Charter Support Unit
A free service dedicated to supporting Public Charter Schools.
 
 
Renewed Support For Charter Schools

We are excited to announce that the Florida Department of Education will again be partnering with Building Hope to offer the Florida Charter Support Unit [CSU] as a grant-supported resource to charter schools throughout the state of Florida.  This is a no-cost support team available to the leadership of start-up charter schools throughout the state.  To learn more, please visit the Charter Support unit website at Charter.Support.

Below are a few of the exciting opportunities we have planned for this year. 

 
 
 
New School Institute

The New School Institute is training for schools with an approved charter application but has not yet opened the school.  The training will consist of live, online meetings every other month and short recorded training videos and materials posted about once a week with topics pertinent to where you are in the process of opening your school.  Founding board members and administrators of new schools who are opening in August 2021 will find this training particularly relevant. 

The first meeting will be held via Zoom on Thursday, November 19 at 7:00pm.  Please sign up to receive more detailed information at: csu.li/nsi2020.

 
 
 
Charter School Governance Conference

Please save the date:  Saturday, March 27, 2021.  The CSU is excited to announce we will be hosting a virtual conference focused on Charter School Governance.   Topics will all be geared towards Charter School Governing Board Members and administrators about ensuring effective oversight and operation of your charter schools.   The conference will be provided at no cost to participants.  Please save the date and watch for more information in the coming months.

 
 
 
Charter Application Training

For groups considering submitting a charter application, the CSU will be offering an online course on the Model Florida Charter School Application.  The online course will begin on Tuesday, November 17 with an initial live meeting at 7pm for those interested, and new content will be posted regularly to the system.  We will walk through each section of the charter application to discuss what the model application asks for and things to think about and consider as you're writing your charter application.  Sign up to receive more information at: csu.li/apptrng.

 
 
 
Webinar Series

As we have since the CSU first started in 2012, we will continue to offer regular webinars on topics relevant to charter school leaders.  These webinars are typically scheduled for Tuesday afternoons or Thursday mornings. You can find the most up-to-date list of upcoming webinars and register at charter.support/upcoming-webinars.  The next several webinars include:

 
 
 
Additional Services

In addition to the variety of items listed above, we offer an array of other services to assist charter schools, particularly those within the first five years of operation:

  • Support Hotline - Just give us a call at (727) 286-3185 if you face an issue you need assistance with. 
  • Consultations - We are available to meet with new schools to assist with operational or governance issues ranging from budgets to policies and much more. 
  • Resources - We have a resource library of documents you can "steal" on our website ranging from a detailed budget template to human resources forms and more.  
  • Strategic Planning - We are available to meet with the leadership of schools approaching their first charter renewal to help facilitate the development of a long-range strategic plan for the school. 
  • Document Reviews - If you are adopting a new policy or implementing new forms, and you would like someone to review and provide feedback, we're available to help.
  • Board Presentations - We are available for presentations to the Governing Boards about best practices, charter requirements, etc. 
  • Charters.Link - We operate a free compliance tool that districts can utilize to help monitor their charter schools.  The service will be expanding this year to offer additional tools and resources to charter schools as well.  Watch for more to be announced soon! 
  • Facilities Assistance - If your school is starting to think about more long-range planning for your facilities' needs, we can help refine budget forecasts, discuss options, and develop your school's next steps. 
  • Support For First Year Schools - We are available to attend governing board meetings and meet with leaders of first-year schools to offer suggestions, tips or to be a resource if questions come up for first-year governing boards and administrators. 
 
 
 
 

The CSU is a free support network operated by Building Hope in partnership with the United States Department of Education through a federal dissemination grant, a Walton Foundation grant, and the Florida Department of Education through a state appropriation.  Our primary mission is to serve all charter schools in their first five years of operation. The CSU also provides many free services to more established charter schools across the country, including our free professional webinar series. If we can provide assistance to you or your school, please contact us:

Charter Support Unit
(888) 677-9250 • (727) 286-3185 • charter.support

 
 
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