The Northeast Charter Schools Network is the only statewide charter school advocacy group working to protect and grow the charter school movement at the State Capitols in New York and Connecticut. NECSN represents charter schools across each state, both independent and CMO-supported, large and small. It is our mission to support and grow high-quality charter schools.
What We Do We lobby on your behalf ● Block harmful, anti-charter school legislation that is routinely introduced in the legislature. Without this work, the charter movement would not survive. ● Advance and lead the statewide movement with direct lobbying to policymakers and lawmakers at the Capitol and work with advocacy partners in coalitions to boost local and federal initiatives. ● Support schools in their efforts to mobilize and engage parents and other stakeholders in advocacy efforts. ● Advocate for charter schools with authorizers and agencies. ● Coordinate a team of experienced lobbyists and political consultants who have relationships at every level of government.
We tell your story ● Promote and share the good work of our member schools and partners. ● Generate content to share a pro-charter vision and explain the benefits of chartering with a wide audience through both traditional and social media. ● Work with reporters and journalists to educate the media and the public about the charter school movement. ● Hold editorial-board meetings to build awareness and support for charter school issues.
We keep you informed ● Regional roundtable meetings focused on advocacy. ● Technical advice workshops on a range of topics, such as monitoring academic quality and board governance. ● Plan and coordinate visits to the Capitol or district offices so schools can meet with their legislators and other elected officials.
Advocacy Services ¡ Frequent Capitol Updates during budget negotiations and the legislative session. ¡ Policy and Regulatory Bulletins sharing hot topic advice and information. ¡ Monthly updates on the NY Board of Regents and CT State Board of Education activities. ¡ Access to the Help Desk, staffed with experts who can provide guidance on: policy and advocacy, school services and technical questions, data analysis and monitoring needs, special education, and more. ¡ Technical Assistance Advisories on topics from E-rate to HR.
We offer a dual dues structure. Basic Advocacy Membership is $15 per student and provides our advocacy work and your choice of one item from from the Pick One menu, or two items from the Pick Two menu. A Services Membership is $10 per student more, and provides both an item from the Pick One menu and two items from the Pick Two menu, and free access to all events, webinars and conferences.
¡ Member discounts from our vetted Preferred Vendors, including: NWEA, McGraw Hill products, furniture vendors, insurance experts, and food service providers. ¡ Crisis management advice and
support as needed.
Membership Services Pick One
Pick Two
¡ Teaching Observations: We’ll spend a day in your school observing your
¡ Desk Audit: We’ll conduct a full review of teacher certification records and fingerprint
teachers, and providing immediate feedback. We can evaluate student engagement, academic rigor, or management – you tell us. ¡ Teacher Professional Development: This is a four-hour session that focuses on a variety of topics such as data-driven instruction and making data “actionable”, building school culture, strengthening classroom management, and teacher strategies. ¡ Special Education: We will conduct a full review of all your special education policies and provide feedback. Our Director of Special Education will spend a few days examining your policies and visiting your school to determine whether they are being properly implemented or if they need improvement. ¡ Mock Interviews: Go through a practice session with our staff to prepare for renewal or any comprehensive school visit. This four-hour session will help flag potential speed-bumps. ¡ Site Visit Preparation: We’ll spend a full day at your school getting you ready for renewal or a pre-opening visit. ¡ Parent Engagement: We’ll help you find ways to increase parental involvement and build relationships with your school community.
compliance, or a full policy review. Let’s make sure your records and policies are in order. ¡ Media 101: This session can cover topics such as press release writing, how to pitch a story to the media, how to respond to media inquiries, and the basics of a strong Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor. We’ll also talk social media strategy. ¡ Charter Grid: Let’s assemble an easy-to-read summary of your charter agreement. This will be useful for board members and staff to track how closely the implementation of your program matches your charter. ¡ Effect Size Estimates: We’ll carefully review records from your charter term and provide estimates and projections using a method similar to what the authorizers use to evaluate growth. ¡ Special Education: Our Director of Special Education will go through your policies and procedures and provide coaching, feedback and advice tailored to your school. ¡ Data Comparisons: Our Data Analyst will do a complete data breakdown to see how you perform against your host district, other charters, and other district schools over the course of the charter term. ¡ Data Dashboards: You provide us your data, and we create a data dashboard
Remember: Advocacy members pick one OR two; Services members pick one AND pick two!
that reflects your school in a way that the Board can easily understand and track. ¡ Handbook Review: We can review and provide feedback on your employee or parent handbooks. ¡ Legislative and Advocacy Analysis: Our policy and advocacy team will provide a customized analysis of the legislative landscape, along with advice on which relationships are key, and how to best advocate for your school and the charter movement.
NECSN works with new charter applicants with absolutely no up-front costs. Schools that are approved but not yet open are given a complimentary membership!
Contact us today! Additional Fee-Based Services ¡ Strategic Planning: Our expert strategic planning coach will help your board and leadership develop a comprehensive strategic plan. This session is extensive and intense and requires a significant time commitment from the school. ¡ Observations: Multiple days of observations with written feedback and a continuous improvement plan. ¡ Special Education: A full written evaluation of the entire special education program. ¡ Board Training: Full and half day sessions available, customized based on the specific needs of each school. ¡ Renewal Applications or Charter Amendments: A full review of the renewal application or application to amend or expand the charter. Feedback and coaching provided. ¡ Business Plans: For schools looking to replicate or create a CMO. Let us help you work through the creation of a strong business plan from the start.
Contact us for details: membership@necharters.org Jill Shahen Co-Director of Membership and Services jshahen@necharters.org
Andrea Rogers Co-Director of Membership and Services arogers@necharters.org
Madyson Lubba Assistant Director of Membership and Services mlubba@necharters.org Northeast Charter Schools Network 915 Broadway, Suite 110 Albany NY, 12207 834 Asylum Avenue Hartford, CT 06105
Phone: (518) 694-3110 (855) 694-3110 (TOLL FREE)
@necharters www.necharters.org /necharters