CHSL605 Charter School Governance: A guide to Authorizers, Boards and Accountability (3 cr.)

Prerequisite(s): CHSL600  
This course guides students through a comprehensive study of charter school legislation in Minnesota, as well as the legal framework within which these schools operate. Students explore the legislated governance structure, accountability platform, and reasons for the potential closures of charters failing to meet the accountability standards and how this framework differs from their traditional school district counterparts. Students examine policy formation and evaluation, and monitoring and communication advocacy efforts and legislative trends.

Upon completion of this course, students are expected to do the following:

1. Articulate who/what charter schools are accountable to and how they are evaluated.
2. Discuss change from the original role of sponsors to the current role of authorizers, as well as the specific role authorizers play with regard to charter schools.
3. Compare and contrast traditional school districts and charter schools with respect to the general governance structure as identified in charter school law-MS124.E.
4. Analyze the structure/makeup of charter school boards and their specific roles in school governance-specifically with regard to policy formation and evaluation.
5. Compare and contrast traditional school leadership and the range of potential charter school leadership models.
6. Examine the various unique vulnerabilities that charter school experience, including compliance requirements, funding disparities, enrollment issues, and facility needs.
7. Analyze the legal and ethical issues involved in school financial management. 
8. Analyze and interpret current legal and contractual requirements for staff development/evaluation, and plan staff development to improve instructional skills and professional practices for all staff.
9. Examine the processes and considerations required for staff disciplinary actions, including federal and state due process provisions and district and professional organization contract provisions.