Governance

Birmingham Community Charter High School Transparency Resolution

_{Ms. Ratliff, Mr. Zimmer – Keeping Parents Informed: Charter Transparency (Res-017 15/16)
(Noticed November 10, 2015 and Postponed from a Previous Meeting)}

ADOPTED AS AMENDED BY CONSENT VOTE
Whereas, Charter schools were established in 1992 by the California Education Code as a way to encourage innovation, increase opportunities for teaching and learning and expand school choice for parents and students;
Whereas, A Board of Education or other authorizing entity grants a charter with the expectation that a school will adhere to the procedures outlined in its petition and uphold the public’s trust in carrying out the agreement;
Whereas, The Los Angeles Unified School District aims to authorize, and provide sound oversight to, a portfolio of high quality innovative charter schools;
Whereas, California Education Code 47607 allows an authorizing entity to grant a charter for a period not to exceed five years and to grant one or more renewals of five years each;
Whereas, California Education Code 47605(c)(2) states, “Charter schools shall, on a regular basis, consult with their parents, legal guardians and teachers regarding the school's educational programs”;
Whereas, California Education Code 47604.32 requires the authorizing entity, including the Governing Board of the Los Angeles Unified School District, to provide oversight of a charter school’s operations, including its fiscal conditions and financial operations;
Whereas, California Ed Code 47604.3 requires charter schools to promptly respond to all reasonable inquiries from its chartering authority, including those regarding its financial records;
Whereas, The District requires every charter school to cooperate with investigations of waste,fraud, abuse and other material violations of law related to its operation;
Whereas, California Education Code 47607(c) states that the authorizing entity may revoke a charter through the showing of substantial evidence that the school did any of the following:Committed a material violation of any of the conditions, standards or procedures set forth in the charter; failed to meet or pursue any of the pupil outcomes identified in the charter; failed to meet generally accepted accounting principles or engaged in fiscal mismanagement;
violated any provision of the law;
Whereas, California Education Code 47607(c)-(e) and corresponding state regulations require the chartering authority to adhere to the following procedures when revoking a charter: Issuance of a Notice of Violations; issuance of a Notice to Revoke and Notice of Facts in Support of Revocation; a public hearing; and a final vote;
Whereas, The District currently requires charter schools to notify parents and guardians within 72 hours of a closure action and to simultaneously provide proof of the 2 1-12-16 notification to the Charter Schools Division, but does not mandate any such notice when the revocation process is initiated or underway; and Whereas, When a school has a renewal hearing before the Board, there is currently no requirement that a school must inform parents, legal guardians, and teachers of the outcome;
Whereas, Traditional public schools are bound by applicable laws to adhere to prescribed standards, and/or to publicly disclose information relating to, their safety and facilities, curriculum and instructional focus, staff qualifications and compensation, governance and finances, food services, academic performance and student demographics;
Whereas, Charter schools are legally afforded greater flexibility with respect to the same standards; and, therefore, there is greater uncertainty about many of the above matters, which could be addressed through enhanced disclosure; and
Whereas, Although the District has an active program of voluntary seismic improvements to District-owned school sites, there may be a lack of clarity among both traditional and charter school parents regarding the seismic vulnerability of their students’ school buildings, and the Field Act and (for non-District-owned sites) multiple applicable building codes are complex and have changed over years making it difficult to infer seismic safety from compliance alone;
now,therefore, be it Resolved, That the Los Angeles Unified School District expects every District-authorized charter school to be transparent with its stakeholders (as traditional District public schools are required to be) regarding all aspects of its operation,including the possible revocation of its charter;
Resolved further, That a charter school be required to notify all parents, guardians and teachers in writing within 72 hours when the District issues a Notice of Violations, a Notice of Intent to Revoke and/or Notice of Non-renewal; and that the notification include the District’s rationale for the action, if provided by the District. The school shall also be required to simultaneously provide proof of the notification to the Charter Schools Division;
Resolved further, That in order to achieve these goals of transparency, accountability and keeping parents informed (with information similar to that available to traditional public school parents),District-authorized charter schools are required to have available, as allowed by law, to parents, guardians, and staff, information regarding:
Safety and Facilities

• •Health and safety plans and procedures
• School facility assessment

Curriculum and Instructional Focus

• Local Education Agency Plan
• Instructional materials
• Curriculum content

Staff

• Teacher credential status
• Qualifications of employees (including school leaders); Staff (including, but not limited to teachers, administrators, clerical staff, custodial staff, aides, etc.) compensation scheme (including, without limitation, pay scale, bonuses or merit pay and the standards and procedures by which they are earned, benefits and retirement system) should be made available to parents upon request.

Governance Structure and Financial Management

• Brown Act compliancy
• Governance structure and policies
• Any material relationships among the school, its charter management organization (CMO) and any person or entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the school or its CMO; As used herein, “control” has the meaning ascribed to it in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended – that is, the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise.
• Audited Financial Statements
• Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)
• Food Services
• Meals offered to students
• Whether free and reduced-price meals are provided to students who would be eligible for them at a traditional public school

Admissions

• Lottery processes (including any preferences) and enrollment deadlines
• Academic Performance (in each case, disaggregated for all numerically significant subgroups)
• Statewide testing results
• Four year cohort graduation rates
• Drop-out rates

Student Demographic Rates

• Ethnicity
• Income-eligibility for free and reduced-price meals
• English Language Learner status

Special Education, by type (detailed to the extent permitted by applicable state and federal law and as available by traditional District public schools)
Resolved further, That this information be available to parents both manually and electronically in English and any single primary language meeting the requirements of Sections 45400 through 45403 of the California Education Code;

Resolved further, That for the 2015-16 academic year, this information (other than the Audited Financial Statements and LCAP) shall be available to parents, guardians, and staff no later than March 1, 2016, and the Audited Financial Statements and LCAP shall be made similarly available by December 15, 2016 and June 30, 2016, respectively;
Resolved further, That for the 2016-17 and subsequent academic years, this information (other than the Audited Financial Statements and LCAP) shall be available to parents, guardians, and staff no later than August 31st of the applicable academic year, and the Audited Financial Statements and LCAP shall be made similarly available by December 15 of the following academic year and June 30 of the applicable academic year, respectively. If at any time, a
change occurs with regards to the available information, the charter management organization or charter school will have 72 hours to have available the updated information within a reasonable time;
Resolved further, That each District traditional public school and District-authorized charter school that occupies buildings on the AB300 list shall promptly post a notice to such effect in their main office;
Resolved further, That the Superintendent shall direct appropriate staff to conduct a study to determine appropriate measures and metrics of seismic resistance and seismic hazards of school buildings (the study may consider relevant factors, such as year and type of construction, depth of foundation and soil type, building materials, types of joints, number of floors, and the presence or absence of lateral bracing, proximity to known faults and the activeness of such faults, among other things) and to determine appropriate methods and timeframes for communicating such information and periodic updates to the public;
Resolved, further, That such study shall be conducted with input from the District’s stakeholders, including, but not limited to, representatives of parents, community members, and independent charter schools, and that the Superintendent shall report the results of such study to the Board by April 11, 2016; and, be it finally
Resolved, That the Governing Board of the Los Angeles Unified School District encourages each charter school to inform parents, legal guardians, and other stakeholders of the outcome of its renewal hearings

Attention Parents!

The date/time for the Annual Title I Parent Meeting and School Site Council Orientation will be posted soon.

 The presentation will include important information regarding this year’s Title I Budget, test results, and the California Dashboard. Opportunities for parent involvement in decision-making will also be explained. Please join us for this important meeting!

Any questions, contact Wendy Bader, Title I Coordinator: w.bader@birminghamcharter.com or 818-758-5265
 

Transparency: 

School Site Council (SSC) Schools receiving Title I funds must maintain a SSC to advise the school for all programs funded through the federal funds’ ConApp. For more information on the School Site Council, click here.
Home-School Compact - available at the bottom of this page.
Parent Engagement Policy - available at the bottom of this page.
School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) - effective in 2018, single-school districts such as Birmingham were permitted to address the ten priorities of Title I in our Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). Since the requirement to prepare an LCAP for the 2019-2020 school year was suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions, an updated SPSA is required. The 2020-2021 SPSA is available at the bottom of this page.
 

Purpose:

“…to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards…”

                                               -from Every Student Succeeds Act  (ESSA) 2015

The Goals of Title I:

•      Increase academic achievement
•      Provide direct instructional support to students
•      Provide professional development to teachers
•      Narrow achievement gap of subgroups
•      Promote parent education
•      Develop parent engagement
   

Important section in Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1963:

     Provides supplemental federal funds.
     Serves educational needs of low-achieving students in highest-poverty schools.
 

Allocation of Title I Funds based on:

      NSLP Eligibility–at least 50% of students eligible for free/reduced price meal; and
      CalWORKS
 

20-21_SPSA_BCCHS_BoardApproved
TileIMtg_Agenda_08-24-21_BothLangs
TitleI-SSCTraining_08-24-21_Eng
TitleI-SSCTraining_08-24-21_Span
21-22_BCCHS Home-School Compact_Approved
21-22_BCCHS Home-School Compact_Approved_Español
Parent and Fam Engage Policy_Final
Parent and Fam Engage Policy_Final_Español
17-18_LEA-SinglePlan-BCCHS

Volunteer and Visitation Policy

While Birmingham Community Charter High School (“BCCHS”) encourages parents/guardians and interested members of the community to visit BCCHS and view the educational program, BCCHS also endeavors to create a safe environment for students and staff. Additionally, parents volunteering in the classroom can be extremely helpful to our teachers and valuable to our students.  We thank all parents for their willingness to volunteer in this manner.
Nevertheless, to ensure the safety of students and staff as well as to minimize interruption of the instructional program, BCCHS has established the following procedures, to facilitate volunteering and visitations during regular school days:
Volunteering

1. Parents or guardians who are interested in volunteering in the classroom must adhere to the following guidelines:
2. Prior to an initial volunteer assignment, volunteers must submit a certificate showing that, within the past sixty (60) days, the volunteer submitted to a
3. Tuberculosis (“TB”) risk assessment and, if TB risk factors were identified, was examined and found to be free of infectious TB. If no risk factors are identified, an examination is not required. Volunteers who do not have any risk factors for exposure to TB or who test negative for TB shall thereafter be required to take a TB test every (4) four years. The cost of this TB clearance will be paid by the volunteer.
4. Volunteers who will volunteer on field trips or excursions, overnight or outside of the direct supervision of a credentialed employee shall be (1) fingerprinted and (2) receive background clearance prior to volunteering outside the direct supervision of a credentialed employee. The cost of this fingerprinting and background clearance will be paid by BCCHS.
5. Prior to volunteering in the classroom, the volunteer should communicate with the teacher to discuss the expectations for volunteering needs. Classroom volunteers are there to benefit the entire class and are not in class solely for the benefit of their own child. Classroom volunteers must follow the instructions provided by the classroom teacher or aide. Classroom rules also apply to volunteers to ensure minimal distraction to the teacher. If a volunteer is uncomfortable following the direction of the teacher or aid the volunteer may leave their volunteer position for that day.
6. Volunteering must be arranged with the classroom teacher and Director of Human Resources or designee, at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance.
7.  A volunteer may not volunteer in the classroom for more than three (3) hours per week.
8. Information gained by volunteers regarding students (e.g. academic performance or behavior) is to be maintained in strict confidentiality, in accordance with the Volunteer Agreement.
9. Volunteers shall follow and be governed by all other guidelines indicated elsewhere in this policy. This includes, but is not limited to, the process of registering and signing out of the campus at the main office as indicated below.

Visitation

1. Visits during school hours should first be arranged with the teacher and CEO/Principal or designee, at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance. If a
2. conference is desired, an appointment should be set with the teacher during noninstructional time, at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance. Parents seeking to visit a classroom during school hours must first obtain the approval of the classroom teacher and the CEO/Principal or designee.
3. All visitors shall register in the Visitors Log Book to complete a Visitor’s Permit in the Security Booth and/or main office immediately upon entering any school building or grounds when during regular school hours. When registering, the visitor is required to provide his/her name, address, age, his/her purpose for entering school grounds, and proof of identity. Persons under 21 years of age are not allowed on campus during school hours. For purposes of school safety and security, the CEO/Principal or designee may require a visible means of identification for visitors while on school premises.
4. The campus is closed during student lunch for the safety of our students.
5. If the visitor is a government officer/official (including but not limited to local law enforcement officers, immigration enforcement officers, social workers, district attorneys, or U.S. attorneys) the officer/official will also be asked to produce any documentation that authorizes school access. BCCHS shall make reasonable efforts to notify parents or guardians prior to permitting a student to be interviewed or searched, consistent with the law and/or any court order, warrant or instructions from the officer/official. A copy of the documentation provided by the officer and notes from the encounter may be maintained by BCCHS, consistent with the law.  The Charter School Governing Board and Bureau of Children’s Justice in the California Department of Justice, at BCJ@doj.ca.gov, will be timely informed regarding any attempt by a law-enforcement officer to access a school site or a
6. student for immigration-enforcement purposes, as recommended by the Attorney General.
7. Except for unusual circumstances or requests that are given an exception and approval by the CEO/Principal, school visits should not exceed approximately ninety (90) minutes in length. 6. While on campus, visitors are to enter and leave classrooms as quietly as possible, not converse with any student, teacher, or other instructional assistant unless permitted, and not interfere with any school activity. No electronic listening or recording device may be used in a classroom without the teacher’s and CEO/Principal’s written permission.
8. Before leaving campus, the visitor shall return the Visitor’s Permit and sign out of the Visitors Log Book in the main office or Security Booth.
9. The CEO/Principal, or their designee, may refuse to allow school access if it is believed that the presence of the visitor or volunteer would cause a threat of
10. disruption or physical injury to teachers, other employees, orstudents.
11. The CEO/Principal or designee may withdraw consent to be on campus even if the visitor has a right to be on campus whenever there is reason to believe that the person has willfully disrupted or is likely to disrupt the school’s orderly operation. If consent is withdrawn by someone other than the CEO/Principal, the CEO/Principal may reinstate consent for the visitor if the CEO/Principal believes that the person’s presence will not constitute a disruption or substantial and material threat to the school’s orderly operation. Consent can be withdrawn for up to fourteen (14) days.
12. The CEO/Principal or designee may request that a visitor who has failed to register, or whose registration privileges have been denied or withdrawn, promptly leave school grounds. When a visitor is directed to leave, the CEO/Principal or designee shall inform the visitor that if he/she reenters the school without following the posted requirements he/she will be guilty of a misdemeanor. 
13. Any visitor that is denied registration or has his/her registration revoked may request a conference with the CEO/Principal. The request shall be in writing, shall state why the denial or revocation was improper, shall give the address to which notice of conference is to be sent, and shall be delivered to the CEO/Principal with fourteen (14) days of the denial or revocation of consent. The CEO/Principal shall promptly mail a written notice of the date, time, and place of the conference to the person who requested the conference. A conference with the CEO/Principal shall be held within seven (7) days after the CEO/Principal receives the request. If no resolution can be agreed upon, the CEO/Principal shall forward notice of the complaint to the Board
14. of Directors. The Board of Directors shall address the Complaint at the next regular board meeting and make a final determination.
15. At each entrance to the campus, signs shall be posted specifying the hours during which registration is required, stating where the office of the CEO/Principal or designee is located, and what route to take to that office, and setting forth the penalties for violation of this policy.
16. The CEO/Principal or designee shall seek the assistance of the police in managing or reporting any visitor in violation of this policy.

Penalties
1. Pursuant to the California Penal Code, if a visitor does not leave after being asked or if the visitor returns without following the posted requirements after being directed to leave, he/she will be guilty of a crime as specified which is punishable by a fine of up to $500.00 (five hundred dollars) or imprisonment in the County jail for a period of up to six (6) months or both.
2. Under California Education Code section 44811, disruption by a parent, guardian or other person at a school or school sponsored activity is punishable, upon the first conviction by a fine or no less than $500.00 (five hundred dollars) and no more than $1,000.00 (one thousand dollars) or by imprisonment in a County jail for no more than one (1) year, or both the fine and imprisonment.
3. Disruptive conduct may lead to BCCHS’s pursuit of a restraining order against a visitor, which would prohibit him/her from coming onto school grounds or attending school activities for any purpose for a period of up to three (3) years.