CONNECTING
PRESENTED FOR
SPONSORSHIP CONSIDERATION TO
THE GOVERNING
BOARD OF THE
Prepared in compliance with
the terms, conditions, and requirements of
EC 47605 and
related statutes and as amended - The
CONNECTING
I. Educational Program
Description
This
charter school shall be known as
CWC
will be open to all students in grades K-12. CWC will be nonsectarian in its
programs, admission policies, employment practices, and all other operations.
CWC will specifically target students seeking a non-traditional educational
setting. CWC shall not charge tuition, and shall not discriminate against any
pupil on the basis of ethnicity, gender, religion, national origin, ability,
disability, or place of residence.
Students who attend CWC will be educated through individually designed
curricula, which may include, but are not limited to, home-based learning
programs, cooperative school programs and classes, apprenticeships, on-the-job
training, community-based educational programs, group seminars, distance
learning via current technology, and supplemental learning projects. All
student curricula will be subject to approval by Innovative Education
Management (hereafter "IEM").
Parents
who enroll their children in CWC shall, through specific enrollment and
curriculum contracts, accept responsibility for their children’s education. CWC will support its students and
parents with appropriate educational materials, and with a team of education
specialists and advisors. CWC education specialists and advisors shall advise
and assist parents and students in all aspects of student education pursuant to
relevant contracts.
Each minor student and at least one parent, and each adult student, with the
assistance of CWC education specialists and advisors, shall design, consistent
with CWC student standards and policies, appropriate curricula based upon the
student's educational needs and objectives, and shall sign one or more
contract(s) with CWC that clearly describes the student's individual
educational goals and curriculum for each school year the student is enrolled with
CWC. All curricula shall describe the student's course(s) of study, the chosen
method(s) of ascertaining competence in designated course(s) of study, and if
applicable, the credit(s) the student will receive upon successfully
demonstrating competence and completing the course of study.
For
purposes of this charter, "parent(s)" includes guardian(s). Any
parent(s) or legally responsible entity may designate an alternate party to act
in place of the parent(s). CWC adult students do not require parental participation
in educational or admission contracts, or performance evaluations.
CWC
identifies an educated person in the twenty-first century to mean a person who
is literate, can understand and function sufficiently in the world around him
or her, has an overview of the history of mankind, has an understanding of
United States political processes, has an ability to solve mathematical
problems and to think scientifically, and has the values necessary to enhance
the world in which he or she lives. This person is one who has realized his or
her own unique educational interests,
talents, or abilities, whether it is in the arts, sciences, or other areas. It
is the goal of this charter school to help students become educated individuals
who are intrinsically motivated to learn, and who have diverse yet
well-developed interests.
This
charter school’s parents, students, and certificated Education Specialists
believe that the best learning occurs when:
· Each curriculum is tailored to an individual
student’s learning styles.
· One-to-one teaching is used as appropriate.
· Real life context-based learning is emphasized.
· There is supplemental enrichment through classroom
instruction, independent learning, field trips, apprenticeships, and
appropriate uses of technology, etc.
· Schooling is viewed as one aspect of an education.
· The entire community serves as the school campus.
· Interesting, worthwhile learning opportunities are
provided that will stimulate the interests of each student.
Objectives of the charter school include, but shall not be limited to the
following:
· CWC students will perform and achieve better than
their previous year’s state assessment scores when available.
· Students will be intrinsically motivated.
· Students will achieve competency in basic academic
skills.
· Curricula and materials shall adhere to the
California State Frameworks and Content Standards in accordance with the
California Public Schools Accountability Act.
· Students will demonstrate proficiency in
STAR-specific assessments.
Opportunities
will be provided for students to explore their potential in the performing and
living arts and in the appropriate use of technology. Students will recognize
and use their strongest skills and abilities and improve in areas where they
are weak. CWC will operate on the
understanding that all students have different learning styles, abilities and
background experiences. As important as
“what” students learn is “how” they learn. The former may be viewed as the end
goal of education while the latter is the road leading to it. CWC will support learning and assessment
modalities based on current research that identifies best practices regarding
how students learn.
II. Measurable Pupil
Outcomes
The
measurable pupil outcomes, for purposes of this part, means the extent to which
all pupils of the school demonstrate that they have attained the skills,
knowledge, and attitudes specified as goals in the school’s educational program
aligned with California State Frameworks and Content Standards. Students will
demonstrate competency in seven (7) growth area goals. The extent to which
students achieve these goals is determined by mastery of the student standards
and by demonstrated proficiency on STAR-specific assessments:
Student reads and writes effectively.
¬
Student reads actively and derives meaning from written media.
¬ Student reads extensively for a variety of purposes.
¬ Student writes using grammatically acceptable English.
¬ Student adjusts tone and style of writing for purpose and audience.
¬ Student supports statements using well-rounded facts, theory, and opinion
¬ Student separates fact from opinion.
¬ Student logically reaches conclusions based on sufficient evidence.
¬ Student clearly and succinctly states key points.
¬ Student organizes ideas in a variety of ways.
¬ Student demonstrates creativity through style, organization, and development
of content.
Student sufficiently understands and
functions in the world around him.
¬ Student
demonstrates involvement in his/her community.
¬ Student has knowledge of the reciprocal relationship between the individual
and his/her
environment.
¬ Student demonstrates various skills in seeking employment and/or college
admission.
¬ Student understands and demonstrates his/her role as an employee, consumer,
and financial manager.
¬ Student identifies and documents the effects of technology on his/her
environment.
¬ Student participates in physical activities that develop strength, endurance,
and personal fitness.
Student appreciates the
history of mankind in all its diversity.
¬ Student
shows his/her appreciation for history by identifying relationships between past and present events or
situations involving cause and effect: people, events, or situations influencing
an action or result.
¬ Student shows his/her appreciation for history by identifying relationships between past and present events or
situations involving comparison: similarities and differences.
¬ Student shows his/her appreciation for history by identifying relationships between past and present events or
situations involving classification: events and situations explained as
political, economic, social, and/or intellectual.
¬ Student shows his/her appreciation for history by identifying relationships between past and present events or
situations involving anticipation of the future using evidence from the past
and the present to draw conclusion about the future.
¬ Student shows his/her appreciation for history by identifying relationships between past and present events or
situations involving understanding of the extent of time.
¬ Student applies physical and cultural geography to his/her understanding of
societies.
Student comprehends the political
process.
¬ Student
understands the structures, operations, and relationships of the governments in
the
Student applies mathematical principles
and operations to solve problems.
¬ Student demonstrates knowledge of basic skills, conceptual understanding,
and problem solving with numbers and operations.
¬ Student demonstrates knowledge of basic skills, conceptual understanding, and
problem solving in geometry and measurement.
¬ Student demonstrates knowledge of basic skills, conceptual understanding, and
problem solving in functions and algebra.
¬ Student demonstrates knowledge of basic skills, conceptual understanding, and
problem solving in statistics and probability.
¬ Student solves problems that make significant demands in one or more of these
aspects of the solution process: problem formulation, problem implementation,
and problem conclusion.
¬ Student communicates his/her knowledge of basic skills, understanding of
concepts, and his/her ability to solve problems and understand mathematical
communication of others.
Student applies scientific concepts and
skills to explain his world and
find solutions to its problems.
¬ Student
observes, compares, orders, and categorizes characteristics and behaviors.
¬ Student communicates ideas.
¬ Student relates factors of differing objects and events, and infers about
unknown or unseen processes.
¬ Student applies knowledge and thought processes to explain his/her world and
solve problems.
¬ Student shows a perception of the interrelationships among the scientific
themes (energy, interactions, patterns, and change) and their application to
the four spheres (lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, ecosphere).
¬ Student recognizes the effects of the sciences, technologies, and societies
on one another and on the environment.
Student realizes his own unique
educational interests, talents, and abilities.
~Student participates with
the Education Specialist and parents in the design of an individualized
learning plan that incorporates all aspects of his or her educational program
and that serves as the student’s learning contract with CWC.
III. Methods Of Measuring
Student Progress
All
students will achieve the student standards by graduation, but not all students
will progress at the same rate. Certificated Education Specialists shall
consider each student’s individual abilities, interests, and talents in
utilizing the following measurements.
The charter school shall administer the mandated state assessments and shall
also meet any required state performance standards developed. Every year the
charter school shall receive an evaluation via the State of
Additionally, student progress will be assessed through the current state
mandated assessment tools and a variety of the following:
· Monthly review of work,
· Annual portfolios,
· Parent, student, and Education Specialist
observation,
· Norm and criterion referenced tests,
· Student demonstrations,
· Student grades,
· Student work samples,
· Student self-evaluation.
IV. The Governance Structure
Of The School
The
charter school shall be governed by the Parent Council, which will consist of
29 parents of CWC students. Except as otherwise provided herein, the members of
the Parent Council shall be elected by a majority vote cast by the parents of
CWC students, and the term of office for each member shall be two years.
Elections shall be held during May of each year. Each election shall be by
written ballot. Each family having one or more student(s) enrolled in CWC on
the date of the elections shall be entitled to one vote per enrolled student.
No more than one parent from any family may serve as a Parent Council member at
any time. The initial twenty nine members of the Parent Council shall be drawn
via lottery by the charter school site administrator from a pool of CWC Parent
volunteers compiled from the respondents to an informational memorandum sent to
all parents soliciting participation in the initial Parent Council. Fourteen of
the initial Parent Council members shall serve a one year term, and the
vacancies created by the expiration thereof shall be filled by parents duly
elected as otherwise provided herein. A quorum of the Parent Council necessary
for the transaction of business shall be a majority of the elected members. All
business of the Parent Council shall be by the majority of the members attending
a Parent Council meeting. The school site administrator shall preside, but not
vote, at all Parent Council meetings.
All
meetings of the Parent Council shall comply with the Ralph M. Brown Act
(Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Division 2 of Title 5 of the
Government Code), shall take place at least quarterly, and shall be held at a
location within the sponsoring district. The charter school practices and
policies will ensure parental involvement. Each parent has the right of
approval for all instructional materials and opportunities provided to his/her
student.
The day-to-day
governance and management of CWC will be provided by IEM, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
public benefit corporation (501(c)(3)) or such other appropriate non-profit
public benefit corporation as the Parent Council may select. IEM will oversee the charter school’s operations and will provide
the various professionals needed to manage and administer the school. IEM will
act as liaison with the sponsoring district.
As
outlined in Education Code section 47604(c): the authority that grants a
charter to a charter school to be operated by, or as, a nonprofit public
benefit corporation shall not be liable for the debts or obligations of the
charter school. The district will not be liable for any actions taken by IEM or
the charter school. IEM shall maintain a comprehensive range of insurance
coverage, commensurate with that of other public schools and/or nonprofit
organizations of similar type and size, to protect both itself and the sponsoring
district. Details of this policy will be outlined in a Memorandum of
Understanding ("MOU") between IEM and the sponsoring district and a
copy of this policy will be available for review to the sponsoring district
before the opening of the charter school. IEM will act as its own fiscal agent
to the fullest extent of the law. In fulfilling its obligations relating
hereto, IEM shall comply with the
provisions of Charter School Legislation and the State Department of Education
directives regarding charter schools.
V. Qualifications To Be Met
By Individuals To Be Employed By The Charter
All
charter school students are assigned to an Education Specialist who shall hold
a Commission on Teacher Credentialing certificate, permit, or other document
equivalent to that which a teacher in other public schools would be required to
hold. CWC and/or IEM may hire additional certificated and non-certificated
personnel to assist in providing supplementary instruction, management and
support services. All staff of CWC will have the necessary qualifications,
skills, experience and credentials to fulfill their job description. These
documents and job descriptions shall be maintained on file at the charter
school and/or at IEM corporate headquarters and shall be subject to periodic
inspection upon request by the chartering authority.
VI. Health And Safety
CWC
shall comply with all of the requirements of Education Code section 44237 to
ensure the safety of employees and students. CWC will comply with all
applicable laws, including the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act,
concerning immunization, health and safety, first aid, child abuse reporting
and related issues for both employees and students. All employees of CWC will
furnish criminal record summaries in accordance with Education Code section
44237.
VII. Racial And Ethnic
Balance
The
means by which the charter school will achieve a racial and ethnic balance
among its students that is reflective of the general population residing within
the territorial jurisdiction of the school district to which the charter
petition was submitted will consist of public announcements of the school’s
program that will neither encourage nor discourage any particular racial or
ethnic group from gravitating to the charter school. CWC will maintain information concerning the
ethnicity of all CWC students, and if the balance is not reflective of that of
the sponsoring district, a committee of school parents, teachers, CWC staff and
the District Community Liaison will meet to discuss the imbalance and explore
available options, which may include additional outreach initiatives, to remedy
the situation.
VIII. Admission Requirements
Students
will be considered for admission without regard to ethnicity, national origin,
gender, and disability or achievement level. Admission will not be determined
according to the place of residence of the student or parents. Prior to
admission, all parents must sign annual parent/student contracts regarding the
charter school outcomes, philosophy, program, and any other applicable
requirements including special education services offered by the charter
school. All students’ continued
enrollment shall depend upon them fulfilling the terms of the annual
parent/student contract.
Charter
schools are schools of choice. All students in the
In the event that the number of students who wish to
attend the school exceed the school’s capacity, a lottery system will be used
to determine those selected to attend. Admission preference will be given first
to siblings of current students and to those students residing within
· The Connecting Waters Charter School will be open to
all students, including those with special education needs. CWC will support the administration of
special education services at the school site and participate in the
“search/child find” efforts of the SELPA. The staff of CWC will be instructed
regarding purposed Special Education “search/child find” efforts and referral
procedures.
The
charter school shall comply with all laws establishing minimum age for public
school attendance. For a maximum age limit, the school shall allow only pupils
over 19 years of age to attend if
they are continuously enrolled in public school and make satisfactory progress
towards a high school diploma.
IX. Audit Of Financial
Operations
The
sponsoring district will cause an annual financial audit of the charter school
to be conducted by an independent auditor, employing generally accepted
accounting principles and experienced in State charter law. Audit reports will
be completed and available for review by the school members and the public and
submitted to the District Board of Trustees (hereafter "Board of
Trustees") following the protocol established by the district for such
audits. All audit exceptions and
deficiencies will be resolved as determined by state law and this charter.
Procedures and/or processes that caused the exceptions and/or deficiencies will
be modified by CWC to meet the auditor’s specifications and such modifications
will be sent to the Board of Trustees within three (3) months of the auditor’s
report.
As outlined in Education Code section 47604.3, the charter school shall
promptly respond to all reasonable inquiries, including, but not limited to,
inquiries regarding its financial records, from its chartering authority or
from the Superintendent of Public Instruction and shall consult with the
chartering authority or the Superintendent of Public Instruction regarding any
inquiries.
X. Suspension And Expulsion
Students
may be suspended or expelled from the charter school after a disciplinary
hearing where the student is afforded due process and the right to be heard,
for non-compliance with the terms of the parent-student contract, or any
material violation of any of the conditions, standards or procedures set forth
in the charter school petition, the school handbook or of the school’s policies
and procedures. Students who fail to demonstrate adequate and appropriate
progress toward the student standards, as determined by the professional
judgment of the certificated Education Specialist assigned to that student,
will be subject to expulsion hearings.
Expulsions
or suspensions will be based on information provided to the school’s
administration by the Education Specialist according to school policy. The
school’s administration will make all decisions concerning suspension,
expulsion, or reinstatement of suspended or expelled students after one or more
duly noticed hearing(s) where the student shall be given an opportunity to
participate and present facts relevant to the issues set forth in the hearing
notice. A committee composed of five (5) members of the Parent Council and
selected by the Parent Council shall have ultimate authority over all
discipline matters.
Prior to any disciplinary hearings,
the school administration shall notify the student and his/her parents, in
writing, of any incident(s) or fact(s) justifying discipline and give the student a reasonable
opportunity to cure the violation, unless the school administration determines
that the violation constitutes a severe and imminent threat to the health or
safety of others in the school. In the event of a student’s expulsion, the
school administration will notify the student’s district of residence of the
student’s expulsion. If the parent contests an expulsion, a written appeal may
be made directly to the Parent Council committee, whose decision shall be
final. All discipline matters will be conducted in compliance with
constitutional due process.
XI. STRS, PERS, And Social
Security Participation
All
employees leaving the district to work at CWC shall enjoy the same employee
benefits as all other employees of CWC with similar job classifications.
Employees of CWC shall participate in STRS, PERS, or Social Security depending
upon eligibility with the corresponding agency.
Attendance
at this charter school is entirely voluntary on the part of the students who
enroll. Attendance at district of residence public schools shall be an option
for all students who do not choose to attend this charter school.
XIII. Rights Of Employees
Leaving The District
Persons
employed by CWC shall not be deemed to be employees of the sponsoring district
for any purpose whatsoever. Notwithstanding, District employees who transfer to
CWC but later return to District service shall have the right to 1.) retain
their seniority date with the District, 2.) continue accruing security with the
District while serving with CWC, and 3.) transfer back to District non-charter
schools for the following year, if they notify the District’s Personnel
Services Department of their transfer request no later than March 15. Seniority date(s) and accrued security shall
not apply to CWC employment in any manner whatsoever.
XIV. Procedures For
Resolving Disputes Relating To Provisions Of The Charter
Any
dispute between CWC, IEM and/or the sponsoring district (collectively "the
Parties") shall be resolved in accordance with the following procedure.
The term dispute means any alleged violation, misinterpretation, or
misapplication of a specific provision of this Charter or the MOU between the
parties, which does not constitute a severe and imminent threat to the health
and safety of pupils. The parties will first attempt to resolve disputes
between CWC, IEM or the District by discussion and agreement between the
District Superintendent or designee, a representative of the CWC Parent
Council, and a representative of IEM within thirty (30) days of any party
identifying any such dispute in a written notice sent to all other
parties. If the parties are unable to
reach agreement, the dispute shall be referred to non-binding mediation before
a single neutral mediator. A request for mediation shall be in writing and must
be served on all other non-requesting parties no later than fourteen (14)
calendar days from the date the parties last met to discuss the dispute but
were unsuccessful in reaching an agreement. A request for mediation shall
succinctly state the nature of the dispute and the relevant provisions of the
Charter and/or MOU. The mediator shall be selected by mutual agreement. The
mediation shall commence within thirty (30) calendar days from the date of
receipt of the request for mediation, unless extended by mutual agreement for
the convenience of the parties and/or mediator. The costs of mediation shall be
born equally by all of the parties. No party shall commence any litigation or
other administrative action in
connection with any dispute relating to this Charter or any MOU between the
parties without first exhausting this
dispute resolution procedure.
XV. Labor
Relations/Employment
All employees of
CWC shall be employees of the charter school and not employees of any District
or the SBE for the purposes of AB 631.
XVI. Exclusive Public Employer
This
the employees of the
XVII.
Amendments
This
Charter School Petition may be amended by a written agreement between IEM and
the Board of Trustees.
XVIII. Term Of The Charter
The
term of this Charter shall be five years and may be renewed for subsequent
five-year terms by the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees must act to
renew or not renew this Charter no later than six (6)months prior to the date
this Charter expires. Charter school operations shall commence as soon as
possible following approval of this Charter by the California State Board of
Education and completion of a mutually acceptable Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) before the opening of CWC. The term of this charter shall begin on the
date that the Board of Trustees approves the charter petition, and if it is not
renewed as provided herein, shall expire on June 30 after the end of the fifth
academic year of CWC’s existence.
XIX. Revoking The Charter
The
Board of Trustees may revoke the Charter if it finds that CWC did any of the
following:
1. Committed a material violation of any of the conditions, standards, or
procedures set forth in the charter or MOU.
2. Failed to meet or pursue any of the pupil outcomes identified in the
Charter.
3. Failed to meet generally accepted accounting principles, or engaged in
fiscal mismanagement.
4. Violated any provision of law.
XX. Additional
Considerations
Details
of any business or administrative services, special education services, costs
and funding between the district and CWC and /or IEM shall be detailed in the
MOU.
In the event of changes to state law or regulations applicable to charter
schools enacted subsequent to granting this Charter, which are inconsistent
with the terms of this Charter, the parties agree to amend this Charter and any
applicable MOU provisions to accord with any such changes.
The charter school shall serve the needs of disabled pupils by complying with
applicable state and federal laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination
against, and requiring a free appropriate public education be provided to,
children with disabilities.
In the event the CWC, at its election, presents verifiable written assurances
during the term of this Charter that CWC will participate as an LEA in a
special education local plan approved by the State Board of Education, the
parties agree to amend this Charter and any applicable MOU provisions to enable
CWC to do so.