One of my favorite events of the year is the National Charter Schools Conference. Where and when else do thousands of charter school community members from across the country come together to learn, collaborate, and celebrate? This year’s conference will be especially awesome because it will be in New Orleans—a resilient and innovative city that epitomizes culture, music, and culinary genius. To accentuate the liveliness of the city, NCSC 2015 will kick off with a Mardi Gras welcome reception parade!
As a program committee member, I had the tough role of helping to shape the conference content. This was a challenging process and highly competitive, but the results include an excellent collection of sessions that will elevate the discourse about charter school governance. While the entire Governance line-up will offer thought-provoking and relevant information, I’m specifically thrilled for two sessions that I know I will attend. In Paradise by the Dashboard Lights: How to Build and Use Academic Dashboards, Simmons Lettre and Carrie Irvin from Charter Board Partners and Susannah Staats from KIPP Foundation will share their unique insights on how to create academic dashboards and monitor progress from a high level. Board members and school leaders will use sample academic dashboards and role-playing to learn how boards can use dashboards effectively without stepping on school leaders’ toes. In Beyond the Revolving Door: Institutionalizing Board Mindset, Jennifer Dauzvardis from Peak to Peak Charter School is going to make the case for why boards must create systems to manage knowledge over time. She realizes that maintaining quality governance requires institutionalized systems for developing board members, implementing effective governance practices, and interpreting board-level data. Participants in this session will explore strategies and identify solutions to promote appropriate board engagement and processes for board decision-making. We are each on a journey towards continuous improvement. Just like the students we serve, we should invest in our development through learning opportunities such as NCSC 2015. I’m excited to see you in the Crescent City from June 21-24! Makiyah Moody is the Governance Initiatives Director, Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools and Co-Chair of the 2015 National Charter Schools Conference Program Committee
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