MS Charter School Authorizer Board
- Assembled Tool Kit #1:Charter Schools Are Here: Now What?
- Charter School Application Guide 2013 – The First DRAFT
- MS Charter School Application Evaluation Ratings and Sample Scoring Criteria — The First Draft of the “Evaluation Rubric”
- By-Laws of the MS Charter School Authorizer Board – The First Draft
- PUBLIC NOTICE, Nov. 1, 2013, Inviting Public to Submit Public Comments on rule-making proposals of the MS Charter Schools Authorizer Board
- MS Charter Schools: Part of a Zero-Sum Game to the Detriment of Traditional Public Schools
- PUBLIC COMMENT to MS Charter School Authorizer Board: Board Members are Without Authority to Act Until Ratified by MS Senate
- PUBLIC COMMENT to MS Charter School Authorizer Board: Advance Notice of Board Meeting Agendas Needed; More Than 2 Minutes Needed to Speak
- PUBLIC COMMENT to MS Charter School Authorizer Board: Charter Board Subject to APA; Must Provide Email Option to Submit Views to Board
- Notes re: Oct. 21, 2013, 2nd Meeting of the MS Charter Authorizer Board
- REQUEST FOR PUBLIC HEARING to Submit Public Comments before MS Charter School Authorizer Board
MS Charter School Authorizer Board
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Assembled Tool Kit #1:Charter Schools Are Here: Now What? Assembled Tool Kit #1 is a compilation of documents prepared by Southern Echo for a presentation at the 2013 MS Black Leadership Summit Education Track held November 7, 2013. It contains selected statutes that empower the MS Charter School Authorizer Board, an analysis of the 2nd Charter Board meeting Oct. 21, 2013, the draft of the proposed Charter Application, 3 Public Comments submitted by Southern Echo to the Charter Board as part of its rule-making procedures, a request for a public hearing before the Charter Board prior to the adoption of new rules, and an analysis entitled, “MS Charter Schools: Part of a Zero-Sum Game to the Detriment of Traditional Public Schools”. |
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Charter School Application Guide 2013 – The First DRAFT This first Draft of the Charter School Application Guide 2013 was posted for public review November 1, 2013 by the MS Charter School Authorizer Board. The 39-page Application Guide sets out the values and standards, which are based on the charter statutes adopted in 2013, for the creation of a charter school in Mississippi with which all applicants will have to comply, whether new start or conversion. See page 2 of the Draft for a Table of Contents. We have highlighted some parts of the Application Guide, but the entire Guide must be read and understood. |
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MS Charter School Application Evaluation Ratings and Sample Scoring Criteria — The First Draft of the “Evaluation Rubric” This first Draft of the so-called Evaluation Rubric was posted for public review November 1, 2013 by the MS Charter School Authorizer Board. The purpose of the Evaluation Rubric is to alert applicants and the public as to how Board members and independent consultants retained to assist the Board intend to assess and evaluate the quality of charter school Applications. A great challenge for the Charter Board is to ensure that the framework of the evaluation process is consistent with and adheres to … i.e. does not dilute … the educational values and best practices outlined in the Application. |
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By-Laws of the MS Charter School Authorizer Board – The First Draft This first Draft of the By-Laws of the MS Charter School Authorizer Board was posted for public review November 1, 2013 by the MS Charter School Authorizer Board. The By-Laws define the mission of the Charter Board, its authority to act, the mechanics for the operation of the Board, and how it will interact with the public. |
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PUBLIC NOTICE, Nov. 1, 2013, Inviting Public to Submit Public Comments on rule-making proposals of the MS Charter Schools Authorizer Board This Nov. 1, 2013 public notice created a deadline of Nov. 13, 2013 for submission of Public Comments on the By-Laws, Application and Evaluation Rubric which will be considered for adoption at the Nov. 18, 2013 meeting of the MS Charter School Authorizer Board. The Notice contains a US Mail Address for submission of views. However, the MS Administrative Procedures Law (APA) requires that the public also be able to submit views by email. The Charter Board now has an email address: charterschools@mississippi.edu/td> |
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MS Charter Schools: Part of a Zero-Sum Game to the Detriment of Traditional Public Schools This 3-page analysis by Southern Echo Senior Organizer & Training Coordinator Mike Sayer focuses on the disconnect between the aspiration to provide a quality education for all children and the counter-productive state policies that undermine the effort to do so. Sayer notes, “Our moral center is focused on a quality education for all children. However, if the design and content of our education policies are rooted in a failing zero‐sum game that works counter to the interests of all children, then we have to question whether these education policies are rooted in a fair and just moral center.” |
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PUBLIC COMMENT to MS Charter School Authorizer Board: Board Members are Without Authority to Act Until Ratified by MS Senate This 2-page Public Comment was submitted to the MS Charter School Authorizer Board Nov. 6, 2013. It highlights that the 7 nominees to this new state agency have begun to act as a Board without any nominee having been confirmed by a vote of the MS Senate, which is expressly required by House Bill 369 (enacted 2013), which created the Board. The failure to be confirmed may render actions of the Board, including expenditure of funds, premature and illegal. If so, the rule-making procedure under way may be null and void, and may have to be done again when and if the Senate confirms the nominees. The principle involved is that the it is imperative that the Charter Board set a clear precedent that the law must be followed. The alternative can only lead to mischief. |
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PUBLIC COMMENT to MS Charter School Authorizer Board: Advance Notice of Board Meeting Agendas Needed; More Than 2 Minutes Needed to Speak This 2-page Public Comment was submitted to the MS Charter School Authorizer Board Nov. 3, 2013. It focuses on the fact that the Charter Board By-Laws require individuals to submit comments on Board meeting agenda items in advance, or sign-up to speak on agenda items in advance. But the By-Laws do not provide for advance notice of the agenda itself. The Comment prescribes a remedy for this problem. The By-Laws also provide that an individual speaking on an agenda item has only two minutes to speak, which is not enough time to address complex education issues. The Comment proposes a remedy for this concern. |
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PUBLIC COMMENT to MS Charter School Authorizer Board: Charter Board Subject to APA; Must Provide Email Option to Submit Views to Board This 2-page Public Comment was submitted to the MS Charter School Authorizer Board Nov. 6, 2013. It focuses on the fact that under the MS Administrative Procedures Law (APA) the Charter Board must provide at least 3 ways in which the public can submit comments, views and data to the Board: US Mail, facsimile transmissions, and email. However, the proposed By-Laws and the Nov. 1 Notice to the Public soliciting Comments only provided for a US Mail address. The Comment asks for an email alternative as provided by law. The Board now has an email address: charterschools@mississippi.edu |
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Notes re: Oct. 21, 2013, 2nd Meeting of the MS Charter Authorizer Board These notes of the 2nd meeting of the MS Charter School Authorizer Board summarize Key Decisions made by the Board that include values and standards in the Application Process; proposed forms for the Application process; Timelines proposed by the Board for the Application process, timeline for the solicitation of public comments on the rule-making process and on the proposed By-Laws; perspectives revealed on several key issues about the values that will inform the work of the Board and the procedures to be followed; and Future Meeting Dates already scheduled into the beginning of 2014. |
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REQUEST FOR PUBLIC HEARING to Submit Public Comments before MS Charter School Authorizer Board Twelve persons made a joint request pursuant to the MS Administrative Procedures Law (APA) for a public hearing to submit comments to the MS Charter School Authorizer Board in connection with their rule-making process. The focus of the request concerns the Charter Board by-laws, Application process and the issue regarding the lack of confirmation of Charter Board nominees. The APA requires that if ten persons request a public hearing, then the Charter Board, which is a state agency, must hold a public hearing. |
