“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson A Pioneer for the Charter School Movement The foundation and success of the charter school movement has been championed and led by numerous leaders over the years. However, the current status of the movement would not have been achieved without the visionary efforts and relentless dedication of trailblazers like Keith King. Keith King (1948-2024) was a legislator, businessman, and education leader. He advocated and worked to increase public school choice in Colorado throughou ..read more

Guest Blog: Willyn Webb, CSI Early Learning and School Support Coordinator Preschool Support at CSI Schools As CSI schools navigate the first year of Colorado’s Universal Preschool initiative, I’ve been working to provide guidance and integral support along the way. As CSI’s Early Learning and School Support Coordinator, I support CSI school staff through one-on-one consultation, school visits, and a bi-weekly preschool leader group. I communicate regularly with staff through a monthly Ready Set, READ newsletter, and podcast episodes that include updates, research, and inspiration. What is ..read more

CSI’s approach to authorizing balances autonomy and accountability, offering schools the flexibility to choose the methods that best meet the needs of their students. In return, CSI holds schools accountable to clear expectations for performance. The Accreditation Rating Process The CSI Annual Review of Schools (CARS) is used to evaluate and accredit CSI charter schools based on academic, financial, and organizational performance from the previous year. CSI employs a thorough accreditation process that assigns a performance rating to each school each fall.  CSI’s performance framework ..read more

Last month, Colorado Charter School Institute (CSI) staff converged at Chatfield Farms for a two-day staff retreat. Staff members reside all over the state in the communities we serve, so we try to make the most of our limited in-person opportunities together. One of the first work sessions of our retreat focused on recentering around our statutory mission: 22-30.5-505(3) The mission of the institute board shall be to foster high-quality public school choices offered through institute charter schools, including particularly schools that are focused on closing the achievement gap for at-risk ..read more

Guest Blog: Betsy Basch, CSI Mental Health Programs Coordinator   SEL School Supports at CSI Schools   CSI charter public schools continue to develop and implement Social Emotional Learning (SEL) practices. CSI’s Mental Health Programs Coordinator, Betsy Basch, supports CSI school leaders and mental health staff with consultation, training, and access to high quality mental health resources. Betsy collaborates with crisis response teams to develop practices and also assists with compliance and managing relevant grant funding.    “I want to make sure each of our ..read more

Last spring, CSI had an amazing opportunity to partner with Ready Colorado to tell the story of four CSI schools through film.   Earlier this week, the film “A School for Every Kid” was shared with a community of CSI school representatives, education reform partners, and state decisionmakers.  We were honored to have Dr. Katy Anthes, Commissioner of Education, give a keynote highlighting the importance of school choices: “All kids are different. All families are different. We want to make sure that kids have access to something they’re passionate about, excited about – that th ..read more

When CSI was established by law in 2004, it was charged with serving as an alternative to the existing district authorizers. It was also charged with serving as a model authorizer and making best practices available to district authorizers.  Back in 2020, we shared some of the ways we share knowledge and experiences with the field in our Model Authorizing: Sharing Best Practices blog. We continue to share our experiences and practices within the state and nation through our regular engagement in various organizations, committees, and working groups.  While a seemingly simple phrase ..read more

In October, several CSI staff and board members attended the 2022 National Association of Charter School Authorizers conference. Every year, our staff looks forward to the opportunity to learn from and network with other charter authorizers and leaders from around the country! They had a great time representing Colorado charters and sharing best practices Not only did CSI staff attend the conference as learners, but a few members also gave presentations to share their knowledge, resources, and experiences. I am deeply grateful for CSI’s team of experienced educational professionals who ar ..read more

I have worked for over twenty years in the charter public school sector – as a founder, board member, consultant, and more. In that time, I have heard my fair share of charter school misconceptions from opponents and supporters alike. It is so important for charter public school supporters – including school leaders and staff, board members, parents, and even students – to know the facts and to be able to use them to combat this misinformation. Below are some common misconceptions about charter public schools. In your own community, some of these misconceptions may be more prevalent than oth ..read more

What is Capacity? Last week, several members of the CSI team participated in the first of four Cognitive Coaching® training sessions for this school year. One of the foundational concepts (and the ultimate goal of the trainings) is to develop one’s identity and capacity as a mediator of thinking. We spent some time in this first session discussing each of those bolded words and phrases, but the conversation about capacity has stuck in my mind. Capacity refers to the maximum amount that something can contain or produce. When we typically hear the word capacity, it’s usually in a statement such ..read more