The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Applications for New Charter Schools

By statute, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board) grants charters for new charter schools at its meeting in February. In November 2014, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) received final applications to establish four charter schools. This memorandum provides a preview of the February applications as well as of the review process. Executive summaries for each of these final applications, as prepared by the applicant groups, are attached for your review.

As originally proposed, the two applications to establish Commonwealth charter schools did not serve districts performing in the lowest ten percent, as required by the charter school statute and defined by the charter school regulations. When notified that their final applications could not go forward for the school districts and regions proposed, one applicant group reconfigured its proposed region, and the second applicant group requested a waiver of the charter school regulation specifying the methodology for calculating districts in the lowest ten percent. The Academy for the Whole Child Charter School modified its proposed region, dropping three districts and adding one. The reconfigured region includes four districts in the lowest ten percent, Athol-Royalston, Gardner, Orange, and Winchendon. The Department determined that the consolidated region met the criteria for consideration and could proceed to the final application stage. For the second application, the New Heights Charter School of Brockton, in November 2014 the Board granted a waiver3 of the charter school regulation specifying the methodology for calculating districts in the lowest ten percent.

Also attached is a detailed description of the review process and the criteria for charter school applications. Briefly, the charter school final application review process includes the following components:

• Public comment. During the current application process, public hearings were held in November and December in Brockton, Fitchburg, Salem, and Springfield. At least one Board member attended every hearing. Superintendents and school committees in the districts to be served by the proposed schools were invited to submit written comments. Written comments were also accepted from members of the public. Prior to the February meeting, you will receive a compact disk containing recordings of the five public hearings and copies of all of the written comments.
• Review panels. Review panels, which include both internal and external reviewers, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the final applications and identify areas where clarification from applicants is needed. This process generates questions for the interview phase.
• Interviews. During January, the Department conducts a final interview with each applicant group, including the proposed board of trustees; proposed school employees, if identified; and representatives of partners identified as involved in the operation of the proposed school.

I will forward to the Board, prior to its February meeting, my recommendations for the award of new charters. In the meantime, if you have any questions on the pending applications for charter schools or the review process, please contact Jeff Wulfson, Deputy Commissioner, at 781-338-6500; Cliff Chuang, Associate Commissioner, at 781-338-3222; or me.

Enclosures:

Executive Summaries of Final Applications

Description of the Charter Application Review Process and Criteria for Review

1 There are two categories of charter schools, Commonwealth charter schools and Horace Mann charter schools. Horace Mann and Commonwealth charter schools differ in that a Horace Mann charter school must have its charter approved by the local school committee and, in some cases, the local teachers' union prior to the grant of a charter by the Board.

2 An agreement with the local collective bargaining unit is not required prior to granting a Horace Mann III charter. Following the grant of a charter, however, the board of trustees of a charter school must negotiate with the collective bargaining unit and the school committee in good faith regarding any modifications to collective bargaining agreements. Pursuant to 603 CMR 1.11, Horace Mann schools must submit applications to renew their charters with the certification of a majority vote of the school committee and local collective bargaining unit.

3 VOTED: "that the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, in accordance with 603 CMR 1.03(2), hereby waive the amendments to 603 CMR 1.04(9) as adopted by the Board on March 25, 2014; and the Board further directs the Commissioner to determine a ranking of districts based on the criteria in said regulation prior to the adoption of said amendments solely for the purpose of determining whether the New Heights Charter School of Brockton application submitted in the 2014-15 application cycle may proceed."