WHAT IS A CHARTER SCHOOL ANYWAY?

A charter school is a public school option, permitted by federal law, and organized under the laws of a particular state. In Wisconsin, Chapter 118.40 of the state statutes outlines the requirements of a charter school.

The state statute also outlines other requirements of a charter school. These requirements mandate a charter school to be non-sectarian in its programs, admission and employment practices, and prohibits a charter school from charging tuition or discriminating in its admission policies. The charter can be revoked if a school violates the charter law or its contract with the district. It can also be revoked if the students fail to make sufficient progress towards attaining the educational goals, or if the school fails to comply with generally accepted accounting standards of fiscal management. Unlike a regular school, a charter school must satisfactorily perform in order to keep its doors

The charter contract for CKCS is between the Verona Area School Board and Parents Advocating Student Success, Inc. (PASS). The current contract was granted in February 2001, for a term of five years. This contract outlines the curriculum and student expectations, the governance model and budget expectations. Copies of the contract can be viewed in the school office, or by contacting any member of the PASS board or Governing Council.

SO HOW DID CKCS GET STARTED?

The genesis of CKCS started in 1995, when a group of parents in the Verona School District realized that a charter school might be a way to implement a different teaching philosophy and methodology than what was currently being used in the district. This group wanted to implement an educational model that was more traditional, i.e., a "back to basics" program that would include a research-based standardized curriculum, actual grades and an effective teaching methodology. While not intending to criticize the district for its current practices, these parents wanted to exercise their right, recently recognized under federal and state laws, to create a choice option that was more in line with their personal beliefs about how children should be taught. After thousands of hours of research and discussion, the group settled on the Core Knowledge® Sequence, by E. D. Hirsch and a teaching curriculum and methodology known as Direct Instruction.

The Core Knowledge® Sequence provides a coherent, planned progression of specific content knowledge that builds a solid foundation year by year. This foundation of knowledge provides a common ground for communication in a diverse society. Direct Instruction incorporates grouping of students based on their instructional level, teaching strategies, including but not limited to scripted lesson plans for certain subjects, and a philosophy of teaching to mastery while encouraging a high level of student involvement, and careful monitoring of student progress on an ongoing basis.

The group of parents held informational coffees and meetings to provide information to interested parents about the educational opportunity it was pursuing. A prototype of the Direct Instruction program had been in place at Stoner Prairie Elementary School, and information was shared about the incredible success of that program. Parents were encouraged to review the E.D. Hirsch series, "What Your [fill in the grade] Should Know" which was the basis for the curriculum.

The group then put together its application for a charter school, based on the requirements of Wisconsin law. This school was to be the second charter school in Verona; a charter for the New Century School had just been approved. The key difference between New Century and CKCS (other than the curriculum and philosophy) was that CKCS was to be parent governed and autonomous from district control. After significant debate at the board level, in January 1996 a five-year contract was approved. At the time, the school had no staff, no facilities, no supplies and no students. The school was scheduled toin the fall of 1996. Once the contract was approved, the parent founders recruited and hired teachers, negotiated for classroom space, and purchased supplies. A first come, first serve registration occurred one very cold Saturday morning in February 1997, and a waiting list was created for the grade levels that were full. ("Full" was defined by the number of slots per grade level that the district was willing to fund.) Parental donations of time, materials, supplies (and money) made it possible tothe doors on time. Parents served on committees throughout the summer-- committees worked on curriculum development, budgeting, purchasing, and governance. Additionally, the founders negotiated with the district for its fair share of state revenue (it’s "per pupil amount"). They also applied for, and received several grants that were used to buy supplies for the school, such as textbooks and other teaching materials needed for the new school.

In the fall of 1996, CKCS officiallyd its doors. There were 150 students, K-7, enrolled. The school board had authorized and funded an enrollment of 144 students, but ultimately 150 students were enrolled the first year. CKCS decided to accept the additional six students into the program, even though the district did not transfer the state funding for those students. The school was originally housed in space at Stoner Prairie Elementary, the new Savanna Oaks Elementary School and Verona Middle School. The district had made it clear that CKCS would not be allowed to move out of district buildings, and retained approximately half of the "per pupil amount" received by the state to cover rent, overhead, transportation and administrative expenses. While there were certainly challenges that still needed to be overcome, the parents of the students, together with the staff, were all excited about the new learning opportunity that was available.

As the first school year progressed, it became apparent that the program was successful beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Plans were made to allow additional students to enroll, as space allowed and as the district agreed to transfer the state funding for the additional students. The school expanded to two sections per grade level, up through grade three. It was thought that since the school utilized a "building block" approach to teaching, it was best not to expand to two sections in the upper grades, but rather, to allow growth as the third grade class progressed through the sequence.

For the first two years, expansion and new enrollment was determined by a straight lottery system, with a preference given only to siblings of currently enrolled students. A waiting list was utilized in the event a class was full, and parents were notified ifngs occurred throughout the year. The US Department of Education advised CKCS that this was the legal way to determine enrollment in a public charter school. However, in 1998, the school board implemented "Rule 360" (reference is to Verona School Board Rule 360, now Rule 347.2). Under this rule, the district, not CKCS leadership, conducted enrollment lotteries. The board also decided that "free and reduced lunch" students and special needs students were to have priority in enrollment. Siblings continued to have the highest priority for Kindergarten enrollment but were moved to third priority behind free and reduced lunch and special needs students for grades 1-8. Additionally, provisions were made to allow "move ins", (students new to the district after the most recent lottery) a special priority as well. This rule has been modified from time to time, over the years, but remains the basis for enrollment in CKCS.

Standardized testing is one of the primary assessment tools used by CKCS. All students are tested when they enter the school, and yearly tests are given to assess progress. Early on, and continuing today, these tests showed students making remarkable progress, and provided insight for staff where the program could be strengthened. All standardized test results are analyzed in detail in the yearly Annual Report filed with the district and available in the CKCS office. CKCS test scores have always been evaluated by an independent third party at the University of Wisconsin. The expense for such evaluation is borne by CKCS, and is a part of its annual budget. Under the guidance of the Curriculum Coordinator and newly hired part time Director, the curriculum was solidified. Teacher training was a priority, and countless hours were spent training and assisting in this regard.

From the day the contract was awarded to the present, parent volunteers were an integral part of the school’s success. Secretarial tasks, supply ordering and inventory management, grant writing and serving on the hiring committee were just a few ways that parents provided the staff with the opportunity to spend their time teaching and preparing for classes. Parents quickly learned how to help in the classrooms too—with reading check outs, grading of papers and preparation of materials for use by the teachers. This spirit of parent involvement continues today.

Within two years, the Savanna Oaks/Stoner Prairie "campus" was almost at capacity, and Verona Middle School was feeling the pinch of crowded classrooms. The district began to explore its space options within the system, and put forth two referenda for additional buildings. These referenda failed, and there was a deep philosophical split among the parents in the district regarding the issue of space needs, boundary changes and how to best accommodate the growing population of "free and reduced lunch" students. Finally in 1999, the district was successful in passing a less costly referendum that would convert Savanna Oaks into a middle school and convert the existing Country View School into high school space. The referendum also allowed the district to build a new Country View Elementary, build a new gym at Sugar Creek and modify Verona Middle School (renamed Badger Ridge) to accommodate the CKCS elementary population. (They would be housed together with its middle school students, and the common school middle school students of Badger Ridge.)

The goal of housing the school in one site was a priority for the staff and parent leaders of CKCS. Being housed in three locations was a drain of financial and personnel resources. It was hoped that by moving to Badger Ridge, the school could function more efficiently, both from a cost and personnel standpoint. The parent board had spent many hours talking to parents of students, working through issues that such a move would entail. CKCS was the only elementary site willing even to consider such a move. The fact that the school, and all its resources, would now be under one roof, was a strong motivator. The K-8 model had worked successfully in a number of private and public school settings for years, so there was precedent for such a move. Parent committees worked hard with the district to develop a list of priorities for Badger Ridge, as the school was to be "retrofitted" to accommodate the younger students. It was hoped that the site would be ready by the fall as the students returned to class. Unfortunately, circumstances beyond the control of the CKCS parent boards caused the school to be less than ideal that fall, but through the persistence of teachers and parents, modifications were finally completed.

During the summer of 2000, the parent board of PASS, Inc. notified the school board of its intent to seek renewal of the charter contract, due to expire at the end of the 2000-01 school year. This project was a monumental undertaking, and thousands of volunteer hours were spent negotiating with the school board, the new superintendent Greg Mowen, and the administrative team to develop a contract that would be acceptable to the school board. CKCS agreed to change its management structure to allow participation by more parents, and a detailed, written governance plan was developed, so that there would be no question by anyone what the role of the PASS organization or the Governing Council was to be. CKCS is the only site that has such a detailed written plan. The school had grown tremendously during the previous four years, and it was time to convert from a "mom and pop" organization, with just a few individuals doing all the work, to a more sustainable organization that would be able to function for years to come, as the leadership changed. Rule 360 had not been a very successful tool to recruit low income and special needs students, so CKCS and the district also agreed to work collaboratively to try to increase the enrollment of these students. In February of 2001, the school board approved a new contract for a term of five years on a 5-3 vote. CKCS had the full support of Greg Mowen for the renewal.

CKCS also had, and continues to have, a very active Parent Round Table (the "PRT") which functions in the role of a traditional "PTO". It provides support to the school in a number of ways. PRT fundraises for the school, and sponsors forums, special events and school clubs. It also conducts the elections for PASS and Governing Council members.

The remainder of the 2000-01 school year and into the next year brought new challenges for CKCS. Faced with a Director who developed a serious medical condition, which lead to an extended medical leave, CKCS hired an interim Director for the 2001-02 school year. The Governing Council assumed its new role, and went to work dealing with the day to day issues of school management, while the PASS board dealt with issues relating to the contract. By the end of the year, it was learned that the Director would not be returning, so a search was launched for a permanent Director. Throughout the summer of 2002, the parent-driven hiring committee worked diligently with the district to interview and select the new Director. Once on board, the Director worked with the Governing Council and PASS boards to direct the school in accordance with the mission of the school.

During the summer of 2000, CKCS was notified by the Core Knowledge® Foundation that it was implementing a certification process to ensure that all schools using the Core Knowledge® name were adhering strictly to the Core Knowledge® curriculum. The term "Core Knowledge" was now a federally protected trademark. The Curriculum Coordinator spent countless hours compiling information and aligning curriculum to the Wisconsin State Standards and in 2001, CKCS became an official Core Knowledge® school. It was the first Core Knowledge® school in the state of Wisconsin.

May of 2002 brought additional honor to CKCS when one of its parent leaders was invited to a White House ceremony with President George Bush celebrating National Charter School Week. Both parent volunteers and staff remain active in national charter school activities and have acted as presenters at national conferences.

For the first time since the school was started, the 2002-03 school year began with CKCS having two sections of each grade level, K-8. As the school moves forward into the 2003-04 school year, it will no doubt have challenges and opportunities to address. The parent groups, working together with the Director and staff will no doubt make decisions that are intended to address the needs of the students.