Topics: Communications & Community Outreach
Statement from CCSA CEO Jed Wallace on Charlottesville
As we start the new school year, I know your students are looking to their teachers and school leaders for answers about recent events in Charlottesville that have left us in shock, despair, disgust, and disbelief. Whatever your reaction may be, I hope this moment can become a catalyst for further reflection and commitment to do our part to eradicate the menace of racism and bigotry wherever we may find it.
Webinar: Digital Marketing 101 for Charter School Growth
Digital marketing, if done well, can have a positive impact on your charter school’s enrollment, retention, and growth. To help you leverage the digital landscape and position your school for future success, replication, and program growth, Charter School Capital, an organization that delivers access to growth capital and facilities financing to charter schools nationwide, is hosting a Digital Marketing 101 webinar for charter schools this Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 9 a.m. PST.
Regional Meetings for SoCal and Bay Area Schools to Improve Community Engagement Programs
The National Network of Schools in Partnership, a non-profit organization working to help schools install, improve and enhance community engagement and partnership programs, is offering SoCal and Bay Area charter schools the opportunity to learn best practices on how to increase their reciprocal, meaningful and sustainable community engagement programs.
NEW Tool! 25 Days of Charter Schools on Social Media
The California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) has developed a social media content calendar in response to member requests that is designed to help members supplement their social media strategies with Twitter and Facebook posts that highlight why #charterswork.
April 2016 CEO Message
Read this month’s message from Jed Wallace, president and CEO, CCSA.
February 2016 CEO Message
Read this month’s message from Jed Wallace, President and CEO, CCSA.
Update on CCSA's Draft Academic Accountability Framework
The following is a message from Malka Borrego, Chair, CCSA Member Council and Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Equitas Academy Charter School to California charter school leaders.
January 2016 CEO Message
Read this month’s message from Jed Wallace, President and CEO, CCSA.
Op-Ed: Charter Schools Association Responds to School District Errors in Oakland Post
Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) recently published its annual “Enrollment Options Guide,” which was intended to be a resource for local families. However, the publication contained numerous errors and excluded the fact that charter public schools support students with special needs as well as those who are English Learners.
December 2015 CEO Message
Read this month’s message from Jed Wallace, President and CEO, CCSA.
CREDO Releases New National Study of Online Charter Schools
New research from a report recently released by Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) offers an analysis of the operations of online charter schools, their policy environments, and their impacts on student achievement. Conducted by three independent research institutions, the study is the most comprehensive examination of online charter schools to date.
Over 580,000 Students Choose Charter Schools in 2015-16
Across the state, an estimated 581,100 students attend charter public schools for the 2015-16 school year. Additionally, 80 new charter schools opened their doors bringing the total number of charter schools in California to 1,230.
Truth: Thousands of parents are waiting for more charter schools!
More and more families are demanding the charter school option as they learn that charter school students are doing better in school. Yet there is still an overwhelming unmet need for quality school options as over 158,000 students are on charter school waiting lists in California. Share the Truth About Charters and help dispel common myths that persist about California’s charter public schools.
Help Choose the Next L.A. Superintendent
Content to share with your school community to help them weigh in on the search for LAUSD’s next superintendent.
Truth: Charter schools are exceeding academically!
Charter schools are delivering on the promise of a great public education, especially in under-served communities. Research shows that charter school students are learning more each year, and graduating ready for college at higher rates. Share the Truth About Charters and help dispel common myths that persist about California’s charter public schools.
Truth: Charter Schools Serve English Language Learners!
A new report by the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) finds that charter public schools are helping English Language (“EL”) students do better in school. Share the Truth About Charters and help dispel common myths that persist about California’s charter public schools.
Truth: Charter Schools Serve ALL Students!
Like California’s population, charter school students are incredibly diverse. Charter public schools have shown that students of all backgrounds can excel when given the opportunity. Share the Truth About Charters and help dispel common myths that persist about California’s charter public schools.
Share the Truth About Charters!
While charter schools enjoy tremendous support, a number of myths persist. Spread the Truth About Charters and help separate fact from fiction about CA’s charter public schools.
UPDATE: Media Workshop for Charter Leaders
CCSA’s media workshop in Los Angeles on June 11 will be rescheduled - stay tuned for details!
Government Affairs Team Hosts First Legislative Bus Tour
On January 30, CCSA’s Government Affairs team welcomed twelve high level legislative and regulatory agencies’ administrative staff, and representatives of Governor Brown’s administration on a bus tour that visited three high performing charter schools in Sacramento.
Nominate Teachers to Present at or Attend ECET2-Los Angeles!
What could happen if the most dynamic and effective teachers across Los Angeles shared the secrets of their success with 300 other educators? We need teachers with the best ideas for working with kids, developing collaborative relationships, and giving teachers more say in policies and politics. Submit a proposal to present your best ideas at ECET2-LA, a free, teacher-led professional development!
CCSA Answers: Listing Donors in a Newsletter
Question: May a charter school which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation list donors in its newsletter?
Feb. 13: LA Communicators Meet-up - Great Ideas for Recruiting Students
Are you responsible for communications for a charter school? Join your local colleagues for an in-person meet-up in Los Angeles!
Dec. 5: Charter School Communicators Meet-up in Los Angeles
Are you responsible for communications for a charter school? Join your local colleagues for an in-person meet-up in Los Angeles on Dec. 5. Whether you’re trying to pull together marketing materials, pitch positive stories to the media or pull together a communications plan for the year, you’re not alone!
Free Training in Los Angeles on Charter School Best Practices Project
The California Department of Education is offering a free training session in Los Angeles County for educators to learn strategies for using the new Charter Schools Best Practices Project, a new initiative to strengthen charter schools across the state by providing teachers and administrators access to hundreds of online resources to aid their work.
Free Training in San Diego on Charter School Best Practices Project
The California Department of Education is offering a free training session in San Diego County for educators to learn strategies for using the new Charter Schools Best Practices Project, a new initiative to strengthen charter schools across the state by providing teachers and administrators access to hundreds of online resources to aid their work.
CCSESA Releases Common Core Leadership Planning Guide
CCSESA has released the first edition of the Common Core Leadership Planning Guide to offer support and recommendation around 10 key areas of the new state standards.
Torlakson Launches Charter School Best Practices Project; Hundreds of Resources Available
The California Department of Education is launching a new Charter Schools Best Practices Project to strengthen charter schools across the state by providing teachers and administrators access to hundreds of online resources to aid their work.
New Video Featuring School Leaders: California Must Take the Lead on Accountability for Charter Schools
Over the past several years, CCSA has worked hand in hand with our member schools to create an Accountability Framework. Hear directly from school leaders who have been involved in that work about why accountability is a top priority and how California charter schools are taking on this issue.
Register Today for Your Event Kit for 2014 National School Choice Week
These materials are available while supplies last so register for your kit today.
External Opportunity: Register Today to Create a Free Official School Profile on Greatschools.org
By registering your school, you can add useful information for prospective parents, including photos and videos. You will also be able to respond to community reviews.
Different Decision Makers Make Different Decisions
Nonpartisan voter registration helps get charter school families to the polls
Celebrate your Back to School Event!
CCSA Staff want to join you for your Back to School Event.
Highlight Your Back to School Event!
CCSA staff would love to celebrate your success and share in the excitement of a brand new school year with parents and staff.
Families That Can Launches Parent Leadership Team in the Northeast Region
Parent leaders from charter schools across northeast California are invited to come to Sacramento on Saturday, July 27 from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. for the kick-off of the Northeast Charter Parent Leadership Team.
June 27: Nonprofit Vote Candidate Engagement Webinar
Learn more about hosting candidate forums, coordinating candidate appearances, sharing research with candidates, and more.
So Many Parents, So Many Opportunities for Leadership
NOW is a great time to schedule leadership training for parents at your school through Families That Can. If you are submitting your renewal petition this year, make time to nurture parents as key advocates.
CCSA Answers: Eligibility for California Distinguished Schools Awards
Question: Our charter school is eligible to apply for a California Distinguished Schools Award, as an elementary school serving grades 4-8. We would like to apply in future years as a middle school for grades 6-8. Could we apply sooner than 2014 for a middle school award?
National Charter Schools Week 2013: Share Your School's Role in Delivering the Dream
National Charter Schools Week, which will be held May 5 - 11, 2013, is an opportunity for charter supporters, leaders, teachers, parents and students to share how charter schools “Deliver the Dream.”
Community Benefit Schools: Building Partnerships and Nonprofit Capacity
Join the “Community Benefit Schools: Building Partnerships & Nonprofit Capacity,” a special series by CCSA’s Carlyn Obringer and Jeff Sands.
Padres Celebrate Charter School Appreciation Night at PETCO Park
Celebrate National Charter Week at the Padres game on Saturday, May 4, 2013.
Opportunity to Talk to YOUR State Legislators-May 8th!
Let your voice be heard! Join charter leaders and parents from our region at the State Capitol in Sacramento on May 8.
ACSA Membership: 3 Months Free
CCSA members can now enjoy three free months of ACSA membership.
20th Anniversary Advocacy Day - Join Us & Speak up for Charter Schools!
Let your voice be heard! Join charter leaders and parents from the Bay Area, North Coast and Central Coast regions at the State Capitol in Sacramento on May 8.
20th Anniversary Advocacy Day -Speak up for Charter Schools!
Join charter leaders and parents from our region at the State Capitol on May 8 for the 20th Anniversary Advocacy Day.
20th Anniversary Advocacy Day -Speak up for Charter Schools!
Join charter leaders and parents from our region at the State Capitol on May 8 for the 20th Anniversary Advocacy Day.
20th Anniversary Advocacy Day - Speak up for Charter Schools!
Let your voice be heard! Join charter leaders and parents from our region at the State Capitol in Sacramento on May 8.
FREE Families That Can Parent Workshop March 27
Families That Can is hosting a FREE Parent Workshop on Charter Schools 101 and Sharing Your Story at Old Town Academy on Wednesday March 27 from 6:30 - 7:30 pm
New Publication 'Oakland Achieves' - A Public Education Progress Report
Four of Oakland’s leading community and education organizations have joined to produce Oakland Achieves - A Public Education Progress Report
External Opportunity: TEDxLoyolaMarymountU - Better Together (April 6)
The charter school community is invited to apply to attend this TEDx event. Event organizers saw the need to bring thought leaders from various industries to share multi-disciplinary perspectives on ideas and challenges relevant to education.
Michelle Rhee and Geoffrey Canada to Offer Book Signings at the 2013 CCSA Conference
Don’t miss these exciting events. Friday, February 22 is the final day to receive up to a $50 discount per registration so register today!
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation in San Diego this April 4-6 at High Tech High
High Tech High will be hosting a teacher conference from April 4-6 to focus on “Deeper Learning”
The Continuing Need to Educate the Community on Charter Schools
The Association encourages our schools to print, link to, embed, and share all of the resources on our website including the overviews of what charter schools actually are to your audiences.
Exciting March 10 Volunteer Opportunity for Charter Students, Parents and Staff
CCSA is looking for 15 - 20 volunteers on March 10 to help fill conference bags.
One of the Best Rounds of Central Valley Charter Meetings Yet
Thank you to all of you who participated in the recent round of Central Valley Regional Charter Leader Meetings.
Additional Spots Available: Attend Parent Summit on March 13 for FREE!
Additional spots now available for Charter Parents in the San Diego Region to represent their charter school at CCSA’s Parent Summit.
Happy National School Choice Week!
Every January, National School Choice Week provides an unprecedented opportunity to shine a spotlight on the need for effective education options for all children.
Families That Can Provides Support for Renewal at Yuba Environmental Science Charter Academy
Parents make plans to call, write letters and speak at school board meetings
Charter Parents Eligible for Sponsorship To Attend Parent Summit for FREE
As San Diego plays host to the CCSA Conference in March our region has the honor to host the CCSA Parent Summit on March 13 at the Downtown San Diego Convention Center and sponsor a limited number of Charter Parents to attend the daylong conference.
Why Do YOU Love Charter Schools?
Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the charter school movement by showing why YOU love charter schools! You AND your charter school can win a $100 gift card.
Rocketship Education featured on PBS NewsHour
Rocketship, which currently has 7 schools in San José, was recently featured on PBS NewsHour.
Explore the brand new CCSA "Find a School" map
Want to “Find a School?” Frustrated by the clunky old map? We are excited to announce that the new CCSA charter schools map is here!
Calling All Notable Charter School Alumni
We are compiling a list of notable people who graduated from charter schools. Tell us about notable alumni you know.
Free Flu Shot for Children Ages 4-18 in San Francisco Bay Area
The “Shoo The Flu” program is offering San Francisco Bay Area children ages 4 through 18 a free flu shot, at participating Target Pharmacy locations.
Sign Up Today! National School Choice Week Kicks off January 25, 2013
Every January, National School Choice Week provides an unprecedented opportunity to shine a spotlight on the need for effective education options for all children.
Become CIVICS Minded: Nonpartisan Electoral Action
Our democracy is only as strong as the citizens that participate in it. Voting is the foundation of democracy and the sign of a strong community. It takes an active engaged public to ensure broad representation and that public officials are responsive to community concerns so learn how to become CIVICS minded!
Families That Can Releases Non-Partisan Voter Guides
It can be hard to find good information about local school board candidates. That’s why Families That Can has created new simple, nonpartisan voter guides that you can share with your families!
Lengthy Ballots for Sacramento Region Elections
Voters have a lot to consider with a Presidential race, local elections, eleven state propositions, local school bond measures and local measures on the ballot in November.
Tell Them You Plan to Vote
We’ve all heard the statistics. With so many issues on the ballot that will impact education, what can we do to increase the numbers of parents at the polls?
Watch Out for Not-Me Syndrome
Who is responsible for welcoming families - both new and returning - every day? You can probably guess where the discussion led…
Taking Parent Engagement to the Next Level
Strong parent leaders are the foundation of strong charter schools. Here are three tips to jumpstart family engagement at your school.
Golden Valley Charter School Embraces Families That Can
100 Sacramento area families joined Families That Can. Read more for ideas about how to engage YOUR families.
Revamped Spanish Language Content On CCSA Website
CCSA’s Spanish language website content has been updated and expanded.
20th Anniversary Toolkit
Get involved in the 20th anniversary of the charter schools movement in California! Communications Toolkit has information, templates, and ideas of how your charter can celebrate.
Aug 30: Stand Out - Use Your Mission to Effectively Reach Audiences
Delivering an effective message that resonates with several audiences and raises the profile of your charter school is essential in today’s media-driven world.
New Training Resource: Get Your Voice Heard Online
Families That Can has a new resource page for parents on ways they can harness social media, blogging and online tools to support their school online.
The Laws Regarding Student Outreach, Admissions and Lottery Preferences
Charter law in these areas can be daunting. Middleton, Young & Minney presented a workshop on these topics at last year’s Charter Schools Conference. The video is now available on demand!
20 Years of Charter Schools: How Will You Celebrate National Charter Schools Week?
This week, May 6-12, 2012, the charter movement across the nation is celebrating National Charter Schools Week. Help us get out the word!
Help Us Celebrate National Charter Schools Week!
National Charter Schools Week is right around the corner, and CCSA has resources and ideas to help members celebrate locally.
Stay Connected to Our Charter Community
It is important that we share our innovations and successes with one another. Find out ways to share, and ways to stay in the know.
April 3: Communications 101 Workshop in Los Angeles
Are you trying to get positive media coverage of your school, reach out to families or raise your profile in the community? Get tips and inspiration with our free Communications 101 Workshop in Los Angeles!
CIVICS: Get Started with Voter Engagement!
With Super Tuesday behind us, there’s really no reason to delay in getting started with non-partisan voter engagement!
One-Stop Shop For Charter School Fact Sheets
CCSA has created more than two dozen Fact Sheets on a variety of key charter school topics that are a great tool for schools to use in outreach to parents, elected representatives and the greater community. These are fully formatted to easily download and print and many are also available in Spanish!
Celebrating Choice in Public Education Week by Involving Your Parent Community
If anyone needs tips on how to involve your community in the charter movement, talk to Classical Academies.
Awareness and Support of Charters Has Grown to New Levels According to New CCSA Statewide Polling
The strongest predictor of opinion about charter schools remains the experiences, direct or indirect, that people have with them. Charter students, parents, teachers, leaders and supporters are therefore critical in our drive to secure strong public support.
We Must Speak Out to Dispel Charter Myths
Despite the success of charter schools or perhaps because of it, myths about charters continue to persist. Jackie Elliott, a charter leader in Los Angeles and representative for CCSA’s member council shares why it’s critical for schools to share their stories and what her school community is doing to counter these myths.
LAUSD Campaign to Dispel Charter Myths Underway
In response to an onslaught of misinformation that has been put forth during LAUSD board meetings by anti-charter groups, CCSA is attempting dispel charter myths and balance the dialogue and rhetoric that is being promulgated at these meetings.
Help Us Spread the Word about School Choice on Twitter
Since 2011 has been such an outstanding year for school choice across the country, we are trying to unite and expand our movement with #schoolchoicefacts day.
Aug. 18: Communications 101 Training in Los Angeles
Are you trying to get positive media coverage of your school, reach out to families or raise your profile in the community? Get tips and inspiration with our free Communications 101 Workshop in Los Angeles!
Families That Can Offers Tips on Connecting with Your Legislator
How can parents have an impact in Sacramento? How do you get a meeting with your legislator? What is the process for a proposed bill to become a law? Get the details from Families That Can.
Parent Empowerment Summit
San Diego schools! This is a fantastic opportunity coming for our charter parents to become involved in educational conversations.
Corri Tate Ravare to lead Families That Can
CCSA is excited to announce that Corri Tate Ravare started as the new executive director of Families That Can today. Watch a video from Corri where she shares her perspective as a charter school parent and describes her vision for Families That Can.