Pub. 2 2012-2013 Issue 1

4 PRESIDENT PR IDENT’S Message As I write this article Utah charter schools are serving more than 50,000 students. Congratulations to all of you for your hard work and effort. With that growth comes challenges that didn’t have to be contemplated 10 years ago. One of those issues is planning how to make transitions and plans so that the school can operate well into the future without the original founders and directors. Many schools have already had to deal with those transitions and we have seen that some have been seamless while others have been rocky. We highlight succession planning in the magazine this month thanks to one of our critical partners, Zions Bank and their Vice President of HR, George Myers. George referred to this critical business practice as advanced planning. I hope this article will serve as a helpful tool as you contemplate the future at your school. There will be more exciting challenges and opportuni- ties as we evolve. One absolutely critical issue that we, as an association, are constantly working on is school funding. The school funding system and its associated processes and structures were created in an era that no longer exists. We operate in an environment that demands more flexibility from students. We will need to be a major unified presence as those systems are looked at, evaluated and possibly changed. Finally, one of our major focuses this year has been creating shared services at the association that our schools can take advantage of. These shared services are areas in which charter schools can get better service and pricing while retaining the autonomy that you desire. We have already rolled out a 401K plan that member schools can participate in and have a property and casualty insurance program moving forward as well as other programs and services that will be of enormous benefit to your school. Please let us know how we can best serve you. Thank you for your continued support. We, as an associa- tion, continue to grow and strengthen. CHRIS BLEAK, PRESIDENT Charter Day at the Capitol February 11, 2013 11:00am – 1:00pm Sign up now to reserve your spot as space is limited. Tours of the capitol are also available. Please contact Tina Smith at tina@utahcharters.org for more information. 7th Annual Charter School Conference June 17-18, 2013 Utah Valley Convention Center Provo Utah Join us as we take a look down memory lane and see how far we’ve come as trailblazers in the choice, flexibility and innovation in education! It’s time to get excited about new ideas to implement at our schools and rededicate ourselves to serving our unique students for the future. Call for Conference Presenters We are looking to YOU the “experts” to share your ideas and strategies to inspire your colleagues and peers during our breakout sessions. If you are interested in develop- ing and sharing a presentation with timely and specific content that provides tools that teachers, administrators, business managers and board members can take back and immediately implement in their schools in the areas of: • Board Governance • Instruction • Finance • Fundraising • Policy Please contact Tina Smith at tina@utahcharters.org for more information. Don’t see a topic listed which you feel is of critical importance to the success of charter schools and the charter movement? Please submit your topic and a compelling reason for its inclusion at the summer conference. SAVE THE DATE