Issue 2 | 2022–2023 charterology the study of what works in education[NOUN] OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE UTAH ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS Alumni Spotlight DESANGE KUENIHIRA
©2023 Utah Association of Public Charter Schools | The newsLINK Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Charterology is published two times each year by The newsLINK Group, LLC for Utah Association of Public Charter Schools and is the official publication for this association. The information contained in this publication is intended to provide general information for review, consideration and education. The contents do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. If you need legal advice or assistance, it is strongly recommended that you contact an attorney as to your circumstances. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Utah Association of Public Charter Schools, its board of directors, or the publisher. Likewise, the appearance of advertisements within this publication does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any product or service advertised. Charterology is a collective work, and as such, some articles are submitted by authors who are independent of the Utah Association of Public Charter Schools. While the Utah Association of Public Charter Schools encourages a first print policy, in cases where this is not possible, every effort has been made to comply with any known reprint guidelines or restrictions. Content may not be reproduced or reprinted without prior written permission. For further information, please contact the publisher at 855.747.4003. contents 4 Welcome Message Excellence in Education Royce Van Tassell, Executive Director 5 Board Message Leading, Growing, & Evolving Doug Keefe, Board Chair 6 Utah State Legislature 2023 Session 8 Big Goals — Limited Funding? Grants Can Help! By Laura Banda, Rise Education Consultants 10 Charter Day on the Hill 12 Alumni Profile Spotlight Desange Kuenihira 16 You’re Invited! Celebrate Charter Schools Keynote Speaker: Hamish Brewer 18 Mental Health By Maura Yellen-Biekert, NCSP, School Psychologist, Providence Hall
WELCOME MESSAGE Royce Van Tassell Executive Director Thank you for your continued hard work throughout the snow-packed school year! Thankfully, the roads were clear enough to get to the Capitol to help lawmakers provide UNBELIEVABLE budget increases for education. Utah charter schools should be shouting for joy at the appropriations made this year. In ongoing funding, we will receive the equivalent of a more than 10% increase in the value of the WPU and scads more one-time monies. (See the legislative summary in this issue for details.) We are also looking to Celebrate Charter Schools: Utah’s Public Education Choice at our Utah Charter School Conference on June 6-7 at the Davis Convention Center in Layton, UT. Hamish Brewer, the tattooed, skateboarding principal, will encourage us to disrupt the norm for the benefit of our schools. One way to expand what your school can do is through grants. While education funding is great, there may be a unique program that requires outside funding. Take a look at the tips in our grant writing article in this issue. We see the amazing experiences you are giving your students. We appreciate the excellence in education that our community of charter schools provides. Keep up the great work! Royce Van Tassell EXCELLENCE in EDUCATION 4
On behalf of the UAPCS Board of Directors, I want to thank you for your membership, confidence and support of our organization. I’m currently Board Chair at Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts and have served on the UAPCS Board for the last two years. I was recently elected as UAPCS Board Chair and appreciate the opportunity to build on recent and significant accomplishments, including: • Steady growth of Charter School membership to 138 campuses — an all-time high • Stable UAPCS leadership, staffing, administration and financial condition • Effective advocacy with public policy, favorably impacting Charter School funding and expansion of governing authorizer options • Expansion of professional development, training and APPEL programs • Success of the Annual Conference and the recently held Charter Day on the Hill, both with historically high participation. I encourage you to attend our upcoming Annual Conference on June 6–7, extending our recordsetting attendance. • Increased private funding sources for expanded Charter School enrollment, particularly targeted to rural communities Our ultimate goal is to provide a support system for the industry and lead programs that complement the objectives of our member schools, while productively integrating with the overall objectives of the Utah State Board of Education, Higher Education and other key stakeholders. We continue to believe that the industry should provide complimentary educational choices, in particular, with certain specialty education such as STEM, Performing Arts and others. UAPCS stands ready to lead and promote the further growth and evolution of Utah education, and I appreciate the opportunity to lead the Board during this exciting time. I look forward to working with you all and listening to your feedback. Doug Keefe BOARD MESSAGE Doug Keefe Board Chair LEADING, GROWING, & EVOLVING 5
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 15 10 5 0 2023 SESSION Utah State Legislature % Increase of WPU Value Key Legislation Local replacement fund (LRF) will be increased $175/student. Charter school base funding will increase $115/student. HB 308 (Welton) School GradingEliminates school letter grades. 6% increase overall + 5% teacher salary increase (HB 215) + 1% full-day kindergarten (HB 477) + 1% at-risk student add-on = 13% effective increase WPU 6% increase overall + 5% teacher salary increase (HB 215) + 1% full-day kindergarten (HB 477) + 1% at-risk student add-on = 13% effective increase WPU Local replacement fund (LRF) will be increased $175/student. Charter school base funding will increase $115/student. 6
KEY LEGISLATION • HB 308 (Welton) School Grading Eliminates school letter grades. • HB 477 (Spendlove) Full-day Kindergarten Makes full-day kindergarten available for all LEAs with an option for half-day kindergarten. • SB 55 (Fillmore) Public School Instructional Materials Requirements If an LEA board is going to adopt learning material, then the LEA board is required to use a traditional public process. Requires an LEA board to adopt a policy of their choosing for materials teachers use that haven’t been adopted or approved by the LEA open process. • SB 65 (Fillmore) Charter School Authorizer Modifications Requires certain charter school authorizers to use procedures akin to those under the Administrative Rulemaking Act when adopting standards, guidelines, or policy; permits private institutions of higher education to become authorizers. • SB 183 (Vickers) Educator Salary Amendments Ties the size of the educator salary adjustments to increases in the WPU. • SJR10 (McCay) Education Earmarks Removes the constitutional earmark on income tax and provides statutory public education funding framework. BILLS OF NOTE • HB 16 (Pulsipher) Block Grant Funding for Prevention Programs in Public Education Combines several line item funding streams into a single block grant funding stream. • HB 421 (Moss) School Land Trust Program Amendments Increases the maximum School Land Trust disbursement from 4% to 5%. • HB 489 (Moss) Educator Paid Professional Hours Permits LEAs to use these dollars for teachers who begin teaching after the school year begins, on a prorated basis. • HB 494 (Pulsipher) Education Reporting Amendments Repeals a textbook disposal report. • SB 44 (Millner) Reading Software Amendments Permits LEAs to use reading software that do not meet the statistical effect size specified in last year’s SB 127. • HB 215 (Pierucci) Funding for Teacher Salaries and Optional Educational Opportunities Increases teacher salaries $4,200 + benefits. Establishes Utah Fits All Scholarship. SUMMARY The state budget for 2024 stands at $29.4 billion. Public education funding for 2024 received $7.5 billion. $233.1 million appropriated increases the WPU by 6% this year. $196.9 million is applied to ongoing teacher salary increases ($4,200 for salary plus employee-paid benefits) which effectually adds 5% to the WPU. Another 1% effective increase comes from $25.8 million that fully-funds all-day kindergarten for schools that want to provide it; half-day is still an option. $25.1 million goes to at-risk students, adding another 1% to the WPU. The legislature has maintained $64 million funding for paid professional development. Please be sure to plan with your teachers this additional 32 hours of pay. We were able to correct an administrative cost gap for the largest charter schools and maintain funding support that is comparable to what small districts receive. A constitutional amendment (SJR10) will go before voters to allow income tax revenue to support public education first, but then be open to fund other state needs. As we move forward, please note that 35% of your state restricted funds are flexible for use in your innovative programs. 7
BIG GOALS — LIMITED FUNDING? GRANTS CAN HELP! By Laura Banda, Rise Education Consultants Whether your Charter School is brand new or celebrating 20 years in operation, if you have a project in mind, grants may be available to help you reach the goal. Sounds great! Where do we start? First, it is important for schools to create short-term and long-term goals that align with the Charter’s mission and vision. In creating school goals, it is paramount to gain input from all stakeholders, including school staff, students, parents, Governing Board members, and the community. Once your school goals are prioritized, build a project plan. Schools may have concurrent project plans of, for example, a short-term personnel project to obtain a full-time school counselor and a long-range project plan to expand the campus playground with an outdoor learning classroom. Next, work closely with your school business manager to identify where current funds are categorized and allocated. This will clarify project plan funding gap areas and what to focus on when pursuing grants/partnerships. There are a multitude of federal and state grants that Charter schools may apply for through Utah Grants (utahgrants.utah.gov). Each grant has a unique focus area, all supporting our Utah students. Information on how to navigate Utah Grants is located at https://www.schools.utah.gov/financialoperations/utahgrants. Additionally, when exploring grant resources and partnerships, look within your local city, college/university, and community. Partnering with your local municipality to improve and benefit your community also expands your school grant opportunities. For example, cities have access to government infrastructure and environmental grants that may support your school goals in a variety of ways. Examples of city grant projects include installing sidewalks along rural roads adjacent to schools and supporting student safety and the development of greenspace, trails, and parks, providing schools and students additional outdoor learning environments. If your Charter school is fortunate to be located near a Utah college or university, reach out to their community resource center. Colleges and universities consistently pursue grants, many of which include a requirement for outreach and involvement within their community. Additionally, many college professors prioritize real-world experience, service, or application projects for their students. A collegiate partnership is a wonderful opportunity for both college and Charter school students. Utah university/college resource centers include: • USU Community Partners — https://www.usu.edu/cel/ cbi/index • U of U Neighborhood Partners — https://partners.utah.edu/ partnership-areas/community-leadership/ • Weber State Center for Engagement and Learning — https://www.weber.edu/ccel/community.html • Utah Tech University Community Engaged Learning Partnerships — https://community.utahtech.edu/facultyinformation/ • BYU Y-Serve programs — https://yserve.byu.edu/ community-service-providers The private sector has numerous grant opportunities for Charter schools to explore. As your school is reviewing grant opportunities, consider the following questions: 1. Does the project/goal align with the Charter school’s mission and vision? 2. How much funding is the school pursuing? Is the funding needed for the project one-time or ongoing? 3. What is the timeline for the project/goal? 4. What are the grant’s criteria, requirements and compliance assurances? 5. Is the performance/assurance requirements of the grant cost or prohibitive personnel comparative to the award amount? 8
As your Charter school prepares your grant project plans, multiple grants/partnership opportunities may exist to cluster together to meet the school goal. Ensuring you are aware of each grant's approved use of funds will help you determine which grants to pursue and how to allocate funding resources best. A sample project plan is referenced below that utilized a university partnership, a Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation grant, and a private sector American Academy of Dermatology grant opportunities to help accomplish the school goal of establishing an outdoor learning classroom and playground expansion. Sample Grant Project Plan: Outdoor Learning Classroom and Playground Project Item Design of Outdoor Playground Expansion Outdoor Learning Classroom Pavilion Play Structure/ Shade Structure Funding Source Joint Partnership with Utah State University Design Landscape Graduate Capstone Project http://www.usu.edu/cel/cbi/index Outdoor Recreation Grant https://www.ulct.org/memberservices/policy-resources/ grant-opportunities Play Structure Expansion (Grant TBD or School Fundraising Project) Shade Structure https://www.aad.org/public/publichealth/shade-structure-grants Timeline Five Months/School Semester Award Date 18 Months to Complete 90 Days After Award Grant/partnership opportunities are vast and can be multifaceted. Taking the time to establish your school’s short-term and longterm goals — that align with the Charter’s mission and vision — will help focus your efforts. Wishing you the best as you embark on new opportunities to support your Charter school’s success! Laura Banda is a former charter school director, current UAPCS Mentor, and owner of Rise Education Consultants. She can be reached at (661) 433-9454. 9
CHARTER DAY ON THE HILL JANUARY 27, 2023 10
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ALUMNI PROFILE SPOTLIGHT DESANGE KUENIHIRA 12
Desange Kuenihira is a graduate of Itineris Early College High School and the founder and CEO of unDEfeated, a non-profit organization that provides education for underprivileged youth and women with extreme financial hardship in Uganda. At just the age of two, Desange and her six siblings were forced to flee the Democratic Republic of Congo with their aunt to a refugee camp in Uganda due to the dangerous war. It wasn’t until she was 10 that her brother and aunt moved all of them to Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. They waited there for three years until they learned they would be boarding a plane to the U.S.; however, they had no idea where they were flying to until they landed in Salt Lake City and began the process of becoming a U.S. citizen. Desange and her siblings younger than 18 years old were placed in different foster homes until her oldest brother and aunt were able to take classes to become their legal guardians. After only six months, the family was reunited. Desange started high school and immediately fell in love with it. It was almost too easy because she was earning straight As her first semester without even knowing the language. She began searching for a more challenging learning environment and found Itineris Early College High School in West Jordan. She said, “Itineris Early College High School gave me a head start and challenged me to grow as a student and a person. If I had to choose it again, I would and I would not change anything about it. I am so grateful to have been a part of the Itineris Early College High School community!” She laughed when she considered the reaction to her accomplishments from those in the refugee camp who told her, “You’re meaningless, girl. Your life has no meaning. You’ll never even get your high school diploma.” Not only did she graduate high school and earn an associate degree at the same time, she earned two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Utah. She holds a Bachelor of Science in criminology and a Bachelor of 13
Science in health, society, and policy, with a minor in entrepreneurship and pre-business. She said that much of her success came from her supportive family, and she now considers the school’s staff and student body part of that as well. The charter school gave her a job, and the staff supported her when she entered a scholarship pageant, along with other things. She was named Miss Democratic Republic of Congo in the 2019 Miss Africa Utah pageant and Miss Juneteenth in 2018. Despite the fortunate opportunity to move to the U.S., many girls in Uganda do not have that same chance. Desange said, “With the increased poverty in Uganda, single parents, especially women, struggle to make ends meet. Women often face more hardship as men abandon their families, leaving them to support themselves and their children with very little.” The girls and women left behind are always in her heart and on her mind, and she wanted to do something to give them the same chance at an incredible life where they can determine their own future. That’s why Desange founded unDEfeated. The foundation supports single mothers and youth in developing entrepreneurial skills so that they can start successful businesses to support their families. Desange believes education is the key to success and works to further educational endeavors for underprivileged youth and support single mothers in operating their businesses. The goal of unDEfeated is to help Uganda move past being a poor country with an emerging economy and significant educational disparity between men and women. Just like Desange had those who believed in and supported her, she wants to support others and let them know someone does value them. To find out more, visit speakundefeated.org. Connect with unDEfeated: @undefeated_ug or @speakundefeated Desange Kuenihira 14
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YOU’RE INVITED! 1GATHER MORE SKILLS Our breakout sessions will help you focus on the most important skills for your role as a teacher, board member, administrator, or business manager to help you and your school be its best! 3MEET THE RELENTLESS, TATTOOED, SKATEBOARDING PRINCIPAL Our keynote speaker, Hamish Brewer, will inspire you to “Be Relentless” in achieving success, even in the most challenging circumstances. 2MAKE NEW FRIENDS Your shared experience in the charter school world is the icebreaker to start a conversation. Whether you’re in class or getting snacks in the vendor hall, we all could use new friends! 4HAVE FUN! Join us for the Circle of Excellence Awards dinner, karaoke after-party, and raffle giveaway. We’re (also) here for a good time! JUNE 6–7, 2023 DAVIS CONVENTION CENTER • LAYTON, UT WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE UAPCS CONFERENCE 16
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: HAMISH BREWER Hamish Brewer is a powerful and positive disruptor who transcends the status quo and typical norms in leadership and education. Mr. Brewer is a globally recognized advocate who built his reputation on results and performance, becoming affectionately known as the Relentless, Tattooed, Skateboarding Principal with his galvanizing message to “Be Relentless” and his high-octane delivery style. Mr. Brewer served as an award-winning principal at both the secondary and elementary school levels. Recognized as the NAESP Nationally Distinguished Principal and Virginia Principal of the Year, he was also honored with the VAESP School Bell Award and ASCD Virginia Impact Award. Hamish was named a Northern Virginian of the year by Northern Virginia Magazine and Principal of the Year for the online national publication — Education Dive. Prince William County Public Schools named Hamish the school division’s Principal of the Year and Hamish was recently recognized by Omega U as the Principal of the Year. Under his leadership, his elementary school was recognized as a Nationally Distinguished Title 1 School, and Hamish has since gone on to turn around one of the toughest middle schools in the state of Virginia. Mr. Brewer is a highly soughtafter international keynote speaker — motivating and inspiring audiences around the world, including being recognized as a TEDx speaker. Originally from New Zealand, Hamish earned his first degree from the University of Auckland. Mr. Brewer is currently a doctoral student at Virginia Tech University. Hamish is the best-selling author of Relentless: Changing Lives by Disrupting the Educational Norm, published in 2019. SCAN THE QR CODE TO REGISTER TODAY. https://www.utahcharters.org/ charter-school-conference Mr.Brewer is a highly soughtafter international keynote speaker — motivating and inspiring audiences around the world, including being recognized as a TEDx speaker. 17
MENTAL HEALTH By Maura Yellen-Biekert, NCSP, School Psychologist, Providence Hall At Providence Hall, we are committed to utilizing prevention strategies and interventions to support our students' growing minds throughout their K–12 journey. Through collaboration and research, we have put into place innovative and successful supports to address our students’ mental health needs. Overstimulated. Overtired. Overwhelmed. Big feelings and sometimes even bigger behaviors are experienced by students, especially in elementary school. Without the vocabulary or skills to express triggers or frustrations, oftentimes students shut down, tantrum, or express avoidance behaviors. These behaviors limit academic engagement, distract peers, and often lead to lower self-esteem. Through collaboration, our staff designed a sensoryfriendly space to support students' needs. This dimly lit magical space, filled with soothing sounds and sensory enriching tools, we call Patriot Park and is staffed by an interdisciplinary team of counselors and administrators. They are hard at work collecting data including student self-report ratings upon entering and exiting the space, measuring the frequency of student visits, and reporting strategies utilized. This data is used to enhance tier-one coaching in the classroom and to guide our intervention teams. Navigating the social world, both digitally and in real life, can present challenges. With the influence of social media and communication through technology (texting, group chats) students get mixed messages and struggle with interpersonal relationships. The lines between reality and the digital world get blurred. The distinction between virtual behavior and in-person social norms is not always apparent to developing brains. At the junior high, to help facilitate healthy social relationships, there is a “no cell phones” policy during class time. We expect students to be present and mindfully aware of their surroundings while learning, whether they are participating in an engaging debate in a core class or working on a hands-on project in an elective class like Stop Motion Animation. With an uptick in social challenges related to the ever-growing digital world, the team at the junior 18
high has implemented social mediation opportunities for students in conflict. Disjointed communication or involvement of other peers (group chats) muddies relationships. Through staff-facilitated conversation and face-to-face dialogue, students have been successful in identifying conflicts and generating appropriate resolutions. At the high school level, students are actively balancing academic achievement with social activities. With numerous opportunities at their fingertips, including college credit courses, performing arts, competitive sports, and leadership roles, students have the chance to find passion and enjoyment throughout our hallways. While we encourage students to build their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, we are also vested in providing support to develop their socialemotional wellness skills. Through collaboration with the teachers, mental health team, and administrators the high school is developing small groups as a tiered intervention to help students build these skills. The subject matter ranges from executive functioning to perfectionism. The small groups will pair staff instruction with workbook activities outlining tools and strategies. Through small group interaction, students have the opportunity to build social relationships with other students and engage in meaningful peer feedback. Our charter demonstrates mental health is a priority based on the robust staffing of service providers. Each campus staffs counselors on-site as well as access to school workers, school psychologists, and an occupational therapist. The elementary school also has a social skills instructor. Mental health is an indicator of social-emotional wellness, and it extends to the capacity for engagement in meaningful educational experiences. In support of “whole child” development, we not only track student academic progress, we also dedicate time to focus on student monitoring social-emotional wellness. Across the three campuses, surveys are given biannually to measure student social behaviors and emotional wellness. With this information, we can generate student-specific support through tiers two and three as well as evaluate our tier one approach to building relationships with our students. Our future is bright at Providence Hall because of our incredible staff who are dedicated to our Patriots. To support our staff members, we offer Employee Assistance Program opportunities through Blomquist Hale. This service offers online workshops, counseling resources, and support groups. We look forward to future growth through continuing education and collaboration with our Charter School Community to best serve our Patriots and their families. Maura Yellen Biekert is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. She is in her fifth year working at Providence Hall. Maura received her degrees from the University of Connecticut and the University of Hartford. Her specialty is child clinical counseling. In addition to her years in the school setting, she also worked with survivors of human trafficking. Outside of her career, she enjoys golfing with her husband and their dog, Bogey. Through collaboration and research,we have put into place innovative and successful supports to address our students’ mental health needs. 19
Jeffrey M. Hirst, CIC Account Executive 448 South 400 East Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 (801) 364-3434 www.american-ins.com Creating a protected environment for educational opportunities. American Insurance has worked hard over the years to cultivate relationships with insurance carriers that provide the best coverage and service to charter schools. Our goal is to provide schools with the protection they need so they can focus on education and growth. Program Advantages Include: • Competitive pricing from strong, private insurers • Broad coverage options and strong protection • Flexibility to meet the school’s needs, including out-of-state travel and non-profit board liability coverage • Loss control & risk management resources We are the UAPCS endorsed property & casualty insurance program. Bonneville Salt Flats The Bonneville Salt Flats comprises 30,000 acres of desolate, densely packed salt pan. The spot’s incredibly flat and smooth terrain makes it a popular destination for speed-seeking land racers since 1914. Racing takes place at part of the Bonneville Salt Flats known as the Bonneville Speedway. There are five major land speed events that take place at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Bonneville "Speed Week" takes place mid-August followed by "World of Speed" in September and the "World Finals" take place early October. In 1964, a man named Norman Craig Breedlove broke the record for longest continuous tire skid when he lost control of his jet-powered Spirit of America on the flats. The resulting skid marks stretched six miles long. Did You Know? Utah is home to the longest skidmark of all time. This magazine is designed and published by The newsLINK Group, LLC | 855.747.4003 785 East 200 South, Suite 13 Lehi, UT 84043
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