Pub. 6 2016-2017 Issue 1

22 B Y K R I S T I N E L I N K O W S K I , State Charter School Board Chair A s the State Charter School Board begins a new year, I first want to thank Howard Headlee and Tim Beagley for their prior Board leader- ship and many contributions to charter schools. Tim served over eight years, even lending expertise after his term expired. Howard led advocacy campaigns and will continue to advance the charter movement in spite of his many other commitments. Their departure from board service will be missed, and I, along with the entire board, wish them the best in their pursuits. I also want to welcome two new boardmembers, Greg Haws and Michelle Smith. Both individuals have years of experience with charter schools and public education. Greg has served on the Utah State Board of Education and was instrumental in helping promote charter schools in the early days. Michelle has sat on the founding boards of many successful Utah charter schools. I look forward to working with them and appre- ciate their willingness to serve in this vital role. I also thank the board members who graciously agreed to remain in their positions serving the students of this great state: Dean Brockbank, Bruce Davis, Rob Enger, and DeLaina Tonks. DeLaina will assist me this year in the role as Vice-Chair. The State Charter School Board is moving in some exciting directions, seeking to enhance the charter school movement in Utah. The Board values feedback and the insights of charter operators. We reviewed the comments received on the 360-degree evaluation and are using that information to build on our existing strengths and make improve- ments where needed. Many replied that we perform well in maintaining a knowledge of current trends and issues in public education and advocating for charter schools in the state and across the country. However, improvement was needed in communicating effectively with school principals and other leaders, as well as in providing regular reviews and evaluation performance toward estab- lished goals. The Board has made plans to maintain staff knowledge and advocacy agendas. We also held a board retreat this past June to address the indicated areas of opportunity. A primary focus of the State Charter School Board is to increase relationships with our family of schools; specifically, through improved communication, func- tionality, and transparency. We have directed staff to continue its effort to com- municate with school leaders in a variety of ways, including increasing a presence on social media, through newsletters, and email. Our staff is growing and diverse expertise is being recruited and developed to assist schools. The staff will work with you, openly sharing expectations, data, and information to ensure common goals and results. Additionally, the Board recognized the need for mission and vision statements. Seven value statements were adopted to lend support to the mission and vision. These initiatives will guide decisions and actions. In the coming months, committees will be formed to direct strategic planning and set goals. The details of the mission, vision, and values are provided below. To assist us in meeting our goals, Jennifer Lambert was recently hired as the Executive Director. She and her team bring a wealth of knowledge and are committed to advancing our mission and vision. Jennifer joined the charter school office four years ago. Since that time, she has been instrumental in serving schools as they work toward meeting their own missions and functions. Over half of the charter schools in Utah are specialized focus schools. The Board and staff desire to continue supporting and fostering innovation and unique schooling options. As we move forward, many of the changes proposed and continued support provided by the staff will focus on helping the schools collaborate with the Utah State Board of Education and its staff to ensure innovative methods are respected and compliance measures, while honored, do not stifle creative thinking. As was the focus 25 years ago when this movement first began, we seek autonomy in exchange for accountability. The Board, as does Jennifer and her staff, recognizes and appreciates the amazing work each of you do every day in providing for Utah school children. As the State Charter School Board, its staff, and school leaders unite efforts, public education will advance and high quality charters will continue to be a choice for the families of Utah. Mission: Our mission is to provide for positive student outcomes by authoriz- ing, overseeing and elevating successful public charter schools through a rigorous A New Chapter for the State Charter School Board