Charter schools – whether urban, suburban, or rural – tend to share many of the same, broad needs. The challenges in addressing these needs, however, can be greater for rural charter schools. This session will address challenges related to transportation, facilities, and human capital for rural charter schools. Strategies for improving the climate for rural charter schools with be offered.
Parents and caregivers have always been their child’s first teacher. And families also serve as co-teachers, supplementing and facilitating the education learners receive from school. In this session, families of learners in Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade, will expand their capabilities, confidence, and community as they learn tools, tips, and resources to overcome challenges, minimize stress, and enhance at-home learning. This session will focus on helping families better manage their time and expectations to increase their co-teaching abilities. This session will also help families better communicate with school leaders and teachers and partner with them to design ways to better engage families.
When our students returned to school for the 20-21 school year, in brick and mortar or virtually, the academic, behavioral, and social emotional impacts of the extended school closures as a result of COVID-19 became increasingly evident, specifically with students that were already identified as at-risk, learning English as a second language, or have a disability. The term, known as the COVID-19 Slide, has been a focus of school leaders and how to address the slide has become a current priority. Join Liliana L. Salazar as she discusses the components of Explicit Instruction and how the use of this evidence-based model will intercept the COVID-19 Slide.
Restorative Justice is quickly becoming the process to implement in making schools a better, safer place for students and staff. There are practices that campus leaders can explore to help build an environment to which individuals will gravitate. If you build it, they will come!
This session will provide practical tips on promoting your school, staff and students to the media from John Boyd, a former reporter and editor for the Houston Chronicle, Des Moines Register, and others, who now works as a school PR leader for one of Texas’ largest charter school systems. Topics include: finding good stories on your campus, crafting quality press releases and pitch emails, how to overcome story rejection, alternate strategies for getting your school noticed by the news media, and shifts in the media industry that directly impact your schools.