Developed from proven best practices of charter school leader development programs as well as research-based strategies, the Charter School Incubator (Incubator) will provide intense training and development to local persons, enabling them to develop and run highly-effective charter schools throughout the state of Louisiana.
The Incubator participants will complete an intense charter school and school leader development program. The program will enable Incubator participants to envision, advocate for, plan, and implement a highly-effective charter school.
The Incubator will enable local leaders to not only plan an effective charter school, but also develop crucial leadership skills and forge local, regional and national partnerships to best serve their proposed schools.
Recruitment and Application
The Incubator will hold informational sessions on February 26, 2009 and March 12, 2009. The sessions will explain the Incubator to prospective applicants. The Incubator application will be due in May 2009. An intensive interview day will follow.
Leadership Development
The professional development that Incubator participants receive can be broken into four major categories: summer and winter institutes, monthly professional development workshops, site visits, conference and internships.
Summer/Winter Institutes
Summer Institute occurs in July. The Incubator participants will attend
sesisons geared toward:
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Schools culture, |
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Takeover/turnaround schools, |
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Governance, |
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Board development, |
After Summer Institute, the Incubator participants will begin crafting the Executive Summary and Mission & Vision sections of the Louisiana charter school application as well as begin forming a board that shares that same vision and mission.
The Incubator participants will attend one-week Winter Institutes in January and February of their second year. With fewer than seven months until their schools open, these institutes will cover hiring and training of staff, operations management, staff development and student recruitment.
Monthly Professional Development
Incubator participants will attend monthly professional development workshop from August – June of their first year. During this time Incubator participants will remain in their current jobs. The topics of these workshops will revolve around the Incubator Leadership Development Map and will include, but are not limited to, student-centered teaching, school values, culture and behavior, leadership, staff development, operations, board relations, and community involvement.
Site Visits
Incubator participants will attend site visits in Louisiana and out of state to see the operation of successful charter schools firsthand. The first site visit will occur in July/August of their first year; Incubator participants will be on-site as an effective charter school begins its student orientation process. Additional site visits will occur during the first year and will be geared towards, but not limited to, educational programs, school governance, parent/community engagement, and over-age students.
Conference
Incubator participants will attend both local and nation conference focus on charter schools as well as instruction, curriculum, leadership, etc.
Internships
During their second year, if funding allows, Incubator participants will complete year-long internships at highly-effective charter schools. While interning, Incubator participants will be on site to learn from, and contribute to, a charter school while it begins a new year, establishes school climate and social expectation norms, adjusts based on student needs, analyzes data to best serve students, and incorporates parents and community members into the education process.
Charter School Incubator Ongoing Support
Once the Charter School Incubator (Incubator) participants open their schools, Incubator personnel will provide ongoing support. The Incubator participants will sign a Memorandum of Understanding that Incubator personnel will conduct site visits in the summer, fall and spring of the school’s inaugural year as well as the fall and spring of its second year. After each site visit, the school’s leadership team is expected to meet with Incubator personnel to discuss what was observed, how the school is aligned with its proposed mission and how to better serve its students, parents, and community.
The charter schools opened by Incubator participants will also receive the support of the Louisiana Resource Center for Educators. During the past 10 years the LRCE has provided services to districts and schools that include access to its multi-media lending library, highly qualified alternatively certified teachers, and professional development for all levels of school staff distance learning opportunities, and much more.
For more information:
For more information please contact Kathryn Meeley, Director of Reform Solutions at KathrynM@lrce.org or (225) 924-7600
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