collection and dissemination of data from the charter. This leads to the third compo- nent: making decisions about the life of the charter based on that data. California has moved toward requiring


more academic and fiscal accountability for charter schools. While this helps ensure charters are operating effectively, it also adds to the duties of the authorizer.


An unavoidable reality Unfortunately, it is a common sentiment


among state education leaders that local authorizers do not provide the comprehen- sive oversight needed to ensure that charter schools are successful. This may be true in some cases, as the unavoidable reality in to- day’s economic atmosphere is that school districts and county offices of education are struggling to meet the needs of their own students and often lack the capacity to con- duct thorough oversight. Usually, a single district or county employee is responsible for oversight of the approved charters in ad- dition to myriad other responsibilities. To assist with oversight, most charter


authorizers create a Memorandum of Un- derstanding with its charter school. MOU creation is best conducted during the char- ter petition approval process. The MOU will be the operating agreement between the authorizer and the charter school. Key components of any MOU will explicitly cite both how oversight will be implemented and the necessary information the charter is re- quired to impart. While some oversight areas are apparent,


(academic benchmarks, fiscal accountabil- ity) I will focus on issues often overlooked.


Governance Charter schools create their own gover-


nance structure responsible for all aspects of the charter. The quality of the governance team impacts the quality of the education the students receive, as well as the safety and well being of everyone in the school. It is the authorizer’s responsibility to en-


sure that the charter school’s governance team is: • Running the school according to state


and federal law and good practice. • Enforcing bylaws and policies that re-


keep parents involved in the governance of the school. Parent involvement is an underly- ing tenet of charter law, and authorizers want to make sure that it is being implemented. • Attuned to issues of charter governance


conflict of interest. There are no specific laws currently governing charter boards with re- spect to conflicts of interest.


Practical tips Put yourself on the charter school’s e-


mail list to ensure that you receive charter board agendas and minutes. This will help you monitor the charter board’s work. It is recommended that the authorizer’s


charter liaison attend charter board meet- ings to better understand how the meetings are running and if the charter board is fol- lowing its own policy.


Financial management The importance of ensuring operational


viability of a charter school is a frequent topic of discussion. Indeed, most charters fail due to their inability to meet financial obligations. The authorizer plays a large role


• Does the charter have an adequate ac-


counting system? • Are there internal controls in place that


prevent the misuse of charter school funds? • Are audit findings addressed in a timely


and appropriate matter? Authorizers will want to determine if the charter school bud- get is in sync with the charter school educa- tional program. For example, if the charter school has a program that provides online learning, the budget should reflect appropri- ate expenses for technology equipment and staffing of technology experts. If the school has a math and science focus, the budget should reflect that the appropriate curricu- lum is purchased and staff is being provided professional development in those areas.


Are the students learning? Increased academic achievement is the


basis for charter law. The charter school is given increased flexibility and freedom in implementing its program. In return, the school must show academic progress that meets or exceeds that of the school district where the students would otherwise attend.


November/December 2011 31


flect the process for the day-to-day running of the school, which should include fiscal management, personnel decisions, educa- tional program and student safety. • Following the Brown Act. • Providing parents access to the leader-


ship of the school. As a matter of fact, it is a requirement in Education Code that the charter petition has outlined a process to


in determining if the charter is demonstrat- ing financial stability and effective financial management. In addition to the regular financial re-


porting required by law, authorizers will want to ensure that the charter school has procedures and policies in place that dem- onstrate how the charter can manage its fi- nances effectively. For instance:


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