Administrative Services Credential Program for Charter Schools
The Administrative Services Credential Program for Charter Schools Sponsored by San Diego County Office of Education and The King Chavez Schools of Excellence is changing dates.
May 16: SDCOE Curriculum and Instruction Committee
The next San Diego County Office of Education Curriculum and Instruction Committee meeting for charter schools is May 16, 2013.
Participate in Senator Bob Huff's Annual Education Summit on Thursday, April 18
This year the annual education summit will focus on college and career readiness and preparing students for success.
Padres Celebrate Charter School Appreciation Night at PETCO Park
Celebrate National Charter Week at the Padres game on Saturday, May 4, 2013.
New Special Education Option for San Diego Unified Charters to Take Effect July 2013
The San Diego Unified School District Board (SDUSD) of Education voted to approve a new special education arrangement for charter schools authorized by SDUSD.
Giabao Tonthat of Heritage K-8 Charter School Wins San Diego Countywide Spelling Bee
The 44th annual U-T San Diego Countywide Spelling Bee has a new champ - Giabao Tonthat of Heritage K-8 Charter School in Escondido.
April 2: First Proposition Z Advisory Committee Meeting
Notice of the First Meeting of the Proposition Z - Charter School Facility Advisory Committee has been posted at the San Diego Unified School District website.
20th Anniversary Advocacy Day - Speak up for Charter Schools!
Let your voice be heard! Join charter leaders and parents from our region at the State Capitol in Sacramento on May 8
FREE Families That Can Parent Workshop March 27
Families That Can is hosting a FREE Parent Workshop on Charter Schools 101 and Sharing Your Story at Old Town Academy on Wednesday March 27 from 6:30 - 7:30 pm
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation in San Diego this April 4-6 at High Tech High
High Tech High will be hosting a teacher conference from April 4-6 to focus on "Deeper Learning"
Update: San Diego Unified Proposition Z - ICOC Board Action
SDUSD Board acted on February 12 to merge the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee for Proposition S and Proposition Z.
Exciting March 10 Volunteer Opportunity for Charter Students, Parents and Staff
CCSA is looking for 15 - 20 volunteers on March 10 to help fill conference bags.
Additional Spots Available: Attend Parent Summit on March 13 for FREE!
Additional spots now available for Charter Parents in the San Diego Region to represent their charter school at CCSA's Parent Summit.
Celebrate Girls and Women in Sports Day! Student tickets available to the Feb. 2 SDSU Women's Aztecs Game
Join the pre-game fun and get autographs, take pictures, hear powerful messages about academic achievement, and get playing and training tips from SDSU women athletes and coaches!
Charter Parents Eligible for Sponsorship To Attend Parent Summit for FREE
As San Diego plays host to the CCSA Conference in March our region has the honor to host the CCSA Parent Summit on March 13 at the Downtown San Diego Convention Center and sponsor a limited number of Charter Parents to attend the daylong conference.
The Association of African American Educators (AAAE) Holds Conference in San Diego Prior to CCSA Conference
AAAE is seeking presenters and attendees for their March 8 - 9 conference in San Diego
County Office of Education Curriculum and Instruction Group Meets January 24, 2013 at SDCOE
The next County Office of Education Curriculum and Instruction Group meeting is Thursday, January 24, 2013 from 12:45 to 3:00 pm in SDCOE's Communication Labs 1-4 at Joe Rindone Regional Technology Center
Join the Great Kindness Challenge January 14 - 18!
This year's Great Kindness Challenge will be held from January 14 - 18 for schools K-12 who wish to participate.
Web Tool Wednesdays from San Diego County Office of Education
Expand your digital literacies from the convenience of your office, classroom, or home.
Families That Can: Charter Parents and Leaders Build Momentum in San Diego
The number of San Diego schools committed to partnering with Families That Can Continues to grow as we begin Free "Introduction to Advocacy Parent Workshops" in 2013. Sign a commitment pledge to join our efforts!
SIGN UP! Recruiting Student Performances for the CCSA 20th Anniversary Conference March 12 - 14, 2013
Rally your cheerleaders, dancers, singers, musicians, and mimes together and submit a musical piece/photo/video by January 9 and showcase your student talent at CCSA's 20th Anniversary Conference March 12 -14, 2013 in San Diego.
Free Resource: San Diego COE Curriculum and Instruction Network for Public Charter Schools Meeting
Common Core Assessments will be the focus of the next San Diego County Office of Education Curriculum and Instruction Network meeting on Thursday, December 13, 2012 from 12:45 pm - 3:00 pm.
SDCOE Digital Content Portal Can Be a Great Resource for Charter Schools
In the Digital Content Portal (DCP) students have access to high interest material and resources, carefully screened by educators to ensure both appropriateness and scholarly relevance so they don't have to "power down" at school.
Families That Can Welcomes Four New Partner Schools
We are delighted to welcome: Old Town Academy, Harriet Tubman Village Charter, The Classical Academies and Urban Discovery Academy as the newest Families That Can Pledge Schools.
SDUSD SELPA Members and CCSA Advocate for Improved Special Education Arrangements
CCSA worked with a coalition of 11 SDUSD SELPA Charter Schools to meet with SDUSD to address concerns over a recent increase above the initial forecasted special education contribution rate.
Voters Approve $350 Million of Charter Schools Facilities Funding for San Diego Unified
As part of the $2.8 billion school facilities bond for San Diego Unified School District, Proposition Z, the district will be allocating $350 million of funds specifically for charter school facilities projects.
CCSA Congratulates John Lee Evans and Marne Foster on Election to the San Diego Unified School District Board
The California Charter Schools Association congratulates John Lee Evans for his re-election and welcomes Marne Foster to the San Diego Unified School District Board.
Nov. 15: C.A.S.H and CCSA Collaborate for Facilities Workshop
The focus will be on building successful relationships between charter schools and school districts, as well as with developers and maneuvering local governmental permitting agencies.
SDUSD Board Of Education Voter Guide for District E
District E in San Diego Unified School District is one of two seats with contested elections this November. Find out where candidates stand on education so that you can make informed decisions when you cast your ballot.
External Opportunity: Ashford University Book Club presented by KyXy (96.5)
Throughout the entire school year, KyXy (96.5) and Ashford University will highlight a new, age-appropriate book each month for students in grades K-5 to read.
Free and Reduced Price Lunch Data
For SDUSD authorized charters that are having data issues with Free and Reduced Price Lunch figures reported to CDE, the district will be holding a meeting at O'Farrell Community School on November 2, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. - Noon.
San Diego State University K-12 Partnership Community Forums
Under the leadership of President Elliot Hirshman, San Diego State University has begun a strategic planning process to look closely at the university's current work and propose recommendations for future initiatives.
Don't Miss the School Celebration in San Diego
The San Diego charter school community celebrates the 20th Anniversary of California's Charter Schools Movement with a family event this Saturday, October 13, from 9:30 a.m. - noon, at Balboa Park. The celebration is aimed at raising awareness about charter...
Oct. 2: Board and Charter Leader Brown Act Training
Jonathan Dean from O'Farrell Community Charter School is hosting a Brown Act Training for Charter Leaders and Board Members. Middleton, Young & Minney will be conducting the training and a sit-down dinner will be served. Details Start time: 5:00 p.m....
Three Short Weeks Until the Anniversary Event! Find Out About Speakers, Raffle and More
The event will take place October 13, 2012, from 9:30 a.m. to noon, on the President's Way Grass Area in Balboa Park.
San Diego Charter Leaders Invited to Attend Special Education JPA Open House
Charter schools interested in sharing special education services or learning more about the San Diego Countywide Special Education Authority are encouraged to attend the Board of Directors Meeting and Open House to follow on September 18, 2012.
San Diego Unified School District Unanimously Approves Creation of Charter Community Committee for Proposition Z and other Facilities Issues.
This action was an additional step forward to demonstrate SDUSD's commitment to supporting the many needs of charter schools and their students for new facilities space and repairing current facilities.
County Office of Education Shares Two Great Opportunities for Charter School Students in San Diego County
Find out how your students could take part in a special University of San Diego campus tour in addition to attending a USD footbal game, and how students could receive free tickets to tour the Museum of Tolerance.
A Year in Review
As we wind down our school years and head out for a well earned summer break, hopefully everyone gets at least a little bit of time off, it is good to look back over the year and see what we have accomplished locally.
New SDUSD Charter Policy
San Diego Unified School District had its first reading of their new charter policy which has been developed collaboratively over the last year with district staff and members of the charter community.
Ready to Expand Your Program?
Charter schools in SDUSD are finding great success in growing their schools through expansion of their current program by adding grades to their current petition.
San Diego Bond Measure
San Diego Unified is putting forth a bond measure that includes charter schools at a pro-rata share this November. Learn about what is happening in this area
Regional Meeting Wrap-up (Including Resources!)
We had a great set of regional meetings this last week. Key topics and links to handy resources inside.
Last Round of Regional Meetings
Please join us for the last round of regional meetings for the year. We will be discussing legislative and budgetary updates including transitional K and STYRS/PERS benefits. We will have a representative from Charter School Capital explain the difference between...
Charter School Night at the Padres
SIATech will be providing the color guard for the game as well as honoring their employee of the year during the pregame show.
Proposition 39 and SDUSD
Good news this week for a couple more charter schools who were still negotiating the Prop. 39 process.
San Diego Unified News
There was a big charter meeting at SDUSD last week. First up was the controversial renewal of Nubia Leadership Academy.
National Charter Schools Week
We will be celebrating the week at the Padre Game on Saturday night, and Journey will be hosting Senator Mimi Walters.
Spring Regional Meetings
The next round of regional meetings will be the week of May 21st. All regional meetings will be held from 9:00 a.m. - noon.
Get to Know the Candidates
The PTA and the League of Women Voters is hosting two candidate forums for SDUSD Board Seats for both Districts E and A.
Go Padres!!
Come out and celebrate National Charter Schools week at our annual Charter School's Night at the Padres.
April 27: Free Governance Academy in San Diego
This is the workshop charter school board members DON'T want to miss! Find out everything you need to know to be a responsible steward of your school from the Brown Act to financial and academic oversight.
Proposition 39: Working with SDUSD
San Diego Unified approved three offers at their meeting on Tuesday. All three of these schools already occupy district space but share it with a district school, so they have to go through the Prop. 39 process each year.
SDUSD School Board: June Primary Approaches
In SDUSD there are three seats open but only two seats have competition.
Our Charter Community is Growing
San Diego Unified approved another new charter, Kavod, which will open a K-5 program.
Innovative Programs in Blended Learning
The collaborative program evaluation is being conducted through a joint effort of Gompers Preparatory Academy, CREATE UCSD, and Girard Foundation and combines the best thinking of both researchers and practitioners in real time.
Stay Connected to Our Charter Community
It is important that we share our innovations and successes with one another. Find out ways to share, and ways to stay in the know.
Don't Miss our Academies
Don't miss these local, no cost, opportunities to get training for your staff and board members.
April 5: Intensive Finance Academy in San Diego
Got questions about charter school finances? Don't miss CCSA's 4-hour in-depth Finance Academy which is offered just once a year!
Rebels with a Cause
San Diego Charter Schools were well represented at the 2012 Conference - find out more... and don't forget to mark your calendars for next year's conference right here in San Diego.
New Charters in San Diego Unified
Last Tuesday night was a busy night for charters at the SDUSD board meeting: two approvals and two public hearings.
Charter School Night at the Padres
Get a great discount on tickets and learn an opportunity to choose the "Play Ball" kid, color guard and 2 charters to highlight during the pregame show.
Continued Charter Growth in San Diego County
One might worry that with the economic climate charter growth might slow, but that doesn't seem to be the case in SD County.
Growth in Orange County
For years there were about a dozen charter schools in Orange County. This number remained stagnant, until recently.
Connect with Local San Diego Region Charter Leaders At the Charter Schools Conference
Please plan to join colleagues from around the San Diego Region to gear up for the Funding Equity Rally and connect on issues specific to our region.
Busy Times in San Diego Unified
Last week was a busy charter board meeting for SDUSD. We had four public hearings for four renewing charters and one for a new charter school.
Winter Regional Meeting Wrap
We had some great opportunities to get updates on the new legislative session and the Governor's proposed budget. There is good news and bad news...
Preliminary Proposition 39 Offers in San Diego Unified School District
Get the details on the preliminary offers to SDUSD schools.
Funding Equity - Is it a Possibility?
Come to your regional meeting and find out.
Celebrating Choice in Public Education Week by Involving Your Parent Community
If anyone needs tips on how to involve your community in the charter movement, talk to Classical Academies.
Feb. 1: Charter Curriculum and Instruction Meetings (C&I)
SDCOE continues their support of the charter community by hosting this excellent opportunity to meet, share best practices, learn and more.
Regional Meetings are Coming Up
We will be facilitating discussions around local needs, successes and sharing ideas. Please come prepared to discuss your top three needs and bring a budget idea to share.
San Diego Charter Schools in the News
San Diego charter schools were the focus of recent stories in the U-T San Diego and Voice of San Diego.
Congratulations to High Tech High
The State Board of Education reauthorized High Tech High's statewide benefit charter at its meeting earlier this month.
Unionization Efforts in SDUSD Charter Community Continuing
The San Diego Education Association, the local teacher's union in San Diego Unified, has been very active in the charter community since last spring. They have organized three charter schools over the last several months and continue to reach out to more schools.
San Diego-area February Regional Meetings
Regional Meetings are scheduled for Feb. 8-10. In addition to legislative and budget updates, we are changing the format a bit to allow for lots of time for charter leaders to share and discuss their local issues.
Regional Meetings
CCSA is making a real effort to localize these meetings more and give charter leaders more opportunity for discussion and sharing.
Special Education Options in San Diego County
The San Diego Countywide Special Education Authority is up and running with their first official JPA Board meeting last week.
Mark your Calendars
Our year is off to a busy start, looking forward to our next set of regional meetings, our conference at the end of Feb. and primary elections in June.
San Diego Unified Charter Policy
A charter policy committee has been working with SDUSD staff on revising SDUSD charter policy.
Growing Parent Voice in San Diego
Several parent groups have formed recently to ensure that parents are informed and have a seat at the table.
Positive Vote at San Diego County Office of Education
Literacy First was finally able to realize their vision of making their school a K-12 charter school at last night's SDCOE Board Meeting.
Dec. 6 and 7: Accountability Workshops
Take advantage of the in person workshops with Myrna Castrejon, our Senior Vice President, Achievement and Performance Management
Parent Power and CCSA Efforts in Sweetwater Unified
Read about a great demonstration of parent power that unfolded in Sweetwater over the last few weeks.
Recent Legislative Visit with Senator Kehoe
We had another very successful legislative visit at San Diego Cooperative Charter School last week.
External Opportunity: Free Multimedia Presentation & Leadership Workshop in Partnership with Participant Media and Me to We
Me to We and Participant Media are excited to continue their partnership through an exclusive speaking tour based on the award-winning documentary, Waiting for "Superman." Through an hour-long presentation designed for high-school students, using themes and clips from Waiting for "Superman" and an afternoon action-planning workshop for 30 students focused on issues awareness and leadership skill building, Me to We speakers explore the importance of and barriers to education across the world.
CCSA Volunteer Projects Help Three Santa Ana Schools
CCSA staff participated in volunteer projects at three Santa Ana Charter Schools: El Sol, Edward B. Cole and Orange County Educational Arts Academy.
Past and Upcoming San Diego-Area Legislative Visits
The local charter community has had some luck getting legislators out to visit our charter schools this fall. It requires some tenacity but if you are persistent, visits can happen. Read about two schools' successful visits and find out how you can get involved in an upcoming meeting with Congressman Filner.
San Diego Unified School Board and School Budgets
The SDUSD Board made an unusual request of its charter schools...and three brave charters stepped forward.
San Diego Unified Bond Proposition
SDUSD is proposing to place another bond proposition on the November 2012 ballot.
Nov. 1: SDUSD Board Meeting
We are requesting that all charter schools in SDUSD send a charter representative to the board meeting on Tuesday, November 1 to support the policy committee in their work to create a new charter policy.
Senator Kehoe visits O'Farrell Community School
Senator Kehoe met with a small group of about a dozen charter leaders representing six different charters. It was a great meeting in which the Senator heard about our successes and struggles and got to see a charter school in action.
San Diego Unified Charter Policy
SDUSD continues to work with a group of charter leaders and district staff to hammer out a new policy. The group has made progress on supplemental documents such as a charter calendar and an FAQ for new developers.
Congressman's staff tours Orange County Charters
Journey and Capistrano Connections had a great visit from Congressmen Campbell's Legislative Assistant, Danica Dawson.
A Message from Lisa Berlanga: Regional Meetings and Prop. 39
Regional meeting wrap-up and information on Prop. 39 resources for San Diego-area schools.
San Diego-Area Training Opportunity Reminders
Don't forget about all the training opportunities coming up at the end of this month and next, including in-person governance and special education sessions!
Public Hearings for New Inland Empire and Orange County Charter School Petitions
If you are a school developer, you should consider attending a public hearing from a petitioner who has already submitted. Learn how the meetings go and what the expectations are for public hearings. Also it is great to come and support new high quality start-ups that CCSA is also supporting.
Legislative Visits are Critical
It is critical that our legislators understand charter school issues-- what better way for them to learn about them than to see and hear directly from the students, parents and staffs of charter schools?
First SDUSD Board Meeting of the School Year
SDUSD had their first charter board meeting of this school year with three charter issues; a Special Education MOU, a material revision for a grade expansion for O'Farrell Community School and a public hearing for San Diego Global Visions (SDGVA) to add a middle school.
Important meetings and trainings in the San Diego region
Get the details on the remaining regional meetings, plus an upcoming special education workshop presented by Fagen, Friedman & Fulfros, and a governance training presented by CCSA, MY&M and Procopio.
Prop. 39 in San Diego County
Prop. 39 season is upon us. As space is getting more and more difficult to find, we are encouraging charters to apply. For schools looking to expand, Prop. 39 might be the answer, even if it is a short term answer.
Free Charter School Governance Academy for Charter Leaders and Board Members
The California Charter School Governance Academy is a free, four hour intensive workshop designed to help school leaders and governing board members increase their knowledge of their ethical and legal obligations as stewards of public institutions. Sign up today for a workshop near you!
Conference Deadlines, Conference Opportunities
I hope you've marked your calendars for the Annual Conference! And I hope you are also considering submitting a proposal: charter leaders want to hear from you!
Welcome Back to a New School Year
Certainly off to a hot start!! There is lots you need to put on your calendars in the next few weeks.
Special Education Gains in the San Diego Region
San Diego charter schools are making huge gains in serving their special education students independent of their districts. Now charter schools in the county have decided to follow in their footsteps. Learn about the creation of a second JPA to serve these charter schools.
SchoolPool Ridematching Service Helps Parents, Schools
Did you know that SchoolPool - a secure online ridematching service administered by SANDAG for parents with children in kindergarten through 12th grade - is open to San Diego County charter schools?
Growth in Charter Schools
Read about the new schools opening in our region, as well as trends we're seeing in this area.
Upcoming San Diego Regional Charter Leaders Meetings: Register Now!
You know summer is coming to a close when we start planning fall regional meetings!
Educational Listening Tour at Gompers Preparatory Academy
I had the opportunity to attend a session of the Educational Listening Tour, initiated by Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher and City Council President Tony Young, hosted at Gompers Preparatory Academy (GPA) last week.
How to: Set Your Default "Region Page"
Save yourself a click! Did you know you it is easy to make a default regional selection on calcharters.org? It's easy. Here's how to do it.
New Charter Policy in San Diego Unified School District
A message from Lisa Berlanga about the progress towards a new policy.
Local Schools Meeting with Legislators
Last week, representatives from Leonardo da Vinci Health Sciences, Darnall and Arroyo Paseo attended a meeting at Senator Vargas's office to discuss legislation that is relevant to charter schools.
Get the Latest State Budget Information
New information about Governor Brown's veto of the budget.
Families That Can Offers Tips on Connecting with Your Legislator
How can parents have an impact in Sacramento? How do you get a meeting with your legislator? What is the process for a proposed bill to become a law? Get the details from Families That Can.
Parent Empowerment Summit
San Diego schools! This is a fantastic opportunity coming for our charter parents to become involved in educational conversations.
