FACILITIES: School Safety Plans
Emergencies in schools must be addressed in an expeditious and effective manner. Schools are at risk of acts of violence, natural, and manmade disasters. To address these threats, the State of New York has enacted the Safe Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) law. Project SAVE is a comprehensive planning effort that addresses prevention, response and recovery with respect to a variety of emergencies in schools.
Individual charter schools are required by the NYSED to complete 2 safety plans: a District- Wide Safety Plan and a Building-Level Safety Plan. These plans differ as defined here taken directly from the NY Safe Schools website.
Statement on Report from Save Our States
An October 2013 study released by municipal finance experts of the nonpartisan group “Save Our States,” shows what the NYC Independent Budget Office would have found, had its comparisons of charter and district school resources estimated the cost of retirement benefits using more responsible assumptions.
The Profit Myth: Understanding the Structure of New York Charter Schools
Charter schools are independently-run public schools that have served at-risk students in New York State since 1999. By the fall of 2011, there will be 136 charter schools in New York City serving 45,000 students, spread across every grade level and borough. Yet even after more than a decade of experience with charter schools, questions and misunderstandings about them persist.
School Funding Comparisons by the NYC Independent Budget Office (IBO) (2010-11)
How do the funding levels compare, and the funding streams interact, for New York City charter and district schools? The City's Independent Budget Office (IBO) has issued three analyses on this topic, to which the Charter Center has responded with increasing, detailed criticism. The NYC Department of Education has also raised strong objections.
Charter Renewal
In addition to hosting regular discussions with the authorizers, the Charter Center has collected these resources and exemplars to assist schools facing the complex project of writing the renewal application and preparing for the renewal evaluation visit.
SUNY CSI Renewal Resources, including Handbook, Benchmarks, Application and Recent Renewal Reports at SUNY CSI Renewal.
NYC Charter School Operations Calendar
Compiled by school staff across the sector, this worksheet provides an interactive checklist of major activities and deadlines that affect the operation of a charter school. The operations calendar can be filtered directly, by function or date and is available to download and customize by schools. Check in regularly for updates and upcoming deadlines.
Facilities: For Charters Co-Located in DOE Buildings
The NYC DOE sets clear campus guidelines for schools co-located in DOE buildings whether they are district or charter schools. The DOE Division of Space Management Co-Location Handbook spells out the philosophy and protocols for shared campuses. It includes sections on the Building Response Team, Safety Planning, custodial services, and the building council.
For campuses with charter schools, the work of the building council is supplemented by a shared space committee.
Family Handbook Exemplars
A family handbook provides charter school families with answers to their most common questions and helps to guide families and students in the school’s processes and policies related to the following:
- School Calendar
- Communication
- Academics
- Student Support
- Student Behavior and Discipline
- English Language Learners
- Family Engagement
- Student Health
The 2017-18 State Legislative Session and Charter Schools
As part of the agreement to extend mayoral control in New York City for two years, the Charter Center has detailed the provisions and commitments by the State Education Department and the New York City Department of Education that will affect charter schools in New York City.