Want to run a charter school?

Never mind that many counties want it to simply go away. The Florida Schools of Excellence Commission is looking to increase its presence throughout Florida.

The state agency, created by the Legislature in 2007, has announced it wants applicants to serve as co-sponsors to operate new charter schools. The co-sponsors must be able to (in the group's words):

• Handle administrative responsibilities as a charter school sponsor
• Develop and maintain charter schools of the highest academic quality
• Provide financial resources and staff to monitor and support charter schools
• Serve low income, low performing, gifted or underserved student populations
• Articulate annual academic and financial goals and expected outcomes for its charter schools

Already, the commission has approved 17 charter schools on its own, and joined with one co-sponsor - the City of Hialeah.

Now, there are those who argue that the commission unconstitutionally usurps the role of local school districts. Fourteen counties including Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando are fighting that battle in court. They want exclusive control, something that the State Board of Education only granted to a small handful of districts.

It looks like until the courts decide the matter, though, the FSE will continue on. So if you want to be a co-sponsor, you can find the information here. The deadline is August 1.

Comments

And if the Pinellas School Board had the foresight to become a "charter district" when the state law was passed, they'd have nothing to bi-oops, complain about today.

No vision. Just complaints.

Why in the world would anybody want to co-sponsor charter schools with the FSE?