Revised October 1998

The Colorado League of Charter Schools (the "League") is comprised of a diverse group of Colorado charter schools, each with its own unique mission, educational philosophy and constituency. The League's mission is to serve the charter school community as: (1) a clearinghouse for useful information and resources; (2) a technical support group; and (3) an advocate for the charter school movement in Colorado. In order for the League to function effectively it is necessary to identify guiding principles, upon which there is general consensus among the League's members. These principles will serve as the foundation for the League as it advocates for the charter school community on matters of common interest. Therefore, we adopt the following League Statement of Principles.

ARTICLE I. CHARTER SCHOOL GOVERNANCE

1. 1. Local Control

a. Each charter school must be allowed to develop its own unique educational program, have the flexibility to try innovative or proven educational approaches, and establish its own priorities for student instruction. Therefore, control over budget, personnel, curriculum, and day-to-day operations is vested in the charter school's governing structure.

b. In order for Colorado charter schools to achieve maximum effectiveness it is essential that charter schools and their chartering districts deal with each other in good faith and with equity. Chartering districts must not interfere with or seek to limit the authority vested in each charter school by its charter and by applicable law. Conversely, each charter school must exercise its authority within the parameters of its contract with its chartering district and state and federal law.

c. The League opposes underfunded government mandates that are counterproductive to charter schools' Ability to deliver innovative or proven educational programs.

1.2. Charter Application and Appeals Process

Negotiation of a fair contract for each charter school requires a level playing field between charter school applicants and chartering districts. Chartering districts must negotiate in good faith once an application has been approved, and negotiation of the contract should take no longer than the process of approving an application. The charter application process sometimes creates an adversarial atmosphere between the chartering district and the charter school. Therefore, an effective appeals process is essential for charter schools to have a fair opportunity to form and operate.

1.3. Governance Structure

Each charter school creates a governance structure to facilitate the accomplishment of that school's goals and objectives. Each school must be free to develop its own model of governance that encourages participation by interested parties. The decision-making process and the ultimate authority and responsibility for decisions must be clearly defined.

1.4. Corporate Status

In order to formalize the governing structure of each charter school, secure the right of access to court, and emphasize the governing board's separate control over the charter school, the League encourages each charter school to consider, after discussion with legal counsel and other advisors, incorporation as a Colorado non-profit corporation.

ARTICLE II. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

2.1 Student Achievement and Accountability

An important role of each charter school is to improve academic achievement. Each charter school must develop performance-based assessment tools that verify the academic achievement of each student.

2.2. Educational Standards

The State of Colorado has initiated minimum educational standards and authentic assessments for all Colorado students. Each charter school education program should meet or exceed such state and local standards. Such standards shall not be deemed to prescribe the philosophy, curriculum or delivery method of a school. Each charter school should evaluate its curriculum to ensure that its students will meet or exceed applicable standards. Each charter school should be free to achieve educational growth for its students pursuant to its own unique educational philosophy.

2.3. Parental Choice and Instructional Program Diversity

Charter schools exist to give parents more choices in seeking the most suitable educational program for their children. Diversity in educational programs is valuable, and each charter school must be allowed to develop its own instructional program. No instructional method, curriculum, or educational delivery system will be endorsed by the League.

2.4. Parental Responsibility and Involvement

Parental and guardian involvement in education is critical to the success of students. The single best way to achieve consistent academic excellence for students is to ensure that parents are involved in the educational process. All charter schools should encourage parents and community members to participate in the education of children.

WAIVERS FROM STATE AND FEDERAL POLICY

3.1. Necessity of Waivers

For charter schools to provide innovative or proven educational programs, waivers from state statutes and regulations are essential. Freedom from these regulations allows charter schools to better meet the educational needs of their students.

3.2. Automatic Waivers

Certain statutes, regulations, and policies have been waived by chartering districts and the State Board of Education for virtually all charter schools. Customary and delegatory waivers should be granted automatically by virtue of approval of the school's charter application. Each new charter may be required to identify in its charter applicable replacement policies for the automatically waived policies.

3.3. Individual Waivers and Policy Development

The State Board of Education and local school districts should support charter schools that request waivers of individual statutes and regulations. The League will assist charter schools in developing, articulating, monitoring and evaluating needed replacement policies.

3.4. Federal Waivers

Congress should permit federal agencies to grant where appropriate, waivers of federal requirements to state agencies, chartering districts, and charter schools. When the Colorado Department of Education, or a chartering district receives a waiver of a federal regulation applicable to other public schools, the waiver should be available to charter schools as well.

ARTICLE IV. FACILITIES

4.1. Access to Facilities

Suitable facilities are necessary for charter schools to provide an excellent education for their students. Adequate and stable funding for charter school facilities has not yet been achieved, thus forcing each charter school to address this issue on an ad hoc basis. Lack of such facilities and the means to secure them are significant impediments to the formation of charter schools in Colorado, and satisfactory long-term solutions to these problems must be developed. Legislation designed to address the long-term funding needs of charter schools both through innovative and conventional methods is needed.

4.2. Length of Charter

The Charter Schools Act should be modified to allow for the lengthening of charter terms in order for charter schools to obtain long-term facilities financing and promote long-term planning.

4.3. Use of Existing School District Facilities and Lands

Charter school students are as entitled to district resources as other students in the chartering district. Districts should make unused, underutilized, or vacant or otherwise available lands or facilities available to charter schools on a priority basis.

ARTICLE V. SPECIAL EDUCATION

5.1. Charter Schools Must Meet Student Needs

Charter schools must provide a high quality education for all students, including students with disabilities. Each charter school and its chartering district must meet the educational needs of students with disabilities in a manner consistent with the best interests of the child. Each charter school must ensure that its education program is in full compliance with all federal, state, and local statutes and regulations dealing with the education of students with disabilities.

5.2. Funding for Students with Disabilities

Educating students with disabilities necessarily requires a greater commitment of resources than educating non-disabled students. It is therefore essential that the state and chartering districts ensure that appropriate resources are available for charter schools to perform this task.

ARTICLE VI. EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIPS

6.1. Authority and Responsibility for Personnel Decisions

Each charter school has the authority and responsibility for personnel decisions, including hiring and firing, evaluation, compensation, fringe benefits and other conditions of employment. Personnel decisions must comply with applicable federal, state and local laws and the charter school's contract with its chartering district.

6.2. Staff Development

Staff development is an important element for school improvement and student academic achievement and should be provided on an ongoing basis.

ARTICLE VII. FINANCE PRIORITIES

7.1. Equitable Funding for Charter Schools

Charter school funding must be based upon district full funding levels (p.p.o.r, capital and insurance reserve, local mill levy overrides). All appropriate and applicable revenues from beyond the School Finance Act must be provided to charter schools.

7.2. Budgeting

Just as school districts are given the autonomy to determine their expenditures, charter schools must be able to determine their budgets and carry over funds from one fiscal year to the next. Funding for charter schools must be based upon revenue and not expenditures.

ARTICLE VIII. CHARTER SCHOOLS ACCOUNTABILITY

8.1. Evaluation of Charter Schools

Educational accountability is at the very core of the values furthered by the charter school movement in general and the Colorado Charter Schools Act in particular. Charter schools must be accountable to the public. A necessary component of accountability is a fair and meaningful evaluation process. This process will vary from charter school to charter school based upon curriculum, length of existence, and other relevant factors. Charter schools must be willing to hold themselves accountable and compare their achievement with that of other schools.

8.2. Evaluation Process Components

A fair and meaningful evaluation process must be predictable, objective, and well-defined. The League encourages charter schools and their districts to establish such evaluation programs.

ARTICLE IX. ALTERNATIVE CHARTERING AUTHORITIES

9.1. Independent Chartering Authorities

The legislature should establish independent chartering authorities as alternatives to local school districts. When a local district denies a charter application, and in other appropriate circumstances the charter applicant should have the option to apply to an alternative chartering authority for approval.