SUMMARY

Issue for Decision

Should the Regents approve the staff’s recommendations concerning the proposed first revision to the first renewal charter for Global Concepts Charter School (Lackawanna)? 

Background Information

              We received a request from the Board of Trustees of the Global Concepts Charter School (“the School”), a Board of Regents authorized charter school located in the Lackawanna City School District, to approve a proposed revision to its current charter. The School seeks to add 9th and then 10th grade during the last two years of its existing charter.

The Board of Regents granted the School its initial charter on January 16, 2002 for a period of five years, and the School opened for instruction in September 2002 serving 150 students in grades K-3.  The Board of Regents approved a first revision on January 12, 2004 which allowed the School to abolish the School Advisory Council, create a Leadership Team and revise the Parent Community Council.  On September 12, 2006 the Board of Regents approved a second revision to eliminate the internal end-of-year testing program and to amend the ELA and mathematics curricula in Grades K-5.  On December 5, 2006 the Board of Regents approved the first renewal charter for a term of five years.

              The Lackawanna City School District held a public hearing on January 20, 2010, regarding this proposed revision for the School.  Four people spoke in support of the school’s expansion, including the Principal of the School.  Three individuals spoke against the expansion, including a member of the Lackawanna Board of Education, the President of the teachers union, and a teacher.  The President of the union presented 259 signatures of people who were in opposition.

              Staff recommends that the Board of Regents approve the proposed first revision to the first renewal charter of the Global Concepts Charter School. 

Recommendation

VOTED: That the Board of Regents approves the revision to the first renewal charter of the Global Concepts Charter School, and the provisional charter is amended accordingly.

Reasons for Recommendation

The proposed revision to the School’s charter, along with the other terms of the  charter (1) meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations; (2) will permit the charter school to operate in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; (3) is likely to improve student learning and achievement and materially further the purposes set out in subdivision two of section twenty-eight hundred fifty of Article 56 of the Education Law; and (4) approving the proposed revision will have a significant educational benefit to the students expected to attend the charter school.

Timetable for Implementation

The Regents action for the Global Concepts Charter School is effective immediately.