Continuity of Learning

• COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the classroom as we know it. How are charter schools continuing to provide innovative learning opportunities for students? What tools can we use to authentically assess engagement when students are joining classes virtually? When learning takes place online, how do we meet all students where they are at?

  • Outdoor education/Project-Based Learning 
  • Unique issues that arise in online environments - like digital citizenship
  • SPED 
  • Socio-emotional learning 
  • Authentic engagement and assessment
  • Innovation and Multiple Measures go hand in hand. What are you doing in your school that’s really cool? How are you measuring success?
  • Maximizing tools in an online environment - how do we deliver content?
  • Best practices learned so far

School Cultures

• Independent charters are marked by strong school cultures that reflect mission-driven design elements of a school. What tools do we have to maintain unique school cultures when we are practicing remote instruction? How are students and family contributing to distance learning plans?

  • Equity - on and offline 
  • Digital activism 
  • Students who are doing better in covid circumstances
  • Student contributions 
  • Maintaining unique school culture when we’re all remote

Connecting with Community

• Our schools are consistently demonstrating their ability to support community needs in the midst of crisis. What are charter schools doing to bring people together virtually? How do we ensure our school communities have basic needs addressed, even if schools aren't reopening? What steps do we need to take to become digital beacons of democratic education? How can we advocate for independent charter schools in such a divisive political climate?

  • Advocating for indie charter schools/charters as democratic institutions  
  • Family involvement 
  • School/community response to COVID 
  • Service learning 
  • Our schools as digital beacons of democracy 
  • Schools as central hubs for community needs

Leadership & Operations

• Autonomy and accountability are pillars of the charter school model, and in these difficult times, ensuring the integrity of both is challenging. What are leaders doing to navigate COVID-related policy? What does teacher empowerment look like in the middle of a pandemic? How do we implement equitable practices on our boards in this new era?

  • Technology infrastructure
  • Operations
  • Maintaining equity in face of so many challenges, so much red tape 
  • Budgets 
  • Compliance 
  • Security and protected data
  • Board trainings 
  • Professional development
  • Human Resources 
  • How are charters working around states’ snail pace in response to CoVid? 
    • Attendance? Funding? Loosening of restrictions on non-AOI?