Charter Schools: How to Prepare for Renewal
Navigating the renewal process while flying your plane.
Is Renewal on the Horizon? Don’t Panic.
If you’re part of a charter school’s leadership team, you know just how stressful and difficult it can be to prepare for renewal. Whether it’s assessing what your school needs in order to meet the authorizer’s renewal criteria, writing your renewal application, or ensuring that you’re ready for a renewal site visit, the process can be a total nightmare if you’re not prepared for it.
Fortunately, your upcoming renewal can be made much easier by following these simple tips — and possibly by hiring an education consulting group like SchoolWorks, who can guide you through every step of renewal using their knowledge and expertise of the process.
Planning Ahead Makes all the Difference.
It may sound simple, and that’s because it is. The earlier you start thinking about preparing your school for renewal, the more likely it is that your application will be approved. Start early, keep your eye on deadlines, and determine your authorizer’s expectations as soon as possible so that you can easily meet them when your evaluation comes along.
Be Aware of the Legal Standards for Renewal.
You can’t have a more clear-cut guide to what is required for your school to avoid non-renewal than your charter contract, performance framework, and your authorizer’s Renewal Policy (if they have one). Make sure you’re well aware these renewal requirements and you’ll have a great starting point for getting your application approved.
"The biggest mistake a charter school leader can make is assuming that the renewal process is simply a formality. Renewal is a protection measure that authorizers use to ensure that schools continue to meet expectations. Its role is critical to the preservation of a quality charter school system, and deserving of the effort it requires. The best strategy for school teams in tackling renewal is to start early, plan ahead, and stay focused."
Consider Third-Party Application Writing and Review.
You can work with an educational consulting firm to have an application for renewal drafted for your school. The consulting group will develop the application with your input and then you will have the opportunity to provide feedback. This puts the important task of application writing into the hands of highly-experienced professionals, while also maintaining your team’s ability to contribute to the process. If your team would prefer to draft the application for renewal yourselves, you can always hire an education consulting group to review the application and provide their input and feedback based on the authorizer’s renewal evaluation criteria.
Host a Mock Renewal Site Visit.
You can only prepare so much for a renewal site visit without actually going through one. Having an authorizer be there in person, pressing your team for information, and evaluating their every word can be a nerve-wracking experience. If it goes poorly, it may spell trouble for your school’s renewal. With an education consulting group like SchoolWorks, you can go through a mock renewal site visit that will give you much more clarity about what you’re liable to experience, along with insight into the areas in which your team and school may be lacking. SchoolWorks will use the authorizer’s renewal evaluation criteria to conduct their own renewal site visit that will allow them to assess your team’s performance and provide useful feedback, so that you can be better prepared for the real thing.
Need Some Help?
Just email info@schoolworks.org and set up a phone call to discuss your renewal needs. For more information about SchoolWorks renewal support and charter school development, click here.