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Center on Educational Governance University of Southern California 3470 Trousdale Parkway, WPH 901 Los Angeles, CA 90089-4039 Telephone 213.740.0697 Fax 213.749.2707 www.usc.edu/education/cegov/ Charter School Partnerships … 8 key lessons for success Charter School Partnerships … 8 key lessons fof success

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Page 1: Charter School Partnerships

Center on Educational GovernanceUniversity of Southern California

3470 Trousdale Parkway, WPH 901Los Angeles, CA 90089-4039

Telephone 213.740.0697Fax 213.749.2707

www.usc.edu/education/cegov/

Charter SchoolPartnerships

… 8 key lessons for success

Charter School P

artnerships… 8 key lessons fof success

Page 2: Charter School Partnerships

Priscilla Wohlstetter, Joanna Smith, Courtney L. Malloy, and Guilbert C. Hentschke

Center on Educational GovernanceRossier School of EducationUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA

Charter SchoolPartnerships

… 8 key lessons for success

Page 3: Charter School Partnerships

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the leaders from the 22 charter schools acrossthe nation that we visited for this study as well as the leaders from theirmany partner organizations. Without the cooperation and support of thenearly 150 people we interviewed, this guidebook would not offer therichness and authenticity afforded by their experiences. Specifically, wewould like to thank the following charter schools:

Agricultural and Food Sciences Academy, Little Canada, MinnesotaBishop Hall Charter School, Thomasville, GeorgiaBoulder Preparatory High School, Boulder, ColoradoCharles R. Drew Charter School, Atlanta, GeorgiaConstruction Careers Center, St. Louis, MissouriDella Lamb Elementary Charter School Kansas City, MissouriEast Bay Conservation Corps Charter School Oakland, CaliforniaFlagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy Flagstaff, ArizonaFriendship Edison Public Charter School Washington, D.C.Gennessee Community Charter School Rochester, New YorkJohn Baker Charter High School for Incarcerated Youth, Raleigh,

North CarolinaKIPP Academy, Bronx, New YorkMesa Arts Academy, Mesa, ArizonaNuestros Valores Charter School, Albuquerque, New Mexico Orange County High School of the Arts, Santa Ana, CaliforniaPalm Beach Maritime Academy, West Palm Beach, FloridaPueblo School for Arts and Sciences, Pueblo, ColoradoRyder Elementary Charter School, Miami, FloridaSallie B. Howard School for the Arts and Education, Wilson,

North CarolinaSchool for Arts in Learning, Washington, D.C.Schoolcraft Learning Academy, Bemidji, MinnesotaTaos Municipal Charter School, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico

© 2005Center on Educational Governance,University of Southern California, All Rights Reserved.

Design: Denton Design AssociatesIllustration: Elizabeth Burrill

3

Page 4: Charter School Partnerships

Introduction

If you are considering forming a charter school, you are following in the footsteps of thousands of others who were similarly motivated tocreate new educational opportunities for students in their community.Maybe you are driven by dissatisfaction with local school options or a desire to establish a school that will offer a unique curriculum.

Researchers from the Center on Educational Governance at theUniversity of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education spenttwo years speaking with nearly 150 people involved with forming andmanaging charter schools that shared one common characteristic: Theychose to enter into partnerships with nonprofit, for-profit and publicorganizations to help establish and operate the schools.

This guidebook represents the experiences of the 22 charterschools visited across the nation and offers a variety of lessons learnedabout how to form and sustain mutually beneficial partnerships. As youconsider your plans and ideas, you can learn from others’ experiences to help guide your own choices.

Before we begin, it is important to note that all charter school part-nerships are not alike. The types of partnerships that exist betweencharter schools and other organizations can be distinguished based onthree characteristics:

> What is the nature of resources exchanged in the partnership?

> What is the form of the partnership?

> What is the depth of involvement in the partnership?

The research has also benefited from the dedication of several individuals, including Diane Becket, Jennifer Hicks, and Lucy Okumo,who traveled the U.S. to help collect data for the study.

This guidebook on charter school partnerships was prepared by the Center on Educational Governance at the University of SouthernCalifornia. The Center on Educational Governance combines researchaimed at building new theories about what makes schools work withaction research and dissemination activities to spread best practicesbroadly and deeply. Our aim with this guidebook is to provide usefulinformation to the many educators and community leaders across thecountry engaged in charter school partnerships.

The research was supported by generous grants from the U.S.Department of Education Public Charter Schools Program, theAhmanson Foundation, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. We thankthem for their support but acknowledge that the findings presentedhere are those of the authors alone, and do not necessarily reflect theopinions of these organizations.

We dedicate this book to the risk-takers who launch partnershipsand their partners who contribute to improving public education.

Priscilla WohlstetterJoanna SmithCourtney L. MalloyGuilbert C. Hentschke

Center on Educational GovernanceRossier School of EducationUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA

54

Page 5: Charter School Partnerships

The types of organizations charter schools elect to partner withvary widely but commonly include the following:

Sector Types of Organizations (examples)

NONPROFIT Community-based organizations (recreational centers, neighborhood outreach agencies)

Cultural institutions (museums, local performance groups)Educational institutions (private colleges, universities)Faith-based organizations (churches)Nonprofit educational management organizations Race/ethnic-based organizations Social service providers (child and family welfare agencies)Private foundations

FOR-PROFIT Education management organizations Local businesses

PUBLIC Cultural institutions (art museums, science museums)Educational institutions (school districts, community

colleges, universities)Public health providers (hospitals)Government/Municipalities (city offices, mayor’s office)Police departments

These partners provide a variety of financial, human, physical, andorganizational resources. In the charter schools we visited, partnersoffered resources ranging from direct financial support for one-time orongoing needs, use of classroom or athletic facilities, access to speakersor mentors, expertise in developing curriculum, business/managementinfrastructure and expertise, internship or work-study opportunities,and know-how in promoting the school through the media, to namejust a few. Associations with established partners can also lend neededcredibility to bolster the charter application, attract students, and broad-en community support for the school.

Before delving further into the planning process for your charterschool, take some time to review the following eight key lessons takenfrom our interviews with leaders from charter schools and their part-ners. Their experiences may help you decide if a partnership wouldbenefit your charter school.

Pa r t n e r s h i p d i m e n s i o n s

Resource exchange Form Depth

Financial resources Informal agreements One-level involvement

Human resources Formal agreements Multi-level involvement

Physical resources

Organizational resources

Also, we found that partnerships do not spring up fully formed. Rather,they progress through a series of stages, as shown in the diagram below.The lessons in this guidebook will help you progress successfullythrough this process.

76

INITIATION PHASE

OPERATIONS PHASE

EVALUATION PHASE

In the first phase,

initiation, the existence

of a leader to champi-

on the effort helps

organizations that are

motivated to partner

develop the purpose

for the partnership.

In the second phase of

partnership develop-

ment, the operations

phase, certain struc-

tures and processes are

created for decision-

making and for dis-

seminating informa-

tion to help the

partnership function.

Finally, in the evalua-

tion phase, the effects

of the partnership are

assessed. Depending

on the results, the

partnership may

continue as is or be

modified to improve

its outcomes.

1 2 3

Page 6: Charter School Partnerships

l e s s o n1.Weigh the Benefits and Costs of Partnering

Page 7: Charter School Partnerships

POINT-COUNTERPOINT:

The Benefits and Costs of Sharing a Facility

BENEFIT: “Because we are all in one building, it is simple. Wedon’t have a lot of meetings but we have a lot of conversa-tions. It’s not like everything has to be written in a memo for-mat. We are small enough that things are informal which is abenefit…We can meet in the hall or go up and knock onsomeone’s door.”

COST: “There was a conflict of personalities in the past. It wassort of ‘us against them.’ But, we have to share the facility.You have to eventually figure out that the partnership is anadvantage and work together.”

BENEFIT: “I like the idea that I can drop my child off in themorning and they are physically here the whole day, becauseof the immediate after school program.”

COST: “We have struggled to integrate programs at times. Forexample, the after school and summer programs need to usethe school facilities. Teachers have been concerned aboutsharing the facilities; they feel like they’ve lost their turf.”

BENEFIT: “The facility at the cultural center is very grand, so tobe able to have graduation here signals to the students andtheir families that the child has really accomplished some-thing. That kind of confidence and pride is more importantthan anything they can learn in school.”

An established partner can offer a range ofresources—additional finances, a unique cur-riculum, access to facilities—needed for aschool’s survival. Some charter school leadersacknowledged that, were it not for the fundsprovided by a partner, the school simplywould not exist. Contributions ranged from afew thousand dollars for supplies to assistanceobtaining a $20 million bank loan. Partner-ships also provided access to a range of facili-ties including classroom space, athletic fields,and meeting halls. Further, partnershipsimparted credibility to newly-formed charterschools. In some cases, charter schools usedthe reputations of their partners to gain accessto commercial credit, while others leveraged itto tap into publicly available funds such asgrants and awards.

Charter school leaders are often equippedwith strong education credentials, but manylack business experience. Partners with busi-ness expertise can alleviate the need forschool personnel to become experts in hiring,contracting, budgeting and other businesstasks. In this way, partners can help fulfilladministrative duties and let the charter oper-ators focus on curriculum and instruction.

However, partnerships also requireresources—time and human resource costs—to actively build, operate, and sustain the rela-tionship. Partnerships are rarely one-waystreets; if the costs exceed the likely benefits,you may want to reevaluate whether it’s inyour interest to make a deal.

1110

Is partnering

really an

advantage?

“You can’t take every

partner that walks through

the door.... I have to ask,

‘Is it going to cost me more

in time and money than

it’s worth?’”

Page 8: Charter School Partnerships

Some partnerships are tightly defined and thecontributions of both sides complement thecharter school’s goals. In such cases a partnermay offer access to curriculum enhancementsor special programs, mentors or specializedequipment or facilities that truly enhance theeducational experience for students andteachers. In turn, charter schools often supplyeager student volunteers or interns, as well asa network of families to support the partner inother beneficial ways. In the case of a schoolpartnered with an art museum, students gainedaccess to artists, program advisement and themuseum’s facilities in exchange for access to fundingfrom the charter school.

However, in some cases the partnerorganization may provide a service unfamiliarto the teaching staff and administration. Thetime costs associated with figuring out how totake full advantage of the opportunities avail-able can be frustrating and deny students anyreal benefit. In the case of a charter school thatpartnered with an expeditionary learning organi-zation, a major challenge was figuring out how tointegrate the new curriculum into the school’s exist-ing educational program.

You also need to beware of unbalancedsituations, so that one of the partners does not

Often, a partnership with a well-establishedorganization provides greater name recogni-tion to help promote your school. Some charter schools that were launched with thesupport of prominent businesses, communitymembers or local politicians benefited fromimmediate community acceptance, while others utilized assistance from partners to navigate the application process and securefunding or resources for other student needs.

However, partners also need to be pre-pared for possible negative attention frompartnering with a charter school.

> Partners may become subject to requirementsfor open meetings and other public accessrules. Since charter schools receive publicfunds, private partners may have to make cer-tain school-related decisions in an open forum.

> Community opposition to charter schools cancarry over to the partner—even one thatenjoys high public esteem.

> If the students fail to perform to expectations,even a well-regarded partner could find itselfwith a share of the blame.

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“A big part of our success in thebeginning was having the companyname. Having a partnership with a major corporation is agreat benefit in many ways. There was national publicity when weopened. We were full in two monthsof opening our doors.”

Get ready

for the politics

of partnering

Can you

give as good

as you get?

Page 9: Charter School Partnerships

l e s s o n2.Do Your Homework and Choose Your Partner Well

feel that it is providing more than its fair shareof time and resources. Individuals or organiza-tions that put other projects aside to focus onopening or operating the charter school shouldconsider how this will affect their other work.Commitments of staff or facilities that seemedlike a good idea at one time may ultimatelybreed resentment among staff or other con-stituents.

1514

“Opportunity cost issues set in—other issues that were shelvedin order to focus on our partnershipwith the charter school don’t goaway and eventually need to beput back on the front burner.”

Page 10: Charter School Partnerships

Partnerships also succeed on the basis ofneeds that complement one another. Overtime, charter schools have formed part-nerships with a wide range of organiza-tions with an equally varied number ofassets. Some of the best relationshipsemerged from an ability to provide eachpartner with the materials, resources andstaff to satisfy operational needs.

In some cases, charter schools may beable to use facilities a partner can nolonger maintain without help, or provide aneeded investment in a redevelopmentzone that helps spur neighborhood recov-ery. Often, charter schools can provideinterns at a partner organization thatmight have trouble recruiting newtrainees, in exchange for access to educa-tional programs normally reserved formore advanced students.

A crucial factor when deciding to form a partnership is whether or not the two partiescan trust each other. Without a fundamentalsense that the other side is going to “deliver,”or do their utmost to uphold the principles of the partnership, it can be difficult to feelcomfortable collaborating on key educationalprograms, fundraising and other tasks essen-tial to the partnership’s success. For this reason, the personal relationships betweenpartners are often key to establishing a highlevel of trust.

1716

“In our partnerships, we are trying tomarry education andbusiness in a way thatfew organizations havesuccessfully done in thepast.”

“Partnerships work because ofpersonal relationships. We havetrust and rapport. They know I willdeliver.”

Trust is the

foundation

Common goals help

partners stay focused

Many charter school leaders reported that the best partnerships are born from a unifiedvision of goals and objectives. In some cases,partners may simply share a philosophicalapproach that supplies the drive and enthusi-asm to make the relationship work. In othercases, partners might have similar approachesto enriching instruction and curriculum.Charter schools that find themselves tied to partners with differing goals may have trouble accomplishing the desired objectives,not to mention managing and sustaining thepartnership.

Partners with

complementary needs

are partners indeed

Page 11: Charter School Partnerships

Q A partnership may look great on paper andmake a lot of sense to the people who con-ceived the idea, but the relationship willrarely be sustained without long-term com-mitment from both sides. A few importantpoints to keep in mind are:

> Entire organizations have to stay committed tothe partnership over time, even if leadershipchanges or budgets fluctuate.

> Organizations with multiple layers of staff thatbecome involved will need the buy-in fromeveryone in order for the partnership to work.

> Organizations requiring the support of external stakeholders should realistically assess whether those distant participants willshare the same level of enthusiasm for thepartnership.

What sealed the deal for you?

A: “We had a common belief that education iscritical for kids to be successful and con-tributing citizens.”

A: “The similarity in mission and their focuson world cultures, language, and socialresponsibility helped…. Philosophically,we had no problem.”

A: “[They were] the kind of partner you diefor. They are our ‘ace in the hole’ formaking this work.”

A: “Everybody wins on this one. We get finearts courses aligned with the college cur-riculum for our students…. Our studentsget community college credits, while stillenrolled in our high school.”

A: “The museum complements our curriculumso completely; … that’s what their collec-tion and expertise is in.”

A: “We clicked. We had a similar vision.”

A: “People at [the school] were warm, friend-ly, and engaging. They had good heartsand were not about the bottom line.”

A: “We both want to give back to the com-munity. Also, communication, dialogue,honesty are all prevalent, making them agood match.”

A: “The main thing is that for it to work rightdemands an incredible amount of com-mitment and they were willing to give100%.”

1918

ACan you

both commit?

“You can’t make it without commitment.”

Page 12: Charter School Partnerships

Q: The charter school has a lot of different partnerships. How were they established?

A: The EBCC has a long history of developing partnerships in thecommunities we serve including partnerships with local nonprof-its, city municipalities, colleges and universities, foundations andthe business community. We realized that the vision and missionof the charter school offered a truly compelling opportunity forpartners to reinvest in the civic purpose of public education whileat the same time furthering their own goals. This was really awin-win situation for us and for our partners because both bene-fited substantially. For example, one of the largest constructioncompanies in the nation, Webcor, provided us with significantplanning and renovation of our nearly 100 year old school site.This relationship developed because I happened to see an adver-tisement during 60 Minutes about how Webcor prided itself ingiving back to the communities where they did business. Also, itjust so happened that the CEO of Webcor was a member of thesame congregation where I attend church and so there was a nat-ural opportunity to approach him. Not everyone would necessari-ly feel comfortable pursuing such a relationship and yet we havefound again and again that taking chances is well worth the risk,because you will never get anything unless you ask and drawingon relationships is the best place to start. What Webcor got out ofthe partnership was not just the satisfaction of doing good workin the community, but a lot of good media coverage whichenhanced their business. In addition, this partnership led toWebcor’s involvement as a leader in the community in new ways.

Q: What advice do you have for other charter school operators interested instarting partnerships?

A: You need to be clear and strong about your vision and missionbut also need to be fearless in exploring opportunities whichseem far fetched. The best partnerships are based not just on ashared commitment to a vision or outcome but also on distinctand significant benefits to each partner.

The Partnering Prowess of One Charter School Leader

We talked to Joanna Lennon, founder and CEO of the EastBay Conservation Corps in Oakland, California about openinga charter school and her ensuing search for good partners.Here’s what this veteran community leader involved in part-nering had to say:

Q: When did you start the East Bay Conservation Corps (EBCC)?A: I started the EBCC in May of 1983. I learned that I could con-

tribute more to the greater good by working at the local level.Also, working at the local level has the potential to create modelswhich have national and international relevance for replication.

Q: Tell me about the decision to open the EBCC charter school.A: My role at the EBCC is to provide the vision and the leadership

for embarking on new endeavors which address issues of socialchange and education reform. What I’m really good at is seeingconnections and envisioning what is possible.

The reason the EBCC decided to start a charter is because wehad a twenty-year history of working in partnership with schoolsand districts designing and implementing programs whichengaged young people as active participants in their communitiesand found that there were limitations in our roles as a partner.The charter school movement provided us with an opportunity todevelop a school with a very specific vision, mission and guidingprinciples from the ground up where we had the autonomy andfreedom to try new things. We also wanted to explore the idea ofhow partnerships could play a very important role in sustainingpublic education, particularly given the limited available ADA(average daily attendance) funding in California.

2120

Page 13: Charter School Partnerships

Selecting your partner requires a great deal ofthought and effort, but equally important ishow you choose to structure the partnershipsince it will help define the relationship foryears to come.

Arrangements can range from an informal“handshake” or a somewhat more structuredmemorandum of understanding (MOU) to acontract or lease with legally binding obliga-tions. Each level of commitment carries posi-tive and negative aspects.

> An informal arrangement is usually based onpersonal relationships in which both sides feela strong commitment to the ideals of the part-nership.

> MOUs provide clearer guidelines for partnerresponsibilities, but do not carry the samelegal implications as formal contracts.

> Contracts and leases are legally binding docu-ments that typically obligate both sides to pro-vide a set level of service or face certain conse-quences.

Informal relationships benefit from the flexi-bility inherent in any agreement that is basedon the goodwill of two parties. However, ifthere are changes in management, or if theorganizations’ circumstances change, the part-nership could face several challenges withoutany recourse for partners.

With more formal MOUs, contracts orleases, there is less ambiguity about what eachside will contribute, alleviating many potentialconflicts that can arise as different people

l e s s o n3.Clearly Definethe Partnership

2322

Agree on

an agreement

Page 14: Charter School Partnerships

Periodic audits and performance reports canalso be mandated in a formal agreement.Funding sources often require evaluationsand reports to justify the use of their money.If your school is subject to oversight from aboard of directors, the board will likelyrequire periodic reports on performance thatwill be evaluated against an accountabilityplan.

cycle into roles that affect the partnership.However, formal agreements also create a per-ception of “enforcement” which can create arelationship that seems too rigid.

In more complex arrangements, such aswith Education Management Organizations(EMOs) that provide support services rangingfrom basic transportation assistance to whole-school management, detailed contracts areoften necessary and advisable because of theextent of services provided. However, theyalso should be flexible and open to renegotia-tion at specified periods.

2524

Accountability

planning: devise

and conquer

Along with an agreement comes the need todevelop an accountability plan that details thegoals of the partnership and partner responsi-bilities. Accountability plans should address:

> How the partnership will be evaluated

> The consequence of poor performance

> A course of action to terminate the partnership

Accountability can be measured in a numberof ways, including feedback from teachers andstudents to determine if they are benefitingfrom their contacts with the partners. Manycharter schools rely on evaluation forms forteachers and students to provide feedbackand, in some cases, parents are surveyed tofind out their perceptions of the partnership.

“…We, as partners, have to evaluate our fiscal viability, whichmeans building in systems toimprove our practice.”

Page 15: Charter School Partnerships

Ql e s s o n4.Setting Things inMotion: CreatingStructures for Participation

Let’s Talk Accountability

Q: How do you deal with poor performancein your partnership?

A: “It’s too early to tell. The partnershipjust started less than a year ago andmost of our time has been spent gettingfaculty hired and the curriculumapproved.”

A: “There are many structures in placethat are more therapeutic than punitiveto help schools that are not performingwell.”

A: “If the graduation rate doesn’t reachthe county’s goal of 80%, foundationswouldn’t want to put money in. Plus,we’d lose our charter after 5 years.”

A: “There are no consequences. We’renot pulling the money if the success isnot at the expected level. If it fails, itfails, but we couldn’t risk not trying it.”

A: “We are not blindly grateful to ourpartners. We have needed to dissolvepartnerships in the past. If they don’twork out, we move on.”

A: “If it’s something we can fix, we fixit, but we know we can’t please 100%of the people 100% of the time, so wedon’t try to.”

A: “We vote with our feet.”

2726

A

Page 16: Charter School Partnerships

Operating a partnership requires processesand methods for sharing ideas, making deci-sions and developing a collaborative environ-ment. When assembling a partnership, paycareful attention to the structures put in place to raise, discuss and decide importantissues. You might ask yourself the followingquestions:

> Will you use informal meetings to addressissues on an ad hoc basis?

> Should you create formal committees thatmeet at regular intervals?

> Should there be a decision-making body towhich the committee members report recom-mendations?

> Will a committee structure put a damper onthe creative process the school is trying to foster?

> If the committees are divided equally betweenschool and partner representatives, who willhave the final say?

Members of the partner organization whoserve on school committees or boards havethe potential to become ambassadors for thecharter school, if they have a positive experi-ence in the role. On the other hand, if thenumber of committee meetings and obliga-

What’s the most important factor to ensureyour partnership will operate smoothly?

“They don’t feel ‘entitled’ to our help, sothey’re not unpleasantly demanding.”— Bishop Hall Charter School

“One of the things we believe contributes tofailure is a lack of planning. We had a threeyear planning process, so we really understoodthe infrastructure of the partnership before weopened the charter school’s doors. That’s whatmakes it work.”— East Bay Conservation Corps Charter School

“You have to always be open and honest withone another or else the partnership won’twork.”— Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy

“It’s like a good marriage. You need to cometo the table with who they are today, not whothey were yesterday. Forgiveness instead offinger-pointing.”— Gennesee Community Charter School

“Commitment to education on the part of allinvolved. There are no coasters at the charterschool or at the university. It is an active part-nership.”— Pueblo School for Arts and Sciences

2928

Views around town:

how to run superior

partnerships

Governance of

the partners

“…This partnership operates with dialogue and consensus.”

Page 17: Charter School Partnerships

Communication is key

Email is great, but human contact is essential. You can’t build partnerships over email. — Partner leader

Communication is critical. If you don’t have theone-on-one, partnering is really difficult.— School leader

We have constant communication…everyone is soopen and willing to listen to suggestions and offer possibilities.— School leader

We have a very open partnership…. It’s not a veryhierarchical set-up at all…It’s an open door policywhich is good because we get feedback to the peo-ple who can make changes right way.— Partner leader

In the end, so many things succeed or fail becauseof the communication involved. We’ve workedhard to make that communication ongoing, clearand direct.— School leader

There is a significant feeling on both sides thatmore communication and learning from each otherare high priorities.— Partner leader

tions becomes onerous, partner representa-tives could become tired of the responsibilityand become less enthusiastic advocates forthe school. It is important to maintain a care-ful balance between full inclusion in the decision-making process and over-exposure.

A collaborative governance structure is strong-ly supported by an open dialogue that notonly keeps news and information flowingbetween partners, but also fosters a feeling ofopenness that encourages people to con-tribute and share.

In addition to top-down information shar-ing, it is important and helpful to foster anenvironment in which teachers and staff feelthat their ideas are valued and expected. The information flow, whether formal throughletters or meetings, or informal through con-versations and emails, helps to coordinateactivities, fine-tune programs and distributemanagement duties.

“…We’re creating anatmosphere where wecan have good, honestconversation. The keyto our partnership is tohave day-to-day peopleactively involved.”

3130

The 3 C’s:

Communication,

Communication,

Communication

‘‘

’’

Page 18: Charter School Partnerships

l e s s o n5.Leverage Your Resources,Create New Ones

While partners may bring complementaryskills to a partnership, team-building or otherjoint-training can facilitate working together.Both sides may find it useful to gain a deeperunderstanding of their partner’s expertise.School leaders may want to gain more busi-ness experience, while a corporate or non-profit organization with business skills maybenefit from more educational training.

Over time, consider including partners in staff retreats or planning meetings that canexpose them to the inner workings of schooloperations. Giving them insight into how youplan and implement educational goals mightimprove the way they coordinate with you. Inthe same spirit, school officials should be pre-pared to learn more about their partner’s inter-ests to gain some insight into how theyapproach opportunities and problems in their arena.

3332

Learn to share

…your knowledge

and skills

Page 19: Charter School Partnerships

grams. Also, grantors may require status andperformance reports, receipts or accountingreports, as a contingency for fund disburse-ment or future grants.

Some charter schools were able to “piggy-back” staff that had experience fundraising fortheir partner organizations to help bring infunds for the school. Other charter schoolsestablished foundations to act as the fundrais-ing arm of the school. In one case, a charterschool required board members to pay $5,000a year in “board membership,” a significantsource of fundraising for the school.

Partnerships offer a chance to access new networks of supporters and potential donors.You can meet individuals in professional circles who can offer introductions to groupsor people with a potential interest in support-ing your school. It is important to look uponnetworking opportunities as resources andmake sure your partner is aware of your inter-est in accessing and building new networks.

Similarly, as a new charter school, youhave much in common with other charterschools. Creating networks with other charterschools will provide additional support foryour teachers and other staff members byoffering opportunities to share experiencesand learn from one another.

Partners may find that they can share manyfacility and staff costs as a way to limit theduplication of resources. This is one impor-tant way that both parties can benefit fromthe partnership. Some areas that offer imme-diate potential for cost sharing include:

> Facilities and other capital expenses

> Administrative support staff

> Professional services, such as fundraisers,writers and other consultants

> Operating expenses, such as office equipment,insurance and other incidental costs

To the extent that resources can be shared,the clear advantage is to be able to maximizeas much of your budget as possible for meet-ing the core needs of the school.

Fundraising is an essential element to anycharter school’s success. There is a minimumlevel of funding needed to keep the schooloperating that must be sustained each year,and there are fundraising targets above thatlevel that pay for the enhanced curriculumyour school offers.

Each funding source has a unique struc-ture and may be conditional on a particularbudget period or purpose of use. Schools andtheir fundraising staff must carefully balancethe source of funds received with the type ofexpense it will cover. One-time funds are gen-erally not suited to funding long-term pro-

3534

Sharing costs vs.

bearing costs

Fundraising

never ends

Networking

opens doors

Page 20: Charter School Partnerships

cities to relocate to their jurisdictions. I wasshopping for a new location and the citieswere interested in using the school as a ‘marketing piece.’”

The group eventually chose to open as acharter school and relocate to Santa Ana,because of the mayor’s commitment to seeingthe school succeed. The mayor wanted toboost the downtown economy, which inrecent years had deteriorated significantly,and intended to use the arts to help revitalizethe area. Thus, OCHSA mixed well with theCity’s economic development goals. In addi-tion to pledging $750,000/year over threeyears to bring the charter school to Santa Ana,“the mayor committed to helping us secureadditional funding, showed us a cluster ofbuildings that were within walking distance ofone another, and introduced us to a develop-er.” The developer agreed to incur the riskand cost of rehabbing three buildings down-town to OCHSA’s specifications and to thensell back the property to the school. Thebudget for buying, remodeling, and equippingthe three buildings was $17.2 million, all ofwhich was covered by the developer until theschool secured a $20 million start-up loan. Tohelp pay off their debt, the executive directorand others created the OCHSA Foundation toraise money from private sector philanthropy.

Now, the leader of this charter school canproudly state that the school has succeededacademically, with 90% of their students going

How a leader turned eviction into a multi-milliondollar charter school

The executive director and president of theOrange County High School of the Arts(OCHSA) started his career as a junior highschool teacher and then taught voice in an artsprogram at Los Alamitos High School in the1990s. By 1999, “we were getting slowly butsteadily pushed off the Los Alamitos HighSchool site. The district’s enrollment wasgrowing and we were being forced to cut ourprogram in order to make room for the incom-ing students. A lawsuit was brought against usto stop the building of a new school for theperforming arts in Los Alamitos, so we knewwe had to get out of town. There was lots ofpublicity in the media around the plight ofthe school and I was approached by several

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“Our partners helped us organizea good support network. They got us to where we are nowby helping us build a county-widearts network. We put membersfrom different arts boards aroundthe county on our new foundationboard and that helped increaseaccess to public and private funding.”

Spotlight on

Networking

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l e s s o n6.Be Flexible and Prepare forCompromise

on to higher education and many taking highly regarded performing arts jobs upongraduation. He adds, “We’ve found that thequality of our instructional program has produced high levels of support and interestfrom our partners—the two feed off oneanother: Support from the partners leads to ahigh quality arts program, and the quality ofthe education program boosts the interest andsupport of the partners.”

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Partnerships can be complex arrangements—not unlike personal relationships. Be preparedto accept change and compromise. You maynot always need to “stick to your guns” whenit comes to altering your original plans. It’simportant for your partners to feel they have avoice that will be heard.

Charter schools provide an opportunity foreducational innovation. Be open to sugges-tions and creative problem-solving. Risk-tak-ing represents not only a willingness to trynew ideas, but it signals to staff and schoolsupporters that creative approaches will beconsidered seriously. Innovation succeedswhen individuals can be made to feel likethey are a valued part of the process - both inconceiving ideas and implementing them.The collaborative spirit evoked by the innova-tion process is a means to an end itself, inaddition to the new ideas that may carry withthem additional advantages.

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Bend over backwards

to instill flexibility

Innovate – again

and again

Dialogue with a Contortionist

According to our interviews with leaders from NuestrosValores Charter School, the charter school law in their stateforbids nonprofit organizations from establishing charterschools. Here’s how a team of contortionists managed to ful-fill their goal of starting a charter school anyway.

Q: Why did you want to start a charter school?A: The idea came from the frustration of working with the local

schools through a nonprofit youth development organization.Also, the parents were frustrated. I was a liaison between the par-ents and the local schools, and an advocate for the students and Ikept hearing, ‘You should start a school.’

Q: How were you able to open a charter school, given the restrictions in the law?

A: At first, a nonprofit organization was part of the group that created the charter school. The application for the school wassubmitted, but was deemed unacceptable because, according tostate law in New Mexico, a nonprofit cannot run a charter school.So, we shifted gears. Two employees of the nonprofit left theorganization to work on a new application for the charter schooland created a partnership between the school and the nonprofit.As a separate initiative, the nonprofit submitted a proposal to the state to become a ‘public management’ entity, so they couldbecome partners with public schools in trouble. The nonprofitwas one of three groups in the state to be granted this status.With this initiative, the nonprofit was granted a ‘state purchasingagreement’ and could offer ‘public management services,’ includ-ing education.

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Just because two organizations share commonvalues and goals does not mean that all oftheir members will always get along. Conflictsarise between charter schools and partners forvarious reasons, including:

> Personality differences

> Differing management styles

> Perceived inequality in a management hierarchy

> Frustration stemming from a misperception of roles and responsibilities

Leaders can work past culture clashes byinstilling teamwork, described in the follow-ing section.

Instilling a teamwork approach is one way tohelp surmount culture clashes, promote inno-vation and encourage flexibility. In short,teamwork inspires a “we’re in this together”attitude that gives everyone a share in theschool’s success. By making the team and theteam’s goals bigger than any two people whomay not get along, the potential for cultureclashes is reduced. If everyone can agree theyhave a stake in the school’s future, theneveryone has at least one thing in commonupon which to build solid relationships.

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Q: How do the two organizations work together now?A: The charter school was developed together with those who run

the school. The nonprofit organization considers itself to be the‘parent’ of the charter school. It took a while to get the schoolgoing initially. The school was like the ‘prodigal son’—theprocess of development was painful. When the nonprofit wasapproved as a public school management group, with the abilityto manage failing schools, this opened the door for them to man-age the charter school. Now, the resources and services providedinclude social services, advice and guidance, and support in theareas of facilities, maintenance, and curriculum development.

Q: What advice do you have for potential operators in similar situations?A: Initially, the nonprofit felt the loss of the two employees who left

to start the charter school, but they realized it takes more thanjust a school to help a child be successful. Also, partnering withthe nonprofit brought in experience in areas that allowed theeducators to teach the kids and not have to worry about the socialservices end.

Teach teamwork

Prepare for

culture clashes

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Charter school partnerships have a wide rangeof objectives that should be measured andmonitored to ensure the relationship is meet-ing expectations. Among the qualities schoolsmost often track are:

> Student achievement: test scores, graduationrates, quality of universities accepting graduates.

> Impact of the partnership: What is the valueadded by the partnership? Are student out-comes improved because of the partner’sinput? What are the costs of partnering?

> Quality of instructional program: How are stu-dents and parents responding? What are teach-ers’ perceptions?

> Public interest and support for the school: Isthe charter school earning the respect andtrust of the community?

Schools need to take time to review bothobjective and subjective information to makesure they are on the right track. Test scoresand graduation rates are a common measure-ment of student achievement, but measuringstudent attitudes and self-confidence can beequally important.

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l e s s o n7.Check your progress

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Evaluate yourself

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Views around Town: Evaluating your Partnership

How do you know if you’re succeeding?

“We have a performance evaluation to learn how wellthe school is doing. We want to know how parents feel.It’s a combination of the subjective and the standard-ized. We also are using a feedback tool for the firsttime this year to ask what WE can do better. We alsohired consultants to conduct focus groups with stu-dents, staff, and parents.”— Agricultural and Food Sciences Academy

“These are inner city kids looking for something tograb on to and some are doing really well—gaining lifeskills. Those successes are what count.”— Construction Careers Center

“It’s a real challenge—there’s so many things going onthat we don’t know the impact of each particular part-nership. Also, it’s difficult to come up with a standardevaluation form because each program is different, so Iuse qualitative evaluation techniques, mostly feedbackfrom the parents and students.”— Charles R. Drew Charter School

“We’ve been the highest performing middle school inthe Bronx for the last five years. That’s an external andinternal measure of our success.”— KIPP Academy

“Students come back after graduating to volunteerwith us. If clients come back to help you, I don’t thinkyou can get a better recommendation.”— Mesa Arts Academy

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Evaluating the success of the partnership isalso critical—periodically revisiting whetheryour partnership makes sense. Samplingteacher and student attitudes about how they benefit from the partnership is onemethod to assist that review, while another isto evaluate how partnership failures affectedthe school. Evaluations and informal feedbackcan be a good indicator of overall directionand opinion.

Find out how well the community isreacting to the partnership, if possible.Because charter schools are often so closelyconnected to neighborhood resources, theremay be strong feelings one way or the otherabout its success.

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“Some of these kids have been so rejuvenated. I know where they were when they came to us andwhere they are now. The majoritywould have dropped out without thecharter school.”

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Where would you be without your partnership?

Della Lamb Elementary Charter School, MOabout their partnership with a university:“Without support from the university, the schoolwould be serving the same kids, but wouldn’t beexposed to the give and take that we provide. Theywouldn’t be exposed to what we at the universitycan offer, including the administration and teacherspecialists brought to the table.”

Friendship Public Charter School, DCabout their partner, Friendship House:“The charter school really benefited from beingfounded by an organization that was well knownalready in the social services arena and had a leaderthat had access to all aspects of city government. Wewere able to start a bigger after-school program thanwe probably could have otherwise because our partnerhad a very good reputation.”

Palm Beach Maritime Academy, FL:about their partnership with a maritime museum.“The partnership is why we’ve survived. The schoolwould never have made it without the start-up capitalfrom the museum.”

Sallie B. Howard School for the Arts and Education, NCabout their partners, City of Wilson Human RelationsCommission, Wilson Families in Action, and Americorp: “We could not do this by ourselves. The teachers and students would not get to benefit from the range of experiences offered through ourpartnerships.”

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The information obtained from evaluations is meant to be more than congratulatory. If the evaluation reveals problems or simplyfinds areas where there is no feedback, thoseaspects of the partnership need to be exam-ined to assess possible causes for those outcomes.

Some charter schools find that evaluationspoint out shortcomings in the management ofcertain programs or breakdowns in communi-cation with the partners. Take time each yearto review the evaluations with your partnersto see if there are changes that can be made inthe relationship to improve the situation.

To that end, fine-tuning the processes thataren’t working should also lead you toenhance the processes that are working. Goalsetting keeps everyone focused on improvingoutcomes and pushes the partnership forwardtoward greater success. The self-evaluationprocess can lead to a natural discussion aboutareas that school leaders, teachers and part-ners would like to further improve. Thesegoals may include increasing test scores andgraduation rates, expanding the types ofopportunities open to students throughcoursework and electives, or simply deepen-ing the relationship between the school andits partners.

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Use feedback for

planning

Set new goals

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Strong leadership is crucial for a partnership’soperation and survival. The impact of strongleadership is evident through the dedicationof staff who believe in the school’s mission.In order for charter school partnerships to suc-ceed, they need a leader whose drive andcommitment are unmistakable. Leaders moti-vate staff, present a vision that captivatessupporters, and persist in convincing even themost doubtful observers that it is worthwhileto support the school. In short, this personis the school’s champion and biggest advocatefor the partnership.

“The detainees needed more than just being lockedup:” The story of one leader’s decision to bring education to youth offenders

The sheriff of Wake County, North Carolinawas tired of arresting youth and having them“just sitting around.” One year after he waselected sheriff, he started an education pro-gram for incarcerated youth at the local deten-tion facility. Initially, he worked with judgesto require sentenced youth to attend the localpublic school: “We would take the students toschool in a patrol car and if they acted up, wewould pick them up.”

A couple years later he was approachedby the Wake County school district to start acharter school in the detention facility. Hestarted trying to stir up media attention forthe idea of a charter school, but “the media

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l e s s o n8.Lead! Lead! Lead!

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Follow a champion

Spotlight on

Leadership

Page 28: Charter School Partnerships

Every team may have a visionary but, withoutimplementation, the vision may never materi-alize in any tangible way. Schools need peoplewho can convert ideas to workable plans anddevelop strategies to implement them withthe available resources. Partners who bringexpertise and resources to the table need tohave decision-making structures and process-es in place that allow partners to share andparticipate effectively in the relationship. Thearchitect creates the structure of the partner-ship and lays the groundwork for participationby the main players.

Balancing the flow of information within anorganization is a complex task, especiallywhen multiple organizations with differentcultures work together. Successful charterschool partnerships include individuals whoserve as information hubs, evaluating informa-tion and directing its flow to the proper peo-ple. Because an information broker will beone of the few at the school who is familiarwith all data and information, they gain valu-able insights into projects, needs and potentialsuccesses that others in the organization maynot see.

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was never interested.” He tried a new tactic:Every Sunday he would attend a differentchurch and the pastor always allowed him todiscuss the charter school. “I was trying to getthe community’s attention on the benefits ofcharter schools and my concerns about crimerates.”

By 1997, the sheriff gathered enough sup-port to get the charter application approved.Currently, the charter school, the John BakerCharter High School for Incarcerated Youth,utilizes space at a local elementary charterschool each afternoon. “They love us anddon’t mind that our students are incarcerated.They are willing to do anything to help.” Infact, the principal of the charter elementaryschool has “recruited some of the high schoolstudents to tutor the younger students afterschool.”

In addition to the partnerships with theWake County Detention Facility and thecharter elementary school, the sheriff alsoestablished a partnership with a local commu-nity college that holds courses for adults inthe detention facility. The community collegeexpanded its programs to offer vocationalclasses to the charter school students.

Seven years later, the incarcerated youthof Wake County are no longer “just beinglocked up.” As the current principal of thecharter school reported, “Everyone in thepartnership is working towards what’s best forthe students.”

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Stand by your architect

Deal with an

information broker

Page 29: Charter School Partnerships

> If too much importance or authority is concen-trated in a few people simply because they arewilling to take on responsibility, the schoolwill have to scramble to make up for their losswhen they leave.

> One person may be able to provide blanketleadership skills, but will struggle to sustainthe effort over the long term. Providing assis-tance through other personnel extends thelongevity of key leaders so their most usefulskills can be preserved well into the future.

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There are numerous external interests thatcan influence the work of the partnerships.In order to manage these demands, you canenlist individuals skilled at spanning theinternal and external school environments torepresent the interests of the partnership,while making sure that only the most relevantoutside issues are brought to leaders foraction. This includes dealing with publicconstituents and policy organizations whoseactivities could be a distraction to the work ofmanaging the partnership, as well as scanningthe environment for funding opportunities.

It is not uncommon to find one or two leadersdriving the formation of a charter school orpartnership, but there is good reason to tryhard to spread leadership duties across severalindividuals.

> One person simply cannot accomplish asmuch—no matter how good intentions are—as several people dividing the tasks.

> Bringing diverse perspectives and ideas tothe job of forming a partnership enhances thecreativity that goes into developing it.

> If the leader’s primary strengths reside insome key leadership areas but not others,those weaknesses may not be addressed andproblems that result from those flaws may notbe remedied.

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Engage in

external affairs

Next in line

“For me the big question is, willschools be able to sustain themselves when the foundersmove on and the school leaderschange? A lot of what we see is the synergy of these folks.”

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School for Arts in Learning, DC“Flexibility, being able to make a mistake andremedy it quickly. I never want us to be a red tapekind of organization where everyone has to wait.Part of our success comes from everybody havingan opportunity to change a bad situation. Make asuggestion and we will try something new. Thesecond important factor of our success is opencommunication. We have had many humanresources issues where people aren’t happy andmorale is low. At times, there are conflicting priori-ties, but we’ve always been able to compromise bytalking things through. There is mutual respect--alot of strong personalities, but we have respect foreach other and we’re always willing to listen toone another.”

Schoolcraft Learning Academy, MN“Open communication, respect of organizationalneeds, similarity of vision, buy-in.”

Taos Municipal Charter School, NM“Everyone is motivated for the students, makingsure the kids are getting educated to be success-ful. There are no personal agendas or egos.”

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What is your recipe for success?

Agricultural and Food Sciences Academy, MN“Partnerships must be nurtured. It’s also impor-tant for partnerships to be a two-way street—eachpartner must get and receive something valuableto them. Time and resources are also necessary forsuccessful partnerships.”

Bishop Hall Charter School, GA“If you get credibility in the community from one successful project, then people know you can deliver, and that increases buy-in which, inturn, helps you with the challenge of your nextproject.”

Boulder Preparatory High School, CO“Willingness to be open and share, to take risks, and to find the commonality of high school and college needs.”

KIPP Academy, NY“Having a clear vision of where we’re going andhow we want to get there.”

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Appendix

Charter School Profiles

Agricultural and Food Sciences Academy Little Canada, Minnesota

Year opened: 2001Grades served: 9-12School mission: To develop lifelong learners who have high skill levels, carefor others, are adaptable, and are prepared to thrive in a diverse, global,and changing society.

Bishop Hall Charter SchoolThomasville, Georgia

Year opened: 1999Grades served: 6-12School mission: To provide education programs and social services thatensure equity and excellence in the performance of all students.Students are prepared for the future as responsible and productive citizens in a global society.

Boulder Preparatory High SchoolBoulder, Colorado

Year opened: 1995Grades served: 9-12School mission: To encourage the pursuit of knowledge and education as an intervention for youth in crisis, and to graduate young people readyand eager to meet the challenges of college and adulthood with theappreciation of their responsibilities in the world community. Theschool educates by inspiring in each student an enthusiasm for learningand the self-confidence needed for intellectual, physical, and ethicaldevelopment.

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Conclusions

The results of our study, accumulated hereinto eight lessons, suggest that partnering can provide a number of important resources—financial, physical, human, and organiza-tional—as you establish, operate, and sustainyour charter school. However, the potentialbenefits do not mean you should leap headfirst into any partnering opportunity thatcomes your way. Along with the many posi-tives, leaders from charter schools and theirpartner organizations told us about partneringpitfalls as well, including unequal partner-ships, culture clashes, and time costs. Wehope that you can learn from the experiencesof these 22 charter schools and create positivelearning environments whatever route youchoose.

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Flagstaff Arts and Leadership AcademyFlagstaff, Arizona

Year opened: 1996Grades served: 9-12School mission: To develop an appreciation of the arts in the lives of its students; value leadership and interpersonal skills through experientiallearning and service to others; and strengthen learning and a sense ofcommunity through the development of partnerships.

Friendship Edison Public Charter SchoolWashington, D.C.

Year opened: 1998Grades served: K-12School mission: To prepare a diverse cross-section of children for success asstudents, workers, and citizens by providing them with a world-classeducation.

Gennessee Community Charter SchoolRochester, New York

Year opened: 2001Grades served: K-5School mission: To provide a rich educational experience that values intellectual rigor, respect for diversity, and community responsibility.

John Baker Charter High School for Incarcerated YouthRaleigh, North Carolina

Year opened: 1998Grades served: 9-12School mission: To provide a quality high school education using qualifiedteachers, community resources, and other educational professionals forstudents who are at risk of failing or have failed in other settings.

KIPP AcademyBronx, New York

Year opened: 1995Grades served: 5-8School mission: To help students develop the academic, intellectual, and character skills needed to enter and succeed in top-quality highschools, colleges, and the competitive world beyond.

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Charles R. Drew Charter SchoolAtlanta, Georgia

Year opened: 2000Grades served: K-8School mission: To revitalize the East Lake community, and in particular,the former East Lake Meadows public housing project, by partneringwith the East Lake Community Foundation and being an integral part of its comprehensive renewal effort.

Construction Careers CenterSt. Louis, Missouri

Year opened: 2001Grades served: 9-12School mission: To prepare students in grades nine through twelve for the future by providing an excellent foundation in academics, broadexposure to the construction industry, and relevant vocational education preparation.

Della Lamb Elementary Charter SchoolKansas City, Missouri

Year opened: 1999Grades served: K-6School mission: To create long-term educational and economic impact inthe lives of low-income, disadvantaged, at-risk children and families by providing alternative educational and academic services in conjunc-tion with supplemental family support services in a Missouri charterschool format.

East Bay Conservation Corps Charter SchoolOakland, California

Year opened: 2001Grades served: K-5School mission: To prepare children for their lifelong roles as citizens byinstilling students with two types of literacy: 1) Academic and ArtisticLiteracy — the ability to read, write, speak, calculate and reason with clarity and precision, and to creatively express oneself through the arts; and 2) Civic Literacy — the ability to “let your life speak” by participating thoughtfully, responsibly and passionately in the life of the community with concern for the common good.

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Pueblo School for Arts and SciencesPueblo, Colorado

Year opened: 1994Grades served: K-12School mission: To deliver an integrated and well-balanced K-16 curricu-lum, anchored in the arts and in harmony with the sciences, in order toimprove student learning and quality of life. Based on Mortimer Adler’sPaideia Principles, the school offers an untracked, enriched educationalsetting in which all students succeed.

Ryder Elementary Charter SchoolMiami, Florida

Year opened: 1999Grades served: K-5School mission: To provide a foundation that will enable students to reachtheir highest potential in academics, citizenship and life skills.

Sallie B. Howard School for the Arts and EducationWilson, North Carolina

Year opened: 1997Grades served: K-8School mission: To build upon and develop the achievement potential and aspirations of all students, regardless of their social or economicprivilege, and to help children discover and develop their unique gifts,talents, and value to the world.

School for Arts in LearningWashington, D.C.

Year opened: 1998Grades served: K-6School mission: To offer a specialized curriculum using the arts and creative methods to help children learn in ways that match their indi-vidual learning styles and specific needs. The focus is on developingthe whole child, intellectually, emotionally, physically, and socially.

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Mesa Arts AcademyMesa, Arizona

Year opened: 1995Grades served: K-8School mission: To provide a positive school climate for all of its students.Each student is treated with respect, and is guided in the discovery anddevelopment of their individual talents.

Nuestros Valores Charter SchoolAlbuquerque, New Mexico

Year opened: 2001Grades served: 9-12School mission: To provide a quality, innovative and relevant education for youth who have struggled to succeed in a traditional educationalsetting. Students will become productive citizens and lifelong learnersthrough interdisciplinary and career-based curricula in a school community of care and belonging.

Orange County High School of the ArtsSanta Ana, California

Year opened: 2000Grades served: 7-12School mission: To support a partnership between the arts and academics; to create and maintain a nurturing community that fosters a spirit ofcooperation, respect and collaboration; and to reach out and serve ourentire community and celebrate diversity in society, culture, ideology,and individual expression.

Palm Beach Maritime AcademyWest Palm Beach, Florida

Year opened: 2000Grades served: K-8School mission: To expose students to a unique integration of subject areasand to allow students to creatively apply their knowledge to practicalsituations. Hands-on learning is emphasized in both classroom and fieldexperiences.

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Schoolcraft Learning AcademyBemidji, Minnesota

Year opened: 2000Grades served: K-8School mission: To empower students to be self-directed, lifelong learnersby providing a nurturing, multi-age, expeditionary learning environ-ment which fosters cooperation and character development.

Taos Municipal Charter SchoolRanchos de Taos, New Mexico

Year opened: 2000Grades served: K-8School mission: To provide children a public school educational alternative;to provide public school teachers with the best possible educationalenvironment in which to teach; to involve parents and families in theeducation of their children; and to enhance character education for allstudents.

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