GaDOE Charter School Board Training Requirements

Dr. Lynn PlunkettGCCA CEO WKSP

January 23, 2015

TCSG’s Office of College & Career

Transition

Specialized GCCA Board Trainings

Required Board TrainingNew Law (Adopted 11.4.14): O.C.G.A. 20-2-2072

The members of the governing board of the nonprofit organization of each

charter school shall participate in initial training for boards of newly approved

charter schools and annual training thereafter, conducted or approved by the

state board. The state board shall provide for or approve such initial and annual

training.

For charter schools that are college and career academies, as defined in

subsection (b) of Code Section 20-4-37, the state board shall provide or approve

such training in conjunction with the Technical College System of Georgia.

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Required Board Training Cont.New Law (Adopted 11.4.14): O.C.G.A. 20-2-2072

The training shall include, but not be limited to, best practices on school

governance, the constitutional and statutory requirements relating to public

records and meetings, and the requirements of applicable statutes and rules and

regulations.

Annual training will be from a provider selected by the governing board

Similar to the governance training required for LBOEs

Topics include:

• Roles and Responsibilities

• Open Records and Open Meetings Law

• Avoiding Conflicts of Interest

• Other Applicable Law3

TCSG as Training Provider TCSG - only training provider focusing solely on GCCA Board Training.

Those “specialized” areas include:

• Governance 101

• Working within Joint Venture Partnerships to Maximize Workforce/Eco Dev

• Strategic Planning

• Public School Finance and Funding: Training for Boards College and Career Academy Boards

of Directors

TCSG (limited resources) - focus will be specialized training modules.

Exceptions include:

NEW Academy Boards

Existing Academy Board that require a RESTART

Other Training Providers

When selecting GaDOE Charter Board Training Providers other

than the TCSG OCCT, be sure that they have

experience/knowledge of the operation, purpose, mission of

College and Career Academies in GA and have a good

understanding of joint venture partnerships.

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A comprehensive list of Charter Board Training Providers can be found here –

https://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/State-Board-of-Education/Documents/Local%20Board%20Governance%20Providers%20List.pdf

GaDOE Charter Board Training Required Hours

New Members:

• 15 hours within 1 year of taking office. Must include 3 hours in finance/budgeting (&) 3

hours in best governance practices

Existing Members:

• 9 hours annually (topic based on needs assessment) and can include 3 hours of whole

board training

All Board Members

• 3 hours of whole board training based on GaBOE adopted, “Standards for

Effective Charter School Governing Boards”

***Training guidelines may be revised in April, 2015***

Conduct Needs Assessment / SWOT Analysis

• Strengths – areas you do well or advantages of your organization

• Opportunities – external factors that may contribute to your organization and can build up your strengths

• Weaknesses – areas to be improved

• Threats – potential problems/risks caused by external factors that your organization may face.

Participants should include:

• Academy CEO / Superintendent

• Technical College partner President (and other high ed. partners)

• High School Principals along with the Academy Board of Directors

Ensuring a Successful Board Training

Participants could also include:

• Academy Teachers

• Feeder High School Leaders

• Post-secondary partner Dual-Enrollment Instructors

• Community’s Organizations: Chamber of Commerce, Economic and Workforce Development Sector

• Joint Training: CCA Board and Board of Education

• In Charter Systems: CCA Board and other School Governance Teams

Ensuring a Successful Board Training Cont.

Additional Training Modules to be Developed?

Alternate Training Delivery: video training

web-based training

Regional training for any CCA Board/Member (Periodically/Annually)?

Training Requirements Revisions?

Wrap Up Discussion(Suggestions?)

To Request TCSG Charter Board Training Specific to GCCAs, please contact:

• Frank Pinson / fpinson@tcsg.edu / 706-252-0011

• Jenny Williams / jwilliams@tcsg.edu / 404-679-5830

CPI Report:

Complication of data generated by each local, state, and charter school system that reports both classified and

certified personnel to the Georgia Department of Education

CCRPI:

College and Career Readiness Performance Index

T & E:

Training & Experience factored into allotment for teacher salaries in QBE

Highly Qualified Teacher(HQT):

Federal mandate that all teachers must be certified in the content area they are teaching

PSC:

Professional Standards Commission

FTE:

Full Time Equivalent

Glossary of Terms

MOU:

Memorandum of Understanding

QBE Charter System Funds:

Additional funding given to charter systems. (approximately $87/FTE)

School Governance Teams:

Required by law for Charter Systems. Must have some decision-making authority over

people, time, money at the school level.

GOSA:

Governor’s Office of Student Achievement

OPB:

State Office of Planning and Budget

GSFIC:

Georgia State Finance and Investment Commission

Glossary of Terms Cont.

Flexibility Options:

Ga districts required by law to declare one of 3 governance models by 6/30/15

IE2 School System-contract with LBOE, GOSA, SBOE; school targets; some waivers

Status Quo School System-No waivers

Charter System School System-requires local school governance participation in

decisions; contract with LBOE and SBOE; blanket waivers

Broad Flexibility:

Waivers from most of Title 20, rules and guidelines

Title 20:

Ga law governing education

M and O:

Maintenance and Operations

State Allotment Sheet:

Issued annually to give LEAs the amount of state funding coming to the district.

Glossary of Terms Cont.