Pub. 9 2019-2020 Issue 2

2 WELCOME Message BY ROYCE VAN TASSELL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF UAPCS H ello friends and colleagues! What an exciting time we live in. I suspect many of us would prefer some of the “excitement” to just go away. The current environment offers all of us an opportunity to retune our tools and hone our systems. While our classrooms aren’t full, we can and should be planning. Some of that planning could focus on better lesson plans, better pedagogy, better PLC’s. Some of it may focus on better data systems, better communications with the families of our students and our communities. In each of our schools we have a backlog of projects that we “need” to get to, but can’t with the everyday crush of running a school. While we continue to have day to day responsibilities in our virtual education environment, we also have a little breathing room to catch up. As the articles in this issue of “Charterology” note, the Legislature is expanding and improving the data systems LEAs can take advantage of. They are offering a greater range of students we can use the Accadience (formerly Dibels) assess- ments with. And they are sending more money to schools. Be careful how you use those expanded resources, but we can all be grateful to have a little more flexibility, a few more resources and a little more time to hone our craft.