Released October 5, 2009
by RI League of Charter Schools
Rhode Island Public Charter Schools convene second annual conference
With support from Rhode Island Foundation & Nellie Mae Education Foundation, educators from charter schools and their host districts will convene on October 5 to share best practices
On Monday, October 5, the R.I. League of Charter Schools, in partnership with The Rhode Island Foundation & Nellie Mae, will host the second annual Charter Public School Conference, Inspired Schools Consortium: Connecting Educators, Inspiring Achievement. The event will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick from 3:45-8:00 p.m.
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| Nelson Smith, President, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools | This year’s event will focus on bringing together teachers from Charter Schools and their colleagues from host districts. All educators from the districts of Providence, Pawtucket, Cumberland, Central Falls, Woonsocket, Cranston and South Kingstown are invited to attend the free event – which offers professional development credits through the RI Department of Education.
More than 300 educators, administrators and school board members are expected to attend the event, which features a keynote address by Nelson Smith (President of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools) and a selection of 28 workshops, including a workshop on Critical Friends Groups by Gene Thompson-Grove from the National School Reform Faculty.
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| Sarah Feldman, co-director of The Learning Community, talks with Steve Nardelli, executive director, RI League of Charter Schools | League Executive Steve Nardelli expands on the event, “In this tough economy, we are fortunate to have the support of the RI Foundation and the Nellie Mae Education Fund, which allows us to open this event to educators free of charge. The Rhode Island League of Charter Schools is particularly excited about the opportunity we have this year to convene charter and traditional public school educators around an issue that is central to education in our state: How we deliver the best instructional practices and programs on behalf of RI students.”
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| Denise Jenkins, Grant Programs Officer, The Rhode Island Foundation | The Rhode Island Foundation has a history of strategic investments in the state’s charter school movement. During the last decade the Foundation has contributed more than $500,000 to the development of individual schools and to the League of Charter Schools. “Charter schools are an increasingly important part of the public education mix in Rhode Island,” said Foundation Grant Programs Officer Denise Jenkins, adding, “This conference supports our goal of sharing best practices to benefit students across charter and district lines.”
About the RI League of Charter Schools
The Rhode Island League of Charter Schools, founded in 2001, exists to expand the role of charter schools in Rhode Island public education. The League is pleased to welcome 2 new charter schools into the RI educational landscape; both Democracy Prep (Cumberland) and Segue Academy (Central Falls) opened their doors for the first time this September. The League is guided by the directors of the 13 existing public charter public schools and provides a forum for advocacy, sharing of best practices and collaboration. As public schools charged with pursuing innovation, the state’s charter public schools recognize their statutory responsibility to share best practices with other public schools, districts and educators in the state. Currently nearly 3,400 students from 31 cities and towns attend public charter schools in Rhode Island; 3,600 students continue to sit on waiting lists.More information on Rhode Island charter public schools can be found at www.richarterschools.com.
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