Pub. 2 2012-2013 Issue 2

4 CEO CEO Message I recently had the opportunity to attend the Governor’s State of Sports event. The luncheon was an opportunity to recognize the top male and female athletes and sports teams from our State. The legendary tennis star, Andre Agassi served as the keynote speaker. It was a great luncheon but what I didn’t expect was the event to turn into a charter school love fest. Sarah Hendrickson was recognized as the Utah Olympian of the Year. Sarah is a native Utahn who will most likely be competing in ski jumping during the next Winter Olympic games. She is one of the top female ski jumpers in the world, and graduated from the Winter Sports School, which is set to become a charter school in the fall of 2014. Additionally, when Andre Agassi spoke, he spent a great deal of time talking about the role that charter schools have played in his life. Although successful in somany ways, Andre did not feel fulfilled until he found a way to channel his real passions. He found that he could make a real difference in children’s lives through the charter school move- ment. His genuine passion and excitement for charter schools helped remind me why you have decided to get involved. Thank you for your passion, sacrifice and dedication to improving the lives of the children of our State. I hope you will join us for our 7th annual charter school conference held on June 17 and 18 in Provo. We have a number of great speakers and breakout sessions planned for you. Dr.MikeMartineau, from the University of Utahwill be joining us for our convention. He has recently conducted research into charter schools in Utah and has discovered that when “charter schools come into an education marketplace, they provide incentives to the traditional public schools to increase achievement levels.” He has also discovered that the “positive competitive effects are muchmore positive and double inmagnitude for students in poor areas.” Come learn more about the impact you have and how you can strengthen and improve the results at your school. There will be sessions for new schools, board members, directors, business managers, as well as teachers. Come celebrate our past 15 years and help us look forward to an even brighter future. We had some great successes from the recently completed legislative session. We partnered togetherwith the StateChildren’s Trust and PTA, to change the funding allocation for charter schools. You will receive more money as a result of this change. In addition, we codified theOct 1st date as the waywe will fund charter schools for the next two years. There are some significant discussions that will take place during that time, which will enable us to look at charter school funding and ensure a healthy pathway for the future. I hope you enjoy our magazine. I am grateful for everyone that has contributed to making it a success. The articles highlight schools and vendors here in our community who are helping build our knowledge base and understanding. I love representing you and look forward to continued interactions. Please let us know howwe can better serve you. Chris Bleak, CEO 2013 Registration is NOW OPEN! In 1998 Utah passed the Utah Charter Schools Act. During the last 15 years, we have had much to celebrate! Join us as we celebrate and remember the humble begin- nings of the charter school movement in Utah! We are excited to share... NEW! Pre-Conference Workshops designed especially for new charter schools opening in 2013, 2014 or in their first 1-3 years in operation. Our goal with these workshops is to put these schools in touch with seasoned charter school leaders who will help them in critical areas prior to opening or help to strengthen these key areas after a few years in operation. This is a great way for new schools to establish mentoring relationships with successful charter schools that will act as a beneficial resource! NEW! Sharing Stations that are designed to be informal discussions where best practices, current research and innovations can be shared and discussed. Sharing Stations create increased networking and mentoring opportunities as well as problem solving support. Join us as we share and learn from each other! Breakout sessions that will inspire and provide practical and implementable ideas for you to take back to your schools/ classrooms. Over 60 vendors that will showcase ser- vices and products that will help your school in all facets - curriculumdevelopment and design, financial, facilities, professional development, school supplies etc. 220 West Center Street in Provo June 17 - 18, 2013 Utah County Convention Center