2012 Wisconsin Charter Schools Conference

March 15th & 16th, 2012

Lake Geneva, WI

Co-Sponsored by

Wednesday, March 14th

6:00pm-8:00pm

Conference Overview

Welcome cocktail networking reception Grand Geneva Resort Lobby Lounge

Thursday, March 15th

7:30am-4:00pm 7:30am-4:00pm 7:30am-8:30am 8:30am-9:30am 9:30am-4:00pm 9:30am-9:45am 9:45am-11:45am 11:45am-12:00pm 12:00pm-1:00pm 1:00pm-1:15pm 1:15pm-2:30pm 2:30pm-2:45pm 2:45pm-4:00pm

Registration open Exhibits open, Ballroom Foyer Continental breakfast served General session, Grand Ballroom Tony Evers, State Superintendent of Education Sarah G. Toce, Executive Director, WCSA Coaching room open, Buttons Bay Boardroom Visit exhibits, Ballroom Foyer Breakout sessions Visit exhibits, Ballroom Foyer Networking Lunch, Grand Ballroom Visit exhibits, Ballroom Foyer Breakout sessions Visit exhibits, Ballroom Foyer Breakout sessions

Friday, March 16th

8:00am-1:30pm 8:00am-1:30pm 8:00am-9:00am 9:00am-10:00am Registration open Exhibits open, Ballroom Foyer Continental breakfast served General session, Grand Ballroom Policy Roundtable Discussion with Public Q&A Senator Tim Cullen, Senator Luther Olsen, Robert Soldner, DPI Visit exhibits Breakout sessions Visit exhibits, Ballroom Foyer Networking Lunch, Grand Ballroom Visit exhibits, Ballroom Foyer Conference ends

10:00am-10:15am 10:15am-11:45am 11:45am-12:00pm 12:00pm-1:00pm 1:00pm-1:30pm 1:30pm

Coaching Room Schedule

Open in Buttons Bay Boardroom on Thursday only from 9:30am-4:00pm

Topic Governance Coach Carrie Bonk, former president of the board, Lake Country Academy Financial Carrie Bonk, Sustainability former president of the board, Lake Country Academy Assessments Jan Bontz, Northwooods Community Secondary School Administration Allen Brant, & Governance principal, Kaleidsocope Academy Marketing & Laurel Cavalluzzo, Communications owner, Madison Marketing LLC Charter School Barry Golden & Grants Margaret McMurray, DPI Charter School Consultants School Design David Mueller & Renee Ullman, Appleton Career Academy Strategic Kim Stezala, Planning & owner, Stezala Sustainability Consulting School Design, Jennifer Wilson, Multiage owner, New Leaf Learning Coaching and Consulting Project Based Jon Woloshin, Learning TAGOS Jennifer Plamann & Steven DeMay, Valley New School Description Your governing board has a large role in ensuring autonomy and accountability. All governing board questions welcome. Time 9:30-1:00

You cant live on DPI grants forever! Carrie will help 1:00-4:00 you understand the intricacies of charter school fund development. Formative assessments can be a powerful tool in your quest to raise student achievement. Have questions? Jan has answers. 1:00-3:00

An expert in traditional and charter school relations, 2:30-4:00 Al can help you understand all facets of running both schools from the adult and student perspectives. A high quality communications plan is essential to 1:00-3:30 the future success of your charter school. Laurel can help you start your plan or polish off one that youve already started. Terrific timing! You can use Barry and Margarets 9:30-4:00 infinite wisdom to perfect your grant or just get your charter school questions answered.

! Have questions about a school within a school? Ask the ones who have been there, done that.
After having worked with dozens of schools in WI, Kim has seen it all. If strategic planning is what you need, Kim has got you covered. Jen knows charter schools inside and out. If you have a school design question, or even a school redesign question, youve found your answer.

9:30-12:00

1:00-2:30

11:00-1:00

Veterans in the WI PBL movement, Jon, Jennifer, and 9:30-4:00 Steven can help you develop a PBL program or incorporate PBL into your already existing program.

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School Operations Maple Lawn A 9:45am-11:45am

Al Brant, Principal Kaleidoscope Academy

Here Today and Gone Tomorrow: Are you Sustainable? Learn about what Kaleidoscope Academy does to make sure their school is sustainable beyond the grant cycles. We will review our governance structure with subcommittees, growing the schools resources, increasing student enrollment, and marketing your school. Inquiry Based Learning in a Digital Age With the ease of access of information from students and exponential growth of digital capabilities, how can we teach the digital natives? In this session you will learn to focus the learning activities so that the center of the growth and experience is student led using technology as a means to knowledge and skills rather than an end. We will cover the basics of setting up a well-organized inquiry based project, free digital tools that aid student organization, assessment of inquiry based projects and how to scaffold learners away from sit and get learning.

Thursday, March 15th

Curriculum & Technology Maple Lawn B 9:45am-11:45am

John Richards, Kaleidoscope Academy

Achievement
Maple Lawn C 9:45am-11:45am

Josh Zimmers & Nancy Schaitel, WI Montessori Association

Demystifying Montessori The Wisconsin Montessori Association will present a series of hands-on mini-workshops that will introduce participants to Montessori methods and materials. Members of the WMA Board of Directors and Executive Directors will discuss the history of Montessori education and guide participants through four levels of materials, instruction and environments (ages 3-6, ages 6-9, ages 9- 12 and ages 12-18).

Breakout
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Advocacy & Communications Linwood B 9:45am-10:45am (new schools) 10:45am-11:45am (established schools)

Laurel Cavalluzzo, Madison Marketing LLC

Marketing your school Your school is unique and innovative in its educational offerings. You have a mission and a vision that conveys what your school is all about. But a key to this all is to have a plan for how to cost-effectively market and communicate your school. In order for your school to succeed (and really to thrive), you need people to know what your school is and all that it has to offer. You need to get word out to target audiences - parents and students, to press and media, to others in your community. For new schools, well look at the essential elements you need for your schools marketing strategy and understand the challenges so you can be better prepared. Does your school need a brand? How do you define your messaging points? Should you craft a value proposition (and why)? Who are your target audiences? How can you get media coverage for my school? Should you use social media? For established schools, the issues are a bit different. You still need a marketing plan, but you likely have many of the elements already in place. But a marketing plan must evolve so your communication efforts are as effective as they should be. Ask yourself, are your marketing efforts helping you meet your schools overall goals?Whether early in the process of developing your marketing efforts for your school, or if you are looking to ensure that your marketing plan has continued to grow and change as your school grows and/or changes, one of these sessions will help give you tools to be more successful.

Thursday, March 15th Breakout

Dissemination Linwood A 9:45am-11:45pm

Heather Terrill Stotts, WI Innovative Schools Network Coordinator

An Introduction to the WI Innovative Schools Network The Wisconsin Innovative Schools Network is a grass roots organization that is committed to creating and providing resources to a highly professional organization of educators. This group has come together due to the challenges we face in Wisconsin in how to best support and sustain the amazing innovations we see in our charter schools. The WISN is operated by professional educators with the purpose of creating a dynamic training, support, and resource sharing system that will include significant use of the statewide video network for close collaboration and continuous improvement. The Networks vision includes growing the expert capacity so successful schools in all pedagogical models can become laboratory schools where the advisors/teachers become consultants, trainers and coaches for other new and similar schools. These schools will be training centers where other teachers can become immersed in learning a process for transforming a school. In addition to learning more about the WISN in this session, you will also be invited to share your ideas, questions, and needs. Whether youre in a planning year, or your 10th year, theres something for you to discover. Visit with friends old and new. This is your time to reconnect! Explore the possibilities for your school with the many incredible exhibitors.

Thursday, March 15th

Ballroom Foyer 11:45am-12:00pm Grand Ballroom 12:00pm-1:00pm Ballroom Foyer 1:00pm-1:15pm

Visit exhibits Networking lunch Visit exhibits

Breakout
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School Operations Maple Lawn A 1:15pm-2:30pm

Pauline Allen and Al Brant, Kaleidoscope Academy

Serving All Students: Are You Reflective of the Community How does your charter school serve the needs of students with special education. Charter schools are supposed to be reflective of the community they are located in. Serving all students includes students with learning disabilities. Find out how one charter school with an enrollment of 250 has served students with learning disabilities, emotional disabilities, deaf and hard of hearing, and legally blind. High Impact Professional Development Discover how to engage impactful, year-long professional development to improve classroom instruction and student learning. Well bring together the research on Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and Collaborative Learning Groups (CLGs) as well as recent research on effective adult professional development. This session will become a PLC/CLG meeting while participants look at student data samples and access Editures Professional Learning Platform with research-based content for both facilitator and learner. Promoting Students to be Architects and Advocates of Their Own Learning Participants will create an example of a way they learn, which reflects their personal learning style, passion, and learning outcomes. Participants will identify key practices implemented in the critical role of community building, which support and accelerate student engagement and learning. Participants will examine examples of student portfolios, which demonstrate engagement in the process of learning, as well as explore various tools to support student communication of progress and self- assessment as evidence of learning. Participants will explore the impact of a learning environment (both physical and emotional) on student ownership of individual and group achievement.

Thursday, March 15th

Curriculum & Technology Maple Lawn B 1:15pm-2:30pm

Konni Byford, Midwest Manager, Editure Professional Development

Achievement Maple Lawn C 1:15pm-2:30pm

Dave Risch, Principal & Founder, Heather Whelan, Guidance Councilor & Founder, Kathy Kramer, Governance Council Rebecca Bailey, Lead Teacher, Harland School of Community Learning

Breakout

Achievement Linwood B 1:15pm-2:30pm

Peggie Garcia, National Charter School Resource Center

English Learners in Your Classroom Wisconsin has both an increasing number of charter schools and a growing population of English Learners. How can charter school educators in Wisconsin best meet the needs of English Learners (ELs) in their schools? Join us for an informative session that will help charter school educators who do not have a great deal of experience with ELs better understand the characteristics of the EL population, what the research says about instructional practices that are most effective with ELs, and how teachers can provide ELs with a variety of classroom supports to help them master the academic content and improve their language proficiency in English. An Introduction to the Multiage Learning Network The Multiage Learning Network (MLN) is launching in June 2012. Through the MLN web portal, educators will be able to access videos, FAQ's, materials, resources, research and other multiage learning schools and educators. The videos address essential elements for successful multiage learning such as differentiation, assessment, and flexible grouping. This series is intended to help educators who are new to multiage learning learn what it is and what it is not, and to allow experienced multiage educators get new ideas. In this session, you'll learn about multiage learning's benefits, effective implementation of a multiage learning model, and have the chance to ask a panel of educators who just made the transition what they've learned. Grab a bite to eat and peruse the exhibits for resources and ideas. Defining the Authorizers Role in the Autonomy/Accountability Tradeoff Do you know what is (or should be) in your charter contract? Learn about the role of a strong charter contract in defining the relationship between a charter school authorizer and its schools. We will discuss the basic elements of a strong charter contract and how enforcement of the contract will allow authorizers to uphold school autonomy, maintain high standards for schools, and protect student and public interests.

Thursday, March 15th

Dissemination Linwood A 1:15pm-2:30pm

Jen Wilson, New Leaf Coaching and Consulting Pam Gustafson, IDEAL Charter School Diance Dalzin, Pam Bakken & Keri Adelmeyer, LINCS

Ballroom Foyer 2:30pm-2:45pm School Operations Maple Lawn A 2:45pm-4:00pm

Visit exhibits & afternoon snack Whitney Spalding, National Association of Charter School Authorizers

Breakout
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Curriculum & Technology Maple Lawn B 2:45pm-4:00pm

Tiffany May, Berghammer Construction Eric Dufek, Eppstein Uhen Architects

21st Century Learning Environments Todays students require a skill set that the traditional school model was never intended to deliver. All students have the ability to be top performers if they are instructed in a way that best matches their own learning characteristics. Often, the physical space limits the techniques used to engage students during the daily learning opportunities. We will review how education used to be received by students, how it has or hasnt changed, and what may be on the horizon. Model for Change: How to develop a comprehensive process for change that includes stakeholders in leadership roles Major change in an organization can create stress and uncertainty unless there is active formal and informal cooperation between the leader and the staff. So how do you develop a comprehensive vision based on student learning and improving instruction and have all the stakeholders take a leadership role in the process and ownership in the results? This workshop will provide a model for success in doing just that based on an actual process used by the principal and staff of Lincoln Inquiry Charter School, which is in its first year of operation as a charter school. This workshop will be useful to potential planners of charter schools, but is equally useful to anyone contemplating major change in their organization. Green Imagination: STEAM Teaching and Learning This fast-paced, hands-on session introduces ways to connect the environment to classrooms and communities greening imagination. Participants breathe in life by getting fresh understandings of a world connected in nine scales- nano, pattern, object, space, architecture, neighborhoods, cities, regions, and global. Looking with light as the first material, participants draw lines, shapes, patterns, making nature based compositions. Greening schools and campuses, participants introduce environmentally responsive reforms and use nature patterns to design earth day outdoor classrooms. Design As Nature stresses responsibility for the choices we make and embeds understanding of the impact human ecology has in relationship to bio diversity of culture and earths ecosystems.

Thursday, March 15th

Achievement Maple Lawn C 2:45pm-4:00pm

Dr. Jo Bernhardt, principal of LINCS Kristen Kwiatkowski, teacher at LINCS

Curriculum & Technology Linwood B 2:45pm-4:00pm

Linda & Mark Keane, NEXT.cc

Breakout

Dissemination Linwood A 2:45pm-4:00pm

Students & Advisors TAGOS Leadership Academy

That Sounds Like a Project So you want to learn where your food comes from? That sounds like a project to me! Learn how to give your students voice and choice by turning any topic into a multidisciplinary project. Staff and students from a PBL school in dissemination will answer questions about starting, operating, and maintaining a PBL charter school for students in 7th-12th grade. Information and data regarding achievement, demographics and return on investment (both human and financial) will be provided along with ready to use materials. Participants will better understand the structure of the project process and its application with work developed and shared by innovative teachers. Leave with tools and ideas that can get the project process started on Monday.

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Thursday, March

School Operations Maple Lawn A 10:15am-11:45am

Heather Heaviland & Andrea Underwood, IFF

Facilities for Charter Schools Presenters from IFF will share lessons learned from over a decade of finding, securing, developing, and financing new facilities for charter schools. Strategies for both start-up schools and schools looking to relocate or expand will be shared. Participants will receive tools and resources to help them prepare for and navigate through the facility development and financing process. Financing mechanisms including traditional financing, new markets tax credits, and tax- exempt bond financing will be explored. Financial Literacy Made Fun Teaching our youth to become financially responsible today helps them become responsible adults, employees, parents and community members tomorrow. Since 2006, Make A Difference Wisconsin has been working with business community volunteers to deliver financial education in high school classrooms. Hear more about this dynamic program, their outcomes, and the impact their making in the community. Neuroscience - The Foundation For Learning Recent scientific evidence is changing our common belief about human development and is supporting that purposeful intervention can change the brain at any age! The purpose of this session is to share neuroscience principles, thinking skills and the framework we use to foster improved student learning. Participants will understand: The need to use neuroscience as a foundation for teaching and learning, it is possible to significantly influence each student's opportunity for success, and specific strategies, tools and structures we use to positively affect student achievement. Inspired Fund Development for Charter School Governing Boards Does your nonprofit or school need more resources, but you and your board members really hate asking for MONEY, dont know how or dont have time? 3 Steps to loving your role as board member and fundraiser. Become inspired and confident by knowing what to say and do. Find time to do it by getting the direction and support you need. Never get rejected by focusing on strategic relationship building.

Friday, March 16th

Curriculum & Technology Maple Lawn B 10:15am-11:45am

Brenda Campbell, Make a Difference WI

Achievement Maple Lawn C 10:15am-11:45am

Lynn Brown, Jacob Shapiro Brain Based Instructional Laboratory

Breakout

Advocacy & Communications Linwood B 10:15am-11:45am

Deborah Lukovich, Alinea LLC

Curriculum & Technology Linwood A 10:15am-11:45am

John Jacobs, WI eSchool Network

An Introduction to the WI eSchools Network The Mission of the Wisconsin eSchool Network is to share high quality online learning resources and best practices while maintaining maximum autonomy for schools and programs to best meet the needs of their local community. We currently partner with 11 districts throughout the state of which the majority are charter schools. Our members range in size: seven are in the top ten largest districts and the remaining 4 being much smaller programs. Thus, our offerings are applicable to all districts looking to embrace 21st century learning. Browse a wide selection of exhibitors for all of your charter school needs. Grab a delicious lunch and relax with colleagues. This is your time to catch up with people you havent seen, or meet new people and expand your network. Your last chance to get inspiration and information from the terrific exhibitors.

Friday, March 16th

Ballroom Foyer 11:45am-12:00pm Grand Ballroom 12:00pm-1:00pm

Visit exhibits Networking Lunch

Ballroom Foyer 1:00pm-1:15pm

Visit exhibits

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Berghammer Construction With Eppstein Uhen Architechts 4750 North 132nd Street Butler, WI 54007 262-790-8115 www.berghammer.com Representatives: Tiffany May of Berghammer Construction Eric Dufek of Eppstein Uhen Architects Berghammer Construction Corporation: recognized leaders in the construction of functional and innovative Educational facilities. Eppstein Uhen Architects: recognized leaders in the design of functional and innovative educational facilities. Cardinal Stritch University 6801 North Yates Road Milwaukee, WI 53217 414-410-4062 www.stritch.edu Representatives: Alice Neesley, Linda Steiner, and Judy Wendorf Cardinal Stritch University offers masters and doctorate programs in four colleges: College of Education, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Nursing, College of Business. Editure Professional Development 536 13th Avenue South St Paul, MN 55075 612-998-6681 www.editurepd.com Representatives: Jill Freking and Konnie Byford Editure PD provides educators with budget- friendly PD resources, a library of 200 on- line research based course modules, while linking walkthrough observation data to individual learning plans.

Education 2020 7303 East Earl Drive Scottsdale, AZ 85251 877-202-0338 www.education2020.com Representatives: Greg Bishop and Lisa Rupert Education2020 helps school districts provide core and elective instruction in a virtual school setting for students in grades 6-12. Genesis & Speak for Success 174 Split Rock Acton, MA 01718 514-723-5996 www.gwsm-sports.com www.speak4success.co Representatives: Michael Davis of Genesis Richard Berger of Speak for Success The Genesis program teaches Leadership and Character Development. Speak For Success improves spoken/written English by eliminating common speaking errors and teaching basic grammar components & structure. Combined, they give students life skills that benefit their careers and personal lives. Grade Results 1920 Barber Drive Stoughton, WI 53589 www.graderesults.com Representatives: John Dary Grade Results provides online content supported with on-demand, one to one, live instructors. Our prescriptive methodology creates individualized learning plans designed to drive achievement.

Exhibitor Directory

Hertz Furniture Systems 95 McKee Drive Mahwah, NJ 07430 201-529-2100 www.hertzfurniture.com/ Representatives: Jennifer Urogi Educational furniture for every need; office, classroom, library, lab, cafeteria, playground, lockers, etc. 25-Year Warranty. Free design & planning services. National contracts. HERTZ THE SCHOOL FURNITURE EXPERTS. Learning Exchange 8205 Jackson Park Boulevard Milwaukee, WI 53213 414-641-0500 www.learningexchange.net Representatives: TJ Larkin and Lisa Reas Learning Exchange is the preferred supplier of Mimio and offers the interactive teaching tools and training needed to create effective, efficient and engaging learning environments. Mad Science 3270 East James Drive Oak Creek, WI 53154 414-768-1678 www.madscience.org/milwaukee Representatives: Kathy Johnson Offering a large selection of after-school, preschool, summer and vacation programs, workshops, special events and birthday parties. Mad Science sparks imaginative learning.

Mixed Bag Designs 1634 Rollins Road Burlingame, CA 94010 650-692-9494 www.mixedbagdesigns.com Representatives: Jill Hillock Innovative GREEN fundraising program. Raises 50% profit; promotes environmental responsibility. Durable, fashionable reusable bags hold up to 50 pounds...plus stationery, home and pet products. National Louis University 1200 West Park Place Suite 100 Milwaukee, WI 53224 414-577-2658 www.nlu.nl.edu Representatives: Carolyn Davis, Amy Hughes, Maria McClellan, Toni Riemer, and Bob Vance National Louis University (NLU) offers Charter School specific graduate degree programs for teachers and school leaders leading to the Wisconsin DPI administrator and principal licenses. Parallel Employment 1126 South 70th Street Suite S406A West Allis, WI 53214 414-517-4005 www.parallelemployment.com Representatives: Joanne Dudkiewicz and Bonnie Griffin Parallel Employment Group provides Substitute Teachers for daily, long term and direct hire positions. Find out how to access our sub pool of candidates!

Exhibitor Directory
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Preferred Meal Systems 10248 Leana Drive Roscoe, IL 61073 800-886-6325 www.preferredmealsystems.com Representatives: Eric Gouwens Preferred Meals provides great tasting, high quality nutritious meals in a fiscally and environmentally responsible manner. Project Based Learning Systems 877-836-9960 www.projectfoundry.org Representatives: Shane Krukowski Project Foundry is an online learning management and student portfolio system that allows innovative educators to scale authentic, integrated, individualized learning. ScholarBuys 150 South Washington Street Suite C Carpentersville, IL 60110 877-999-9294 www.scholarbuys.com Representatives: Matt Ryan As a value added reseller of computer software, hardware and peripherals, ScholarBuys is committed exclusively to the academic institution market.

SpedTrack 3045 South Scenic Suite 104 Springfield, MO 65807 417-861-4911 www.spedtrack.com Representatives: Lauren Kenney SpedTrack is web-based software that revolutionizes the management of Special Education programs by allowing school districts to centralize information and processes into one comprehensive application. Stezala Consulting 414-747-9391 www.stezalaconsulting.com Representatives: Kim Stezala Stezala Consulting helps charter schools thrive through governance and leadership consulting, board development, strategic/sustainability planning and data analysis. Were your partner to improve operational quality. Trees for Tomorrow 519 Sheridan Street East Eagle River, WI 54521 715-479-6456 www.treesfortomorrow.com Representatives: Maggie Bishop Trees For Tomorrow is the only accredited natural resources specialty school in Wisconsin combining outdoor recreation with environmental education.

Exhibitor Directory

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Wisconsin Education Innovations N25 W23131 Paul Road Suite 100 Pewaukee, WI 53072 262-370-5451 www.inov8ed.com Representatives: Bruce Connolly and Terry Weingrod Wisconsin Education Innovations has nearly two decades of successful experience providing programs and opportunities that help educators build capacity for learning and the new roles they will play in the next generation of learners.

Wisconsin Virtual School & CESA 9 Instructional Technology 304 Kaphaem Road Tomahawk, WI 54487 715-453-1953 www.wisconsinvirtualschool.org Representatives: Dawn Nordine Wisconsin Virtual School (WVS), is a DPI approved Wisconsin Web Academy partner. WVS provides services for schools that want to offer online or blended courses.

Exhibitor
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Minneapolis, Minnesota June 19 22, 2012

The National Charter Schools Conference is the largest gathering of charter school leaders, educators and supporters from across the country.

Join us at the Minneapolis Convention Center to: Network with peers Be inspired by innovative ideas in 100 sessions on instruction, leadership, governance, policy and operations Explore the School of the Future Lend your voice to dialogues on critical issues facing the future of charter schools and public education

REGISTER TODAY

Advance registration ends May 31, 2012.

Visit PublicCharters.org/Conference for more information.

Come share whats possible in the birthplace of the charter school movement!