- Instructional Services Division
- General Information
General Information
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What is a Charter School?
A charter school is a type of public school. Charter schools provide education through a "charter," which is a type of contract granted by a chartering entity such as the commissioner of education, State Board of Education (SBOE), or the board of trustees of an independent school district.
Charter Home - Purpose and Definition
In 1995, the Texas Education Code established a new type of public school known as a charter school. Charter schools are subject to fewer state laws than other public schools with the idea of ensuring fiscal and academic accountability without undue regulation of instructional methods or pedagogical innovation. Like school districts, charter schools are monitored and accredited by the state.
According to the Texas Education Code, the purposes of charter schools are to:
- improve student learning;
- increase the choice of learning opportunities within the public school system;
- create professional opportunities that will attract new teachers to the public school system;
- establish a new form of accountability for public schools; and
- encourage different and innovative learning methods.
Texas Education Code, Chapter 12
Charter school administrators should become familiar with the laws that apply to charter schools. Chapter 12 of the TEC (outside source) discusses many, but not all, charter school issues. Subchapter D of Chapter 12 is specific to open-enrollment charter schools; Subchapter E of Chapter 12 is specific to university charter schools.
Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 100
The TAC contains rules adopted by the State Board of Education (SBOE) and the commissioner of education. The SBOE and the commissioner of education may adopt new rules or amendments to existing rules. Title 19 TAC, Chapter 100, is the primary source of rules that apply to open-enrollment charter schools.
Region 11 Charter Schools Professional Development Needs?
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Charter Schools - You have a voice at ESC Region 11!
Help us shape your charter school needs by completing the survey below that will provide us with valuable input about your charter school needs!
Upcoming Events & Deadlines for 2023-2024
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2024
April
- April 1 - Charter Amendments closes
- April 1 - ESC Region 11 The Paraprofessional's Handbook for Effective Support in Inclusive Classrooms
- April 2 - TEA's Texas Strategic Staffing Grant for Sustainable, Paid Teacher Residency Program application due (Texas vetted teacher residency program)
- April 3 - TASA Meeting
- April 4 - ESC Region 11 23-24 Connect, Collaborate, and Capture
- April 8 - Solar Eclipse - Impacts to LEAs from Texas School Safety Center
- April 11 - ESC Region 11 Charter Roundtable
- April 11 - TEA's 2024 Mental and Behavioral Health webinar series - Family & Caregiver Engagement
- April 11 - TEA Session - Purple Star Campus Designation Application Training #2 1 p.m.
- April 17 - Texas Charter Network webinar - From Feasibility to Furniture: The Lifecycle of a Charter School Facility Project 2 p.m.
- April 19 - TSDS PEIMS Spring Conference
- April 23 - Supporting a High-Quality Charter Ecosystem hosted by the U.S. Department of Education register here
- April 25 - Charter School Safety Director Meeting hosted by Great Hearts NTX details here
- April 30 - ESC Region 11/PowerSchool Spring User Group Meeting Virtual
May
- May 1 - TASA Meeting with Commissioner Morath
- May 1 - New Superintendent Academy 2023-2024 register here
- May 1 - Certification of Provision of Instructional Materials reporting due by this date
- May 2 - ESC Region 11 New Counselor CTE Workshop: CTE Programs, an Infrastructure for College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR)
- May 3 - ESC Region 11 2024 Safety and Security Conference
- May 6 - 2024-2025 Charter School Program Grant deadline
- May 7 - Timely Topics for Federal Programs Staff Virtual register here
- May 8 - ESC Region 11 23-24 Connect, Collaborate, and Capture
- May 9 - ESC Region 11 Federal Programs Director's Meeting
- May 9 - TEA's 2024 Mental and Behavioral Health webinar series - Elevating Mental Health & Wellness
- May 13 - SAFE Grant Cycke 2 closes
- May 15 - ESC Region 11 E-Merge 2.0: Artificial Intelligence and Acceleration Conference
- May 20 - ESSA Consolidated Federal Grant Application opens
- May 24 - 23-24 School Health Survey Due
- May 28 - 2024-2025 ESSA Consolidated Application TEA training register here
- May 31 - USDE ESSER Year 3 Annual Performance Corrections Due
June
- June 1 - Safe and Supportive School Program (SSSP) Threat Assessment survey opens (submission to TEA through Qualtrics)
- June 3 - ESSA Consolidation Amendments Due
- June 5 - ESC Region 11 McKinney-Vento 101: Ensuring Educational Rights for Homeless Children and Youths
- June 6 - Special Education Consolidated Grant Application (Federal) opens
- June 7 - FitnessGram site license for 2023–2024 - The last day to register.
- June 10 - ESC Region 11 New CTE Administrator Workshop: CTE Resources
- June 10 - ESC Region 11 Bilingual and ESL Summer Extravaganza
- June 12 - ESC Region 11 Instructional Leaders Meeting
- June 12 - Perkins V: Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century opens
- June 13 -TEA's 2024 Mental and Behavioral Health webinar series - Supporting the Mental Health of Special Populations
- June 13 - ESC Region 11 New Counselor CTE Workshop: Effective Advising for CTE Programs - Ensuring Access & Equity of CCMR Readiness
- June 13 - PEIMS First submission ESC Due date for LEAs
- June 14 - Physical Fitness Assessment due - FitnessGram info: https://help.fitnessgram.net/texas/
- June 18 - 2024-2025 SPED (Federal) Consolidated eGrants Application TEA Training register here
- June 18 - 2024-2025 Perkins V eGrants Application TEA Training register here
- June 18 - Metroplex Social Studies Conference - Connecting with Community: Remember the Stories That Unite Us -- ALTERNATE LOCATION
- June 20 - PEIMS Summer - first submission due
- June 27 - ESC Region 11 Closed
- June 27 - Special Education Language Acquisition - submission due NOTE: Many of you will be closed on this day
- June 27 - ECDS Prekindergarten - submission due NOTE: Many of you will be closed on this day
- June 30 - Safe and Supportive School Program (SSSP) Threat Assessment baseline survey data submission due to TEA through Qualtrics
July
- July 4 - 5 - ESC Region 11 closed
- July 8 - ESC Region 11 - DMAC ACADEMY - DAY 1 - Utilities, State Assessment, Student Portfolio, Appraisals, lead4ward, Exports and PlanWorks
- July 9 - ESC Region 11 New CTE Administrator Workshop: Partnerships
- July 10 - ESC Region 11 DMAC ACADEMY - DAY 3 - Creating Student Plans & Documentation in DMAC
- July 18 - ESC Region 11 Literacy Connects Us to the World Conference
- July 18 - PEIMS Summer resubmission due
- July 25 - Child Find submission due