Business Plan

I have been working on the Business Plan aspect of the school today.  I figure that I had better file for incorporation and get my not-for-profit stuff going, but in order to do that I have to have Articles of Incorporation to submit to the state.  That means I have to write at least that part of the business plan.

I was hoping that I would have several people around to help with this task, but it may be a blessing in disguise.  This way I write the Business Plan and when I have a task force, I can give it to them for revisions.  Revising an already created plan is less challenging than creating one as a group from scratch.   Too many opinions to include.  If it's already written, people will be more likely to revise only the things that they feel strongly about and not fuss about the little details.

One thing that is hard for me is creating the infrastructure for the employees and the board.   I'm not sure exactly what it should look like.  I'm going to keep searching for some good models that are already out there.  No use reinventing the wheel, right?

An Ally at Last

Well, it seems that my talking has paid off.  You know, I am passionate about this school and I share it with EVERYONE I talk with.  I was talking with the parents around Kobi's soccer practice a few weeks ago, telling them about what I was trying to do.  Nobody seemed particularly interested.

Then last week, one of the moms asked me if I was serious about the school.  I told her that I was and she told me that one of the parents on her husband's soccer team (he coaches little ones too) was very interested in working with me on the school.  She has a background in administration and has worked in several schools.  From them, I got her contact information and gave her a call.

I explained all about EL and why I feel it is a great way to teach.  She agreed and was excited to do some of her own research.  We talked about accountability to the state and how to approach the school district.  We talked about how we both feel that parents will embrace the idea of an option outside of the regular public school system that doesn't cost them anything.

She seems very interested in helping.  And she even volunteered her husband (although we'll see if he wants to help).  She suggested looking into the Perris School Disctrict instead of the Menifee School District, mainly based on the socio-economic group.  She volunteers for a childcare resource system in Riverside County and has taken a few grant-writing classes.  She said that one thing she learned was that zip code matters.  If we can find a place that balances between the Menifee/Quail Valley population but houses in a Perris zip code, we may qualify for more funding.

She also has several contacts in the area.  She said that she would work on calling a couple of people to find us a place for an initial community forum meeting.  I told her that my goal is to get this meeting done before the end of October (to beat the holiday business) and she thought she could find us a place to use before then.

WOOHOO!!!  One ally down...a bazillion to go!

Still Looking

I am still unable to find a place to hold my first meeting.  The school looked promising, but they cannot seem to find the form that I need to fill out to request use of the facilities.

I have tried several churches in the area, but they either don't rent their space or they charge an astronomical fee.  I am getting to the point where my house may be the best choice.  I would like to get this initial meeting done before October, but at this point I'm not sure that I will be able to give people enough notice for the meeting.

In addition to flyers, I would like to take out a small notice in the newspaper.  But both of those cost money and right now...well, money is very tight.

I'm going to make a few more phone calls today to see if I can find a place.  I'm also going to call the school district office to see if they have the facilities use form.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Oh...I also found an afterschool/support program in the area that sounds like a GREAT companion to our school.  Check it out.  It's called www.againstalloddsoutreach.com.  I've sent them an email and hope that they are willing to work together.

Project Plan

I have just about completed the Project Plan.  I don't have the money for Project Management software so I just used Excel.  It works fine.  I have a master plan and then individual pages for each major task with subtasks.  I gave myself a deadline of the end of the 15th...so I guess I am on schedule for that.

The next major undertaking is the Informational Meeting.  I am still trying to find somewhere to meet other than our house...want to keep it business-like.  The school might let me have it there. Trick is, I need to have lead time to get flyers out to the community.

Place to Meet

We are looking for a place to hold a public forum meeting in the Canyon Lake area.  If anyone has suggestions of a local public place that might be able to accommodate us, please email Robyn at rrogers@aberdoveyschool.org.

This meeting will last about 2 hours.  At the end of the meeting, attendees will be able to make the following statements:

1.  I can explain what a charter school is - who can attend, how it is governed, and what makes it different from other public schools.

2.  I can explain the basic process for creating a charter school.

3.  I can describe what EL is and how it helps students learn.

4.  I can name at least three EL Design Principles and Core Practices and explain what they are.

5.  I am committed to being a part of the Task Force to create this charter school.

Please plan to attend.  If we do not find a public venue, Robyn will hold this first meeting at her home.

First Post

This is the first official post for Aberdovey School.  I am writing this blog to record the challenges and successes of starting a charter school in the Canyon Lake area.