📅 Upcoming Deadlines:

• December 31: Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI)

As recently shared by the Colorado League of Charter Schools: In 2020, Colorado enacted a statewide paid family and medical leave insurance program (Prop 118). The state has been building a new state-run Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program pursuant to this ballot initiative.

While participation in the FAMLI program is mandatory for all private employers, local government employers (including charters) may choose to opt out of the FAMLI program. To do so, your school governing board must hold a board vote sometime in 2022 and notify the FAMLI division of their decision by December 31, 2022. Employees must be notified regarding FAMLI participation within 30 days after the deciding vote.

There are a series of steps that you must take prior to January 1, 2023, including taking a board vote, allowing a process for employees to provide comments on the vote, notifying the FAMLI program, notifying employees of their ability to opt in, and more. Learn more from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment: June 30 Newsletter | FAQ page and website.

If you or your board have additional questions, please make sure you utilize the resources provided through Employers Council and reach out to your legal counsel as necessary. 

CSI provides virtual modules for new school board members on topics including: accountability, compliance monitoring, special populations oversight, financial oversight, and understanding the charter contract. Access these modules here.

2022 CARS Report

Preliminary 2022 CARS reports, which included only academic data, were released to school leaders in late October. The full CARS report, which includes your school’s CARS rating as well as the financial and organizational sections of CARS, will be released in late November. As always, school’s will be given an opportunity to review your full report and provide any school narrative before it is published to CSI’s website. If you are interested in additional support or training on the 2022 CARS Report, CSI staff can coordinate a training on the CARS Report for CSI school leaders and/or school boards.

Update to CSI Performance Framework

As was mentioned during the last school board training, the CSI Board of Directors approved revisions to the CSI Annual Review of Schools (CARS). Known as CARS 3.0, the update specifically revised the CSI Performance Framework.  

Revisions were proposed after an in-depth review of CSI school leader feedback over the years, several surveys of school leaders and board members, consultation with the National Association of Charter School Authorizers and other high-performing authorizers across the country, and deep discussions with members of the CSI Board of Directors. A summary of the changes to the framework and the updated performance framework are linked here.

We look forward to continuing the conversation with school leaders around how best to operationalize the new framework and make sure you are familiar with the changes to the framework as we work to transition from CARS 2.0 to CARS 3.0. Schools will receive an official CARS Report using the current framework (CARS 2.0) for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school year. A transitional CARS Report (CARS 3.0) for these years will also be provided to schools starting in early 2023.

As always, if you have any questions or would like CSI to present on the CARS Report to you or your school board, please reach out and we can schedule a time to discuss.

Questions & Support Contact:

• Ryan Marks, CSI Chief of Authorizing & Accountability

✔️ Progress in carrying out Unified Improvement Plan (UIP)

✔️ Open enrollment and/or re-enrollment for the upcoming school year

✔️ Ensure enrollment policies and procedures are up-to-date and approved if updates are made for the 23-24 school year

✔️ Board support for student recruitment

✔️ Mid-year check-in with staff

✔️ Participation in school events

✔️ Student absentee rates

✔️ Review mid-year school culture survey results if applicable

✔️ Update on mid-year family engagement from School Leader

✔️ Mid-year School Leader evaluation and progress toward goals

✔️ Mid-year strategic plan review

✔️ Board receives update on PPR adjustments related to changes in Funded Pupil Counts and/or changes in PPR

✔️ Board receives proposed budget amendments