Past MACS Public Policy Agendas

Public Policy Agenda - January 2007
note: this agenda carried through for 2008 as well

h2]Minnesota Association of Charter Schools past agendas
For a downloadable version, please click here

1. Strengthen charter school governance

• Require initial charter board to be composed of "non-related individuals"
• Strengthen language on parent participation in charter school board elections
• Bar employees of sponsor from serving on boards of charters authorized by said sponsor
• Eliminate interlocking board membership
• Exclude School Directors from being a voting member of the board
• Require permanent board of directors in place by end of second operating year
• Allow charters to choose between teacher majority or equal teacher/parent/community member governance model
• Amend "conflict of interest" provisions for boards to include non-profits
• Amend statute to define role and responsibilities of charter boards in school voluntary and involuntary closings.

2. Foster quality sponsorship and accountability

• Prohibit sponsors from selling governance, management and financial services to sponsored schools and limit leasing agreements
• Require an arms length relationship and bidding processes for all purchased services between a school and its sponsor
• Clarify that Churches may not sponsor charter schools
• Establish a sponsor accountability process that includes state authority to withdraw a sponsors authority
• Reform funding mechanism for sponsorship activities
• Allow sponsors to issue up to five year charter contract renewals
• Clarify that initial charter contract is for maximum of three operational years
• Clarify 60 day renewal notices by sponsors to be actual dates (March 1 & June 1)
• Oppose establishment of single purpose sponsors

3. Assuring wise and effective use of public education investment

• Prohibit any public body from adopting policies/regulations that discriminate against charters leasing vacant public facilities
• Restore lease aid to 1999 level of $1,500 per student
• Modify compensatory funding formula to be based on current year enrollments
• Exempt non-profit building companies, created for leasing space to charter schools, from property taxes
• Change name of "lease aid" to "facilities aid" to reflect the aid's real purpose
• Change lease aid formula to allow for broader definition of uses of lease aid
• Amend lease aid formula to establish new base funding level consummate with current market rates
• Allow charters to enter into long term leases to get best market rates
• Revamp student transportation system for public education to encourage energy efficient vehicles, adequate funding and innovation system design
• Require school districts and charter schools to annually publish all extracurricular activity costs and funding sources
• Establish voluntary statewide health insurance pool allowing freedom of choice for school districts and charter scho
• Establish funding mechanism for providing public bonding authority to non-profit building corporations created to provide charter school space
• Oppose any health plan mandating participation or limiting autonomy of school districts and charters to direct their financial obligations

4. Clarify MDE role with Charters

• Allow the Charter School Advisory Council to sunset on June 30, 2007 unless mission, purpose and role of the Council are significantly reformed
• Reduce Commissioner review of sponsor affidavits to 45 days
• Phase out MDE sponsorship of the schools it currently sponsors within 5 years
• Eliminate charter school appeal process to MDE for renewal decisions by school districts
• Clarify the role of MDE and sponsors in supplementary applications to expand grades

5. Assure public charter schools students are treated fairly and equitably

• Allow enrollment preferences for children of charter school employees
• Require schools to develop and publish an admissions lottery policy
• Support charter eligibility for "extended year program funding" in first year operations
• Support legislation that school districts and charter schools be encouraged to enter into cooperative agreements for extracurricular activities with student needs as focal point
• Prohibit MN High School League and school districts from discriminating against charter students participating in extracurricular activities
• Oppose requirement that charters reimburse school districts for excess transportation costs

6. Foster innovation in teaching methods, assessments and measuring outcomes.

• Establish interdisciplinary license for project-based schools
• Amend leave provision to include any licensed personnel having the ability to take a leave to work in a charter or to start, or to serve as an administrator of charter school
• Support allowing the charter school non-profit board to operate up to 3 charters under same nonprofit corporation
• Support voluntary and funded full day kindergarten programs
• Clarify charter school authority to provide early childhood instruction or adult basic education programs, enrichment programs, pre-school programs, or before and after school programs (if so defined in charter contract)
• Allow school districts and charters flexibility to establish longer school year with additional funding for days beyond current basic aid formula
• Oppose establishment of Charter School Director licensure requirement
• Oppose attempts to limit autonomy, stifle innovation and limit parental choice in public education
• Support adoption of academic assessments based on growth or value added model to measure individual student growth.

2006 MACS Public Policy Statement

Facilities Funding

Whereas, charter schools have in the past been supportive of legislation to broaden the use of lease aid to allow charter schools to use it for debt service, for land and building purchases, renovation and construction costs, and

Whereas, there are a number of significant issues with long range and far reaching implications for charter schools depending on the scope and language of any legislation,

Therefore, MACS will continue to generally support the idea of amending the charter school law to expand the use of lease aid to allow for reimbursement for debt service, land and building purchases, renovation and construction, and

Therefore, MACS will work in concert with other interested parties to develop a comprehensive proposal on facilities issues for the 2007 legislative session that includes allowing a broader use of lease aid funding while protecting the autonomy of charter schools from additional rules and regulations.

Access to Surplus Public Facilities

Whereas, the Minneapolis Public School District and other traditional school districts have adopted policies and rules to exclude public charter schools from leasing excess public property, and

Whereas, those policies and rules discriminate against another public institution and betray sound stewardship of public resources,

Therefore, MACS will actively support the introduction and enactment of legislation that would prohibit school districts and other public entities from adopting policies and regulations that discriminate against public charter schools or any other public institution in matters of leasing surplus public facilities.

Single Purpose Sponsor Organizations

Whereas, there is a lack of clearly defined expectations and standards for sponsors in terms of their responsibilities and a need to clarify these issues, and Whereas, there are a wide variety of issues in terms of the efforts by some sponsors to bureaucratize the process of accountability and micromanage the operations of charter schools, and

Whereas, there has been a blurring of the lines of authority in the chartering process between sponsors and the Minnesota Department of Education, and

Whereas, there are numerous unanswered questions as to how a single purpose sponsorship organization would operate and sustain itself in the long run,

Therefore, MACS will not support legislation to create single purpose sponsor organizations at this time given the scope of the unanswered questions about the model of single purpose sponsor organizations and the long range implications of the model on the charter school movement in Minnesota,

Therefore, MACS will actively pursue solutions to the issues revolving around sponsor qualifications and responsibilities and oppose any change in the fee structure sponsors are allowed to charge charter schools until those issues are addressed.

Length of Charters

Whereas, Minnesota has the shortest length of charter contracts in the nation, and

Whereas, charter schools with a proven record should be recognized for their achievements and be given greater latitude to focus on school improvement in the long term,

Therefore, MACS will actively work to amend the charter school law to allow charter contract renewals for up to five years for schools who have successfully fulfilled their initial charter school contract.

Interdisciplinary Teaching License

Whereas, the Association supported the 2005 legislation that directed the Board of Teaching to develop the qualifications for an Interdisciplinary Teaching License and that effort has culminated in limited results,

Therefore, MACS will continue to support the creation of an Interdisciplinary Teaching License for use in middle and secondary school that are project-based, on-line or alternative learning environments,

Therefore, MACS will work with other supporters to draft, introduce and lobby for legislation that defines the qualifications and requirements for the Interdisciplinary License and directs the Board of Teaching to implement the license.

Student Admissions

Whereas, traditional public school districts are allowed to provide preferential admissions for teachers in district schools of choice,

Therefore, MACS will actively work to amend the charter school law to allow for preferential enrollment for children of current charter school licensed teachers and non-licensed staff members.

Therefore, MACS will undertake a comprehensive review of the administrative interpretations of MDE regarding the admissions section of the charter school law and develop legislative language for 2007.

Charter School Student Access to Extracurricular Activities

Whereas, there is evidence that participation in extracurricular activities can benefit the personal and academic achievement of many young people, and

Whereas, artificial barriers to participation in extracurricular activities hurt young people, and

Whereas, we believe that all public schools traditional and charter schools should put the interests and needs of young people before politics or organizational interests,

Therefore, MACS will support legislation that state as a matter of public policy that, traditional public school districts and public charter schools, be strongly encouraged to enter into cooperative agreements to provide extracurricular activities to meet the interests and needs of young people.

Therefore, MACS will support legislation that would prohibit traditional school districts from adopting policies that discriminate against public charter school students or that charge exorbitant fees that do not reflect the actual cost of the extracurricular activity as reported in the districts financial statements and audits.

Pupil Transportation

Whereas, there are a multitude of issues that affect the fair and equitable treatment of public charter school students in terms of transportation to and from school,

Therefore, MACS will develop a comprehensive transportation agenda in concert with other interested parties for the 2007 legislative session.

Early Childhood Program Funding

Whereas, a number of Charter School have quality Early Childhood Programs that serve the needs of pre-school children, and

Whereas, there is a growing need for quality Early Childhood programming across the state,

Therefore, MACS will develop a proposal for legislation in 2007 that would allow Charter Schools to access Early Childhood funding programs.

Public Charter School Governance

Whereas, there are structural/policy issues that need to be addressed to clarify and strengthen charter school governance,

Therefore, MACS will develop proposals to clarify public charter school governance issues for 2007, that would allow for alternative model governance plans that are now currently available only through the waiver process.

Autonomy of Public Charter Schools

Whereas, there are political forces and organizations that want to limit the autonomy of public charter schools, stifle innovation and creativity in education and limit parental choice in public education,

Therefore, MACS will be ready to speak in opposition to all attempts to limit the autonomy, stifle innovation and limit parental choice in public education and undertake initiatives to educate lawmakers, community leaders, parents and the citizens of Minnesota to the value and purpose of charter schools and the impact these schools have in the personal and academic achievement of young people.

Ratified by the membership of the Minnesota Association of Charter Schools, February 2006.