Facilities: For Charters Co-Located in DOE Buildings
The Co-Location Handbook” explores the practice of shared space in NYC Public Schools, aligned with the Education Department’s mission. Educators collaborate with stakeholders to improve academics and readiness. Since 2015, NYC DOE has promoted positive co-location relationships. The book outlines strategies like effective communication, collaboration, equity, and accountability. It guides Building Council Leaders in enhancing […]
Building a Charter School Founding Board
The skills and dedication of the personnel who make up the founding charter school Board are essential for a new school’s success. These resources will help schools recruit the right board members and get their new boards up and running. Critical board building challenge: How does a charter school board clearly define its roles, responsibilities […]
SPED: Regulations and Procedures
The Standard Operating Procedures Manual is a how-to guide explaining the entire special education referral, evaluation, and placement process in New York City. The Parent’s Guide to Special Education explains the procedures for evaluation and placement of students with disabilities and emphasizes the due process rights for parents.
Staff Handbook
Clear expectations promote strong performances. A comprehensive staff handbook is the best way to ensure all employees understand the professional standards and culture of the school. Several extensive handbooks are attached, each with particular strengths. SBuffalo’s CS Handbook has thorough sections on social media and computer use and mentions confidentiality of student records. Hebrew CS […]
Charter Renewal
Updated description: Charter schools in New York trade greater autonomy over how to operate schools in exchange for greater accountability for academic outcomes. Each charter school has a charter or contract that is signed by its board of trustees and the authorizer of the school. As part of the contract, the Accountability Plan for each […]
Board Positions
Understanding the roles and responsibilities of board members is an important step in effective governance. These resources will help clarify what the board chair and other board members’ roles are, and the characteristics to look for in candidates for particular positions. The Board Chairperson is one of the most important roles in any charter school. Top […]
Developing a Sound School Budget
This presentation from the New York City Charter School Center explains the proper way to prepare a budget for a new charter school. All revenue streams and cost centers are covered in detail. Learn how to be conservative when projecting both revenues and expenses. A sample budget is included.
Board Assessment Tool
This assessment matrix aids in the assessment of a Charter School Board’s effectiveness. Leadership Roles, Board Composition, Meetings and Committees are graded in three levels: Strong, Satisfactory and Weak.
FAQs: Open Meetings Law
Did you know that New York City charter schools are subject to the requirements of New York State’s Open Meetings Law (OML)? The OML is based on a presumption of access that provides the public with the right to know in advance about meetings of public bodies and then to observe the meetings and deliberations. […]
Family Handbook Exemplars
A family handbook provides charter school families with answers to their most common questions and helps to guide families and students in the school’s processes and policies related to the following: School Calendar Communication Academics Student Support Student Behavior and Discipline English Language Learners Family Engagement Student Health Safety, Transparency, and Privacy You can find […]
