2021 Florida Charter School Governance Conference

Saturday, March 27, 2021
On March 27, the Charter Support Unit hosted the first ever Florida Charter School Governance Conference virtually. Below you can find the content from the conference.

Thank You!

We couldn’t have done it without you!

We would like to thank all of our sponsors, presenters, and attendees to the conference for a successful event. We appreciate everyone giving of their time and resources to support this effort to support charter school governing board members .

Opening Session

Mr. Michael Bileca

The session reviewed the highest responsibility of a governing board member – the keeper of the vision and mission of the organization. Mr. Bileca drew from experience on his various board roles from Jackson Hospital, Dental Care Alliance, True North Classical Academy, and current board chair of Miami Dade College as he shares the vital importance of having clarity of the highest purpose of an organization.

Closing Session

Dr. Dakeyan Graham

Relationships are the currency of success. In order to provide the most equitable educational experience for our students we MUST enlist all of our resources to educate every facet of the next generation of world changers. As laboratories of innovation, charter schools have the opportunity to not only serve a niche population in incredibly specific ways, but also serve to provide the blueprint for unlocking the capabilities of success and eliminating existing barriers to achievement.

Breakout Session #1

Renegotiating Facilities Leases

Jeff Wood & Thomas Sternberg

Leading the Way: Authorizing and Governing Board Partnerships

Stephen Ayres, Valerie Hyer and Melissa Brady

We’re Getting Sued… What Should We Do?

Bart Valdes

Roles & Responsibilities of Board Members

Robert Jordan

Breakout Session #2

Founding Vs Operating

Dr. Alan Hall

Interpreting your Financials

Richard Moreno

Fiduciary Responsibilities of the Board

Melissa Gross-Arnold & Shawn Arnold

FL Department of Education – New Offerings

Adam Emerson

Conflict of Interest

Mark Cannon

Breakout Session #3

Governance Training Overview

Raquel Espinosa & Tracy Nessl

The Importance of an Effective, Well Organized Policy Manual

Curtis Fuller

Establishing Business / Community Partners

Gail Birks

Insurance and Risk Management for Public Charter Schools and their Governing Boards

Andy Jimenez & Brent Grimmel

Mission Creep and How to Avoid it

Dr. April Willis

Breakout Session #4

Effective Committee Use

Mike Mizzoni

Finding Freedom in Your Own Facility: The Many Options of Charter School Facility Financing

Richard Moreno & Greg McKenna

How a Board can Successfully Review an Administrator

Tracy Nessl & Raquel Espinosa

The Role of the Board and the CSP Grant

Vicki Pineda

Governing Board Meetings in the Age of Zoom

Kathleen Schoenberg

Thank you to our sponsors!