Charter Schools Office September Newsletter
KICKING OFF SY 2019-20
DON'T FORGET!
Calendar of Collections
FEATURED OPPORTUNITIES
2019 Philly High School Fair
2019 PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference
WE NEED YOUR VOTE!
 Our CSO Convening is being held on Halloween. We would love to give our school leaders a treat (not trick) on the 31st so please participate in our poll below by clicking the corresponding box of your choice.
September 19, 2019

Greetings Sector Leaders,

On behalf of the Board of Education, congratulations on a successful start to the 2019-20 school year.

It is with great enthusiasm that I share that Christina Grant will serve as the permanent Chief of Charter Schools and Innovation. During her year as Interim Chief, Christina demonstrated her vision, commitment and passion to this work and we are confident that she will continue to advance our shared work of building a system of great schools across Philadelphia.

Your partnership and support are critical to our success, which is why we are inviting sector leaders to The Charter School’s Office Fall Convening on Thursday, October 31st at the School District of Philadelphia Headquarters. You will receive your personal invitation in the upcoming week, please ensure to RSVP. Members of the Board of Education will be in attendance and look forward to getting to know you better. 

I am also excited to share that Imere Williams, a Senior at Boys’ Latin Charter School, has been appointed as one of our two Student Board Representatives to the Board of Education for the 2019-20 school year. Imere serves in an advisory capacity, ensuring that the voice of students is present as the Board of Education considers policies and action.

We know that each school is ready to serve the children of Philadelphia to the highest degree and we look forward to working with you in the coming year.

Sincerely,

Joyce Wilkerson
Board President
CSO Poll: What sweet treat would you like at the Convening?
I love chocolate.
I am more of a hard candy, starbursts, jolly rancher kind of leader.
Who needs all of that sugar when I can have raisins.
CSO UPDATES
Calendar of Collections
The linked document includes an updated list of all annual compliance documents to include some collections that had previously been excluded, as well as to make some refinements to descriptions and dates. These edits represent clarifications schools are required to submit. All documents have previously been requested via Epicenter.

Please complete your October 1 deadlines which include: 
  • School Profile Survey
  • Admissions Policy and Enrollment Practices for SY 2019-20
  • Student Application for SY 2019-20
  • Board of Trustees Approved Minutes SY 2018-19
  • Board of Trustees Roster
  • Resumes for Board Members Serving After 9/1/2019
  • ESL Certification 
Mystery Phone Calls
The CSO is excited to share that we are partnering with an external organization to conduct mystery phone calls this year. Working with our contractor, we are designing an anonymous caller program that will monitor how Charter Schools support families seeking to enroll their child in the school. The results will be shared with the sector to identify strengths and areas for growth, and will serve as the basis for developing resources to ensure that Charter Schools are providing the best possible support to families seeking to enroll. This work is non-evaluative and will not be included in this year's ACE or renewal reports.

The CSO will be providing information about mystery calls in much greater detail prior to commencing this project, but any immediate questions or comments should be directed to Roger at rkligerman@philasd.org .
New Charter Application 2019-20
Please visit the CSO website to access the new charter application materials for the 2019-20 cycle. The deadline for submitting all applications and supporting materials is Friday, November 15, 2019 . The CSO will host one additional informational webinar regarding the New Charter Application process on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 , from 2:00PM - 2:30PM. Please register here to attend. Questions can be emailed to charterapplications@philasd.org .
School Safety
Schools inquiring about guidance regarding ACTs 22, 44, and 67 are encouraged to contact the Office of School Safety located in the District building at 215-400-4710. Specific questions should be directed to Inspector Joseph McDowell. Please note, if the matter is an emergency contact 911.
CSO Support
Due to our organizational changes within the office, we want to provide schools with a list detailing who should be contacted based on high-level need(s). Please review the list to the right and feel free to reach out with additional questions.

Additionally, the CSO is looking to hire new team members to assist with our continuous work. Available positions are posted on the central office website . Please review the list and refer candidates to apply.
Who To Contact:
Renewal/ NCA/ Amendment:
Data Packet Support and SPR-related data questions:
Data and Reporting questions:
Operations:
Finance:
UPCOMING CSO EVENTS & DEADLINES
Graduation Updates in Infinite Campus
Please note that Monday, September 30, 2019 is the last day to update 2019 graduation information in Infinite Campus (IC). The CSO recommends that you complete your updates as soon as possible. If you need assistance with IC, please email helpdesk@philasd.org .
DPO Data Packet Process
Round 1 Data Packets Past Due as of August 30, 2019

We are finalizing the processing of Round 1 Data Packets for the School Progress Reports (SPRs). The Round 1 Information that was shared with schools via email and Epicenter included descriptions of new metrics that will be collected in Round 2. Highlights of the updated metrics for the Round 2 cycle, shared by the District Performance Office (DPO) in December, can be viewed in the CSO December Newsletter . Round II Data Packets will be available the second week of October .
WHAT IS YOUR SCHOOL UP TO?
Would you like to share an update on your school and/or have one of your scholars featured in an upcoming CSO Newsletter? If so, please e-mail Jasmine at jdreyes@philasd.org .
OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS, FAMILIES & SCHOOLS
Missed the last Newsletter? Click here to view the CSO August Newsletter. Our October newsletter will include additional updates and pertinent deadlines. Please e-mail Jasmine at jdreyes@philasd.org if you have feedback, questions, and/or submissions for the newsletter.