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CSO UPDATES
Education First Compact
Chief of Charters and Innovation, Christina Grant, served on a panel at the Education First Compact event with other speakers, such as David Hardy and Patricia Hennessy, where they discussed current challenges with the PA charter school law and recommendations for improvement. 

The Education First Compact event is a monthly thought-session organized by the Philadelphia Education Fund that brings together diverse stakeholders at a roundtable to discuss important education policy issues. To learn more about the Philadelphia Education Fund and future Education First Compact events, click here .
Pathways to Success
On January 13th, the School District of Philadelphia, the City of Philadelphia, and PA CareerLink hosted the “ Pathway to Success: Job & Career Fair.” Charter school students accounted for over 60% of participants. This was an amazing opportunity for students to not only learn about the workforce, but to also network with professionals in many fields of interest. We want to thank all of the charter schools that shared this event with their students!
ACE Preview Window (February 2020)
In early February, schools will have the opportunity to preview their 2019 ACE reports. The CSO will email charter school CEOs in advance of the preview window with instructions on how to view reports and provide feedback.
School Progress Reports
The CSO met with sector leaders to preview their schools’ SPRs. Appointments were shared via email in early January and took place on January 15th and January 21th.

If you did not preview your SPR, we encourage you to use the District Performance Office’s ​ SPR Calculator ​. This tool allows you to project your SPR scores using your school’s data. The District Performance Office will release School Progress Reports at the end of January.
District-Wide Surveys
Various Dates & Times

District-Wide Surveys (parent/guardian, student, teacher, principal) will open on Monday, February 3, 2020 .

Each year, the School District’s Office of Research & Evaluation conducts a teacher survey that is distributed to teachers in both District & charter schools that is then reported out on ​their website ​. To ensure all teachers receive the survey, we are collecting teacher email addresses through an Epicenter submission. ​ Please submit this information by Friday, January 24, 2020 . ​For more information, email ​ schoolsurveys@philasd.org .
Family Newsletter
The CSO now has a separate quarterly Family Newsletter for students and families, which will be featured on our website. Please encourage your families and students to visit our website here , where they can learn more about upcoming city-wide events and opportunities that are being offered to them, in addition to general information about the charter school process.

If you have exciting updates that you would like for us to share in this Family Newsletter, please contact Cherron at cmccutchen@philasd.org .
Water Testing
The CSO holds charter schools accountable for water testing via the Charter Schools Performance Framework. The Water Quality Standard (within the Food, Health, and Safety Category of the Organizational Compliance and Viability Domain), requires school operators to comply with applicable water quality requirements and to post its most recent water quality testing results on its publicly available website.

Section A-703.1 of Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code requires school operators to contract with a testing agency certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to perform inspections at least every five (5) years.
UPCOMING CSO EVENTS & DEADLINES
Extended School Year (ESY) and Transportation Updates
Friday, January 24, 2020

The Office of Transportation is collecting pertinent data regarding ESY Summer Programming so that they can properly prepare the necessary bus routes and schedules. Please complete the form here ​by Friday, January 24, 2020​ to indicate if your school is or is not hosting ESY summer programming. If the school will be participating or hosting, ensure to complete the remaining information regarding basic expected logistics. Please note, delays in receiving this information could impact ESY transportation for your school.

Additionally, the Office of Transportation previously shared a brief survey to measure the quality of service and performance of school vehicle vendors that provide school transportation, which was due on December 20, 2019 . If you have not already done so, please complete the five (5) minute survey here . If your school has more than one (1) vendor, please complete a separate survey for each. Contact your Transportation Analyst if you have any questions.
CHARTER SCHOOL FEATURES
Franklin Towne’s Holiday Program

Franklin Towne recently hosted their annual holiday program, The Towne Connections program, which seeks to support Franklin Towne families by providing financial support for members who are in need. The goal of the program is to provide funds to alleviate expenses and basic necessities. Franklin Towne also granted wishes to their students prior to the Winter break by providing over 800 gifts including coats, shoes, bikes and computers.



Inquiry Charter School’s Expo Participation

On January 18th, students from Inquiry Charter School participated in the FIRST Lego League Jr. Robotics Expo at the Franklin Institute. The team also won an effort and learning award. Congratulations to the school and team for the exciting opportunity and accomplishment!
Philadelphia Hebrew Public Charter School

Members of the CSO visited Philadelphia Hebrew Public Charter School on the school’s career day and were greeted by animated students who showcased their future aspirations, embodying the school’s culture and values.

Students were in full uniform, dressed as their dream profession. Young doctors, police officers, firefighters and more filled the school with enthusiastic spirit.



Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School

Sankofa recently celebrated the exciting performance of its 5th grade middle school students, organized under the leadership of Sister Darnetta and many other supportive leaders, who participated in the Cinderella play held at the Kimmel Center on January 7th. Congratulations to the students and all those who participated in the event!
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOOLS
EduCon 2020
Friday, January 24, 2020 - Sunday, January 26, 2020
Various Times
The School District of Philadelphia
440 North Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130
 
EduCon will take place from Friday, January 24th until Sunday, January 26, 2020 at the School District Headquarters. This three (3) day event is an innovation conference where school leaders, representatives, and families can come together, both in-person and virtually, to discuss the future of schools. The conference offers a variety of sessions to discuss and constructively debate ideas. To purchase tickets and learn more, please click here .