CSDC Boarding Pass

#10: Moving Charter Schools into Decade Four with Ting Sun

From innovation to regulation, discover how California's charter school movement has evolved and where it's heading in this revealing episode of Boarding Pass. Host Caitlin O'Halloran Hellar and charter pioneer Dr. Ting Sun explore the shifting landscape of charter education, from its original mission of innovation to today's complex reality. Learn how charter boards can navigate changing expectations while staying focused on their schools' core mission and student success.

#9: Roles and Responsibilities of Board Members with Malka Borrego

Charter school governance comes with great responsibility.  It’s easy for board members to feel inundated with expectations and they might wonder what their most important roles are. In this episode of Boarding Pass, we hear from Malka Borrego, a charter school founder and the founder of MB Consulting Company as she breaks down the most important duties of board members and underscores the vital role board members have part of a charter school governance team.

#8: Overview of Ethics and the Brown Act with Jennifer McQuarrie

Understanding California’s Open Meeting Law, the Ralph M. Brown Act is complicated and high stakes.  In this episode, Jennifer McQuarrie,  a leading expert in California on charter school policy and legal issues, shares her insight and thoughts about the Brown Act including common governing board pitfalls.

#7: Human Resources: How Involved Should Board Members Be? With Laura Regan of Rocklin Academy Family of Schools

After years of working in both private and public sectors within human resources, Laura Regan currently serves as the Director of Human Resources at the Rocklin Academy Family of Schools.  In this episode, Laura discusses a charter school board member’s roles and responsibilities when it comes to human resources. She also emphasizes the value of comprehensive goal setting for and evaluation of a school’s lead administrator.

#6: Deep Dive into Monitoring Student Achievement for California Charter School Board Members with Vanessa Garza of GALS LA

Board members should make data-informed decisions in both school finance and in supporting student success.  But that data can be voluminous and confusing. Join Caitlin O’Halloran Hellar and GALS Executive Director, Vanessa Garza as they define assessment terms and types, talk about effective practices for board presentations and even consider some questions board members might ask when the data is presented to them.   Show notes:   For the free powerpoint deck covering the topics discussed in this podcast, go to chartercenter.org/boardingpass [http://chartercenter.org/boardingpass]. Join CSDC today [https://chartercenter.org/support/membership] for direct access to California's most experienced charter school specialists, who provide personalized technical assistance, extensive resources, and expert guidance on everything from governance to operations. Members save thousands on professional development while gaining password-protected access to essential tools, templates, and exclusive training programs that help their entire leadership team navigate the complexities of charter school management. Takeaways: Vanessa Garza emphasizes the importance of monitoring vulnerable student groups. Data collection should include both academic and social-emotional metrics. Understanding formative, cumulative, and summative data is crucial for board members. Regular data collection helps in making timely instructional adjustments. Staffing challenges require innovative leadership development strategies. Board members should ask specific questions about data presented to them. Engaging in data discussions fosters a culture of learning among board members. Transparency in data presentation builds trust and accountability. New board members should feel empowered to ask questions and learn. Keywords: charter schools, governance, student achievement, data collection, board member responsibilities, educational leadership, California