6th Annual Charter School Conference Focuses on Building Quality Schools

The Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools invites educators, parents, current and prospective charter board members, and community leaders to register now for its 6th Annual Conference Adjusting the Sails: Staying on Course for Success, announced LAPCS Executive Director Caroline Roemer Shirley.  

The day-long event on Friday, September 13 at the Baton Rouge Crowne Plaza features keynote Jeffery Duncan-Andrade as well as conference tracts dedicated to building strong charter school teaching and accountability in student achievement, excellent charter school employment and operation policies, effective charter board leadership, and involved parent communities.

“Education, and the issues students and schools today face, don’t end in the classroom,” said Ms. Roemer Shirley. “Our legislators have done a great job making Louisiana a leader in charter law, but the work remains to build quality schools. Our charter schools have done extraordinary things in engaging parents and turning students into future leaders, and we look to harness that enthusiasm into something sustainable and self perpetuating.”  

A complete list of conference sessions are listed at www.lacharterschools.org. The sessions include:  

The Six Levels of Parent and Community Involvement Representatives from the organization Stand for Children will walk parents through Joyce Epstein's six levels of parent and community involvement. Stand for Children will empower parents in this session by providing examples of how parents can work with their schools and community to develop school-based parent involvement plans.  
Board Dynamics William Mott, national expert on school and nonprofit boards, will help board members navigate board dynamics and relationships. This session will focus on building relationships, dealing with negativity and difficult personalities, and "the curse of executive sessions."  
The Worst Board Meeting Ever Watch a charter school board suffer through some common and outrageous dilemmas in a fast-paced comedy of errors. As it unfolds, see if you can identify the troubles they make for themselves under the Open Meetings Law, the Public Records Act, and conflict or interest laws. Learn strategies for avoiding these common issues from a panel of legal and governance experts. Led by Michelle Craig, a lawyer specializing in school HR issues at Adams & Reese.  
Driving Teacher Performance--What Really Works? Aimed at school leaders, this session will be led by national and local experts in the areas of merit pay, school culture, and teacher coaching. Find out what the research suggests are the best practices in these areas, as well as how they're working for charters.  
So, You Want to Start a Charter School? Interested in starting a charter school? Not sure where to start? Our panel of national and local experts will present on the process of applying for a charter, best practices, and a variety of "good-to-know" tips.  

The conference will be held from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 13, 2013 at the Crowne Plaza Baton Rouge. All interested in attending can register here.   The LAPCS is also still offering opportunities for sponsors and exhibitors at this year’s conference. Click here to become a sponsor or exhibitor!   

"This year’s conference will be better than ever because our schools are better than ever, and prepared to continue to make the adjustments needed to excel," Ms. Roemer Shirley said.   

For more information, visit www.lacharterschools.org or call LAPCS at (504) 274-3651.    

LAPCS is the primary statewide membership association for Louisiana public charter schools dedicated to increasing student achievement by supporting, promoting, and advocating for the quality charter school movement.