Photo Credit: New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy
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LAPCS' 7th Annual Conference Features Keynote Speaker Tim King

Oprah WInfrey won't be at this year's conference, but Tim King, Founder, CEO and President of Urban Prep in Chicago will be our keynote speaker, and he was on Oprah! Urban Prep sent 100% of its African American boys to four year colleges. Join us on October 21st and find out how he did it. Our early bird registration rate has been extended to September 10th, so be sure to take advantage.

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October's Annual Conference!
In this month's newsletter:
WorLAPCS: Working for You!

September 9-Board Basics Webinar: The Top Shelf presents a Board Basics webinar that provides an overview of effective governance and basic duties. Click to register.

September 11-Board Building - Recruitment and Selection: The Top Shelf rolls on with a webinar that provides an overview of recruitment and selection strategy to ensure that your board has the right people in the right seats. Click to register.

September 18-Open Meetings: Patrick Walsh of the LDE will host this live Top Shelf workshop that will help boards comply with open meetings law. Click to register.

September 18-At-Will Employment Webinar: Academic Resource Solutions will present a webinar on the tricky issues of at-will employment. This is a Bottom Line webinar and reserved for current LAPCS members. Contact Sarah Vandergriff for more information.

September 24-Pay It Forward Happy Hour: Attendees will have the chance to mix and mingle with policy makers, board members, and school leaders while enjoying a presentation from the Cowen Institute on their latest report, The State of Public Education in New OrleansThe event will begin at 5:30 pm at the Eiffel Society, 2040 St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans.

September 25-The Role of the Board Chair: This Top Shelf webinar specifically for board chairs will provide relevant tips for ensuring that board meetings are productive and impactful as a result of the chair's laser focus on effective leadership. Click to register.


Ann7th Annual Conference - Keynote Announced!
LAPCS is proud to welcome Tim King, President and CEO of Chicago's Urban Prep Academies, as the Keynote Speaker at our 2014 Annual Conference! Urban Prep was the first all-male charter high school in the nation, and 100% of its graduates (all African American males, mostly from low-income families) were admitted to four year colleges and universities. Tim has been named an ABC News Person of the Week, and a 2010 Chicagoan of the Year. He is the recipient of the 2014 BET Awards "Shine A Light" awards and was named to Ebony Magazine's "Power 100" list. He has also been featured on Good Morning America and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Tim is sure to be an exciting, engaging speaker, so don't miss out! Our early bird registration rates have been extended until September 10th!

EL1Educating Louisiana: Barry Erwin and 
Dr. Graysen Walles
 
LAPCS Policy Director Veronica Brooks continues her in-depth conversations with education news makers from across the state on Educating Louisiana, LAPCS' weekly cable show on Cox. In Episode 126, Veronica interviews Barry Erwin, Executive Director of the Council for a Better Louisiana, about his organization's advocacy work for elementary, high school, and higher education in Louisiana. She also speaks with Mentorship Academy's CEO, Dr. Graysen Walles, about the school's first graduating class and it's digital arts and STEM programs.

Louisiana charter schools have recently experienced an influx of students with limited English proficiency. A workshop for schools working with ELL students will be held on September 11 from 9:00 am-12:00 pm in Room 11 of the Convocation Annex Building at Xavier University. For more information and to register, please e-mail Nira Cooper.

Additionally, this video and FAQ, along with a toolkit provided by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, may help you better serve these students. LAPCS will also have session on this issue and general civil rights compliance for charter schools at our upcoming conference. If you have any questions, please contact LAPCS Legal Director Sarah Vandergriff.

 TourLAPCS on Tour - Third Leg Stops in Lake Charles and Lafayette

The third leg of our statewide tour lands in Lake Charles on September 9th and continues to New Iberia and Lafayette. Greater Baton Rouge and Greater New Orleans will comprise the fourth leg of the State Tour and will take place during the weeks of September 15 and September 29th.


 


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TopThe Top Shelf - Season 5 Begins
Season 5 of The Top Shelf kicks into gear this month with three webinars and one live workshop. Visit our events calendar for more info and to register. Check out a list of all of The Top Shelf's upcoming webinars and live workshops here.

Congrats to Delta Charter School, which won the 2014 LAPCS Conference promotion from The Top Shelf. They registered at least fiveboard members by August 31, so they will receive a free, 3-hour customized training during the 2014-15 school year. Customized trainings for boards range from strategic planning to board retreats are available through LAPCS. Please contact Makiyah Moody, Director of Governance Initiatives, for more information.

FeaFeatured School: D'Arbonne Woods Charter School
Each month, LAPCS will feature a different school (or school system) and share highlights, milestones, and good news for that school. This month we're featuring D'Arbonne Woods Charter School, but would love to feature your school in the coming months! E-mail us and let us share your good news!

Chartered in 2008, D'Arbonne Woods Charter School is a Type II charter in rural northeast Louisiana that utilizes a research-based curriculum to meet the unique needs of its students. Recognized as a Louisiana Top Gains School with a grade of B for academic performance, DWCS serves grades K-11 and will add grade 12 for the 2015-2016 school year. In 2013, the school received a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant for $1.9 million over three years to implement STEM learning in all grade levels, which include LEGO education projects in grades K-5, STEM modules through NICERC in grades 7-8 and marine biology and cyber literacy in the high school grades. This month, DWCS will break ground on the site of their new school facility that will provide a modern learning environment for approximately 1,000 students in grades K-12. The building is expected to be completed in December 2015.

ParPartner Connection Spot
From diagnostic assessment to fundraising and school signage, we've got you covered! Check out the newest addition to our vendor partners.


EDWARD JONES-FINANCIAL ADVISOR MARIGNY deMAURIAC
Whether you want to plan for retirement, save for college, reduce your tax bills, or ensure you have income to cover your expenses, we can provide personalized service and investment strategies that have proven themselves over the long-term. Let's discuss your goals during a financial review. Contact Marigny deMauriac today.

ACT MASTERY
ACT Mastery's owner, Craig Gehring, made perfect scores on both the ACT and SAT his junior year of high school. Since then, he's helped students boost their ACT scores. Craig has helped students scoring as low as a 13 and as high as a 33 get the scores that they needed. ACT Mastery is designed to build skills to help students succeed on the ACT.

HOMELAND SAFETY SYSTEMS, INC.
Homeland Safety Systems, Inc. is a commercial level security and electronic corporation that is FEMA certified in Crisis Management and carries an LA State Brand Name Contract. We design and manufacture our own high quality system components. This allows us to build a system that is scaled to your present and future needs. From access control and intercoms to surveillance systems, we have the knowledge, product and experience to build the right system for your facility.

Check out our entire list of partners by visiting our website. Don't see something you're searching for? Help us pick the partners you desire by completing a short feedback survey.
 
News from Our Education Partners

The Louisiana Department of Education has posted a Member Vacancy Announcement and Application for the Special Education Advisory Panel (SEAP). The vacancy is in the role of a representative of a public charter school. The deadline for submitting an application is September 19.

Chevron is donating $1 for every 8 gallons of gas it sells to provide educators with up to $2,000 in funding for classroom projects in select parishes. Visit 
fuelyourschool.org to learn more.


USGBC Louisiana challenges schools across the state to green their facilities. By getting students involved in sustainable projects, schools can lower operating costs, improve indoor learning spaces, while empowering teachers and youth, and our community forever. 
Sign up to take the 2014-15 Challenge today!

Teachers from all fields are invited to submit their ideas for increasing STEM education in the classroom. The top 25 ideas will each win a $1,000 grant to use in their classrooms. Visit their website for more information.
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