Pub. 6 2016-2017 Issue 2

4 WELCOME Message BY ROYCE VAN TASSELL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF UAPCS T he 2017 General Session treated public education very well. Devoting more than $200 million in new ongoing funding to public education, including a 4% increase in WPU, the Legislature showed their commitment to giving Utah educators the resources they need. Moreover, they demonstrated their on-going commitment to equitable funding for charter schools, as the value of the LRF increased 9%, from $2,001 to $2,180 per student. Utah charter schools have much to celebrate. Charter schools and internships Looking forward, UAPCS’ merry band is working on a variety of important issues. With Utah’s economy booming, schools of all stripes struggle to attract and keep the teachers their students need. This challenge is even more pronounced for charter schools, as (at least) some Utah colleges and universities do not grant credit to their students for internships at charter schools. Since many schools hire new teachers directly out of intern- ships, this credit barrier is significant problem for Utah charter schools. UAPCS is working with Utah Valley University to make sure this problem does not continue there, and we look forward to working with all of Utah’s colleges and universities. Utah charter schools are a vital part of Utah’s public education system, and the students attending our schools need the very best teachers possible. We will keep you apprised as solutions develop and are implemented. ASPIRE audit Elsewhere in this issue we’ve summarized the Legislative Auditor General’s findings of the State Board of Education’s ASPIRE SIS program. As that summary notes, the Auditor General does not recommend a specific course of action. Rather, they have identified the costs to LEAs and Utah taxpayers of several courses of action. We are already meeting with key Legislators and the State Board as they evaluate the findings and adopt a policy. New Member of the State Charter School Board Coming Late last month Robb Enger resigned from the State Charter School Board. Robb has been an excellent member of the Board. Given his financial background, his insight into applicant’s financial projections were always helpful. We join with many others in thanking him for his service on the Board, and wish him and his family well. Following Robb’s departure, Governor Herbert requested that UAPCS recommend nominees to fill that empty position. We were thrilled with the large number of people who expressed interest in serving on the State Charter School Board. UAPCS staff consulted with our board, and recommended several excellent candidates, each of whomwould bring great experience, education and expertise to the board. Next Governor Herbert will review the nominees. We expect him to name a new member sometime in the next month. UAPCS’ training program growing UAPCS is also pleased that our training program is attracting attention from outside Utah. One group of charter schools operat- ing in Nevada and California has invited our staff to train their boards and administrators in Orange County, and is encouraging their schools in Nevada to attend our annual conference in June. In addition, charter schools in Idaho and Oregon have reached out to us to learn what makes our training programs so successful. If you see Debby, Jennifer, Tina or one of our other mentors and trainers, give ‘em a high five! As you can see, UAPCS is busy and successful. We look forward each day to finding new ways to make Utah charter schools better. If there’s anything we can do to help you, please don’t hesitate to call me. Have a great day!