
- Board Members - Governance Report
For each personnel field, at minimum, you will need to provide:
- Personnel Title
- First and Last Name
- Phone Number
- Email Address
To access your charter school's information, navigate to AskTED, select "Search By," then "District," and enter the search information. To view personnel roles, check the boxes for "Include School Principals," "Include District Superintendents," and "Include Other District Roles," then select "All District Roles."
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Bruce Marchand has served as the Portfolio Manager for the charter division since January 2020 and oversees the charter division’s portfolio team, assisting charters with amendments, renewals, governance, and everything else related to the daily life functions of a charter school. He spent 30 years working for two large Houston-area ISDs as a teacher, principal, and every central office position imaginable before joining the Texas public charter movement as a superintendent in 2010.
Prior to coming to TEA, Bruce worked for the Texas Public Charter Schools Association and directed new charter growth and development efforts and served as director of training and COO. He and his wife Cheryl have two sons and two beautiful grandchildren, and when he is not spending his spare time with them, he enjoys playing the piano and composing music, home remodeling, and pretty much any outdoor activity.
|
|
|
NEWS FROM AROUND THE AGENCY
|
|
|
|
The application has been extended and there have been updates made to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Online Testing Infrastructure (OTI) Matching Grant.
- The application due date has been extended to Monday, April 4, 2022.
- Tier 2 funding is restricted to hardware and hardware installation and activation. The costs of firewalls and other software are not eligible to be covered by the grant, nor are any recurring charges, such as long-term service contracts for maintaining equipment.
- Since the OTI Matching Grant requires the submission of FCC Form 471 (a financial document required for E-Rate federal grants), support related to submitting FCC Form 471 for funding year 2022 will be provided through a live webinar series. Registration information will also be included in the grant’s program guidelines. In addition, recordings of these webinars will be posted on the Grant Opportunities webpage.
In the Commissioner's most Superintendent COVID-19 Briefing call, he shared resources for LEA budget planning to anticipate the ESSER funds expiring. There will also be a webinar for planning guidance on Wednesday, April 13th from 1:30-2:30 p.m. The registration link will be sent at a later date.
Register for the 2022 ESC Virtual Texas Tutor Summit for Leaders
The 2022 ESC Virtual Texas Tutor Summit for Leaders is a partnership and collaboration led by ESC 20 and ESC 4, in conjunction with the other Education Service Centers throughout the state, to present topics, answer questions, and create a network of administrators throughout Texas’ LEAs on topics related to High Impact Tutoring. The Summit will allow decision-makers to learn best practices, hear from leading experts, and gain clarity on the many topics involved with implementing High Impact Tutoring, HB 4545 and TCLAS Decision 6.
The summit takes place on Friday, April 22, 2022. It is free to attend; registration is required.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will open an application for local educational agencies (LEAs) seeking to pursue a County District Campus Number (CDCN) for a virtual or hybrid school for the upcoming school year. Under Senate Bill 15 (SB 15), 87th Second Called Legislative Session, 2021.
LEAs may receive full average daily attendance (ADA) funding for students who attend local remote learning programs that meet the requirements set by SB 15. SB 15 expires on September 1, 2023.
The TEA previously released a TAA with SB 15 Guidance on September 9, 2021. The Virtual or Hybrid School CDCN application window will be open from March 24, 2022, through April 29, 2022.
The annual School Health Survey is available for school district and open-enrollment charter school completion through Friday, May 27, 2022.
Texas Education Code (TEC), §38.0141, requires school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to provide the Texas Education Agency (TEA or agency) with information relating to school health and physical activity. The School Health Survey has been developed for this purpose, and data gathered will allow the agency and policy makers to better address the health-related needs of Texas public schools and students.
- The survey is expected to take approximately 15-30 minutes to complete.
- This survey must be completed online and can be submitted only once for each school district and open-enrollment charter school.
- Responses should reflect the 2021-2022 academic year and may require input from different staff members within the district or charter school to completely answer the survey questions.
|
|
|
|
Treetops School Takes Action with Have a Heart Day Community Projects
During the month of February, our whole K-12 campus takes action with Have a Heart Day Community Projects. This annual outreach has been a Treetops School tradition since we were established in 1969. Every year, each grade level chooses a service project and reaches out to our neighborhood community.
|
|
 |
The pandemic has caused us to alter how we reach out. Even though we have not been able to go visit the city firehouses, animal shelters, and elderly living centers in person for the past few years, we have continued to gather donations, send expressions of our hearts, and take care of the nature around our neighborhood.
 |
|
Kindergarten held a coin drive and collected supplies for Trinity Gap Rescue Animal Shelter. |
|
1st Graders donated needed items to the Irving Humane Society and made thank you cards for animal adopters.
2nd Grade gathered food and clothing donations for 6 Stones.
|
|
 |
3rd Graders collected fabric to make blankets by hand for Trinity Gap Rescue Animal Shelter.
4th Graders make cards and gather goodies for our City of Euless Fire Department every year. This year, they came to collect the donations in a fire truck!
 |
|
5th and 6th Graders did a street clean up project along Pipeline and part of Industrial Boulevard. |
7th and 8th Graders wrote appreciation letters and made goodie bags for first responders and teachers!
High Schoolers cleaned up our “Adopt a Highway” section on 157, built a retaining wall near our pond, and reset stones to improve the paths around our campus. They also created cards for retirement home residents. |
|
 |
"We love how Treetops focuses on giving back to the community instead of teaching the kids to focus on the commercialism of another holiday. Although we want our kids to feel loved and valued by their teachers and peers, we also recognize that this happens all year long at Treetops, and that this doesn’t require store-bought cards, candy, or gifts. I am constantly telling friends and family how wonderful Treetops School and staff are, and love the values that you instill in our children. We appreciate you so much!" -Treetops Parent, Mary
Treetops School International is a K-12 public charter school nestled in the mid-cities on 20 acres with creek, pond, and walking trails. Our class sizes are small (16:1 average ratio). Our mission is to foster intellectual development and academic achievement by providing a school centered around challenging and interactive learning experiences that consistently bridge traditional disciplines. Essential to the achievement of this mission is the establishment of a community of learning—a community built upon the values of personal responsibility, consideration for others, respect for the environment, academic integrity, and perseverance.
Please visit our website for more information: https://www.treetops.org/
12500 S. Pipeline, Euless, TX 817-283-1771
|
|
|
|
|
The Texas Education Agency will improve outcomes for all public school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.
|
|
|
|
|
