Utah Charter School Conversations

Join in this conversation with Eulogio Alejandre, Principal of Esperanza Elementary. Esperanza Elementary educates its student to be biliterate in Spanish and English. In our conversation we cover the need for biliterate education especially in our local Latin population and best methods to provide that learning. We discuss the four registers of language and how that impacts language learning. You...

This week's conversation is with April Thompson, 9th grade science teacher at Lakeview Academy. April participated in the Pathmaker Bridge program at the University of Utah where she conducted cancer research over the summer. In this conversation, we learn about the program and April's research project to encourage other charter school teacher to participate. We also learn about April&ap...

This week my conversation is with Katina Santamaria, Principal, Guadalupe School in Salt Lake City. Ms. Santamaria and I discuss the literacy focus of Guadalupe, the close culture of the school community, and swimming in the ocean (wear a bright pink cap)! To learn more about Guadalupe School visit https://guadschool.org/ or call (801) 531-6100. The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPC...

In this conversation with Renee Edwards, we learn more about Itineris Early College High School and Renee's path in education. Itineris is affiliated with Salt Lake Community College and 90% of its seniors participate in college-level classes. Learn about the supportive education system at Itineris that helps students reach their potential. Itineris currently serves 10-12 grade students, but...

Itineris graduate, Mitchell Sandborn, takes a few minutes to discuss the impact the Itineris had on his career. Hint: A lot! He works as an IT contractor at Itineris! Hear about his educational journey and what his time at Itineris meant to him. To learn more about Itineris, visit https://www.iechs.org/. The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provi...

This episode covers the UAPCS APPEL Program. APPEL stands for Alternate Pathway to Professional Educator License. All teachers who do not go through a traditional teacher college, can get a professional license through an APPEL program. Many district and other charter schools have their own programs, but UAPCS also has its own robust program. Joylin Lincoln and April Thompson coordinate the teache...

Want to know how to approach strategic planning at your school? Kim Dohrer, President, Academica West and Kara Findley, Lead Board Liasion, Academica West join us to discuss board retreats and strategic planning. We discuss the following: Why board retreats are important Key components to planning  What items does the director need to provide in the state of the school? Academic data (achievement...

The featured conversation this week is with Blake Clark, Executive Director at St. George Academy , located in St. George, Utah.  We discuss the great things going on at GWA, teacher and administrative collaboration, and supporting students' emotional wellness. The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical s...

We are starting the new school year with Why Choose a Charter School? This episode gives an inside look to one family's decision to send their children to a public charter school. Meet the Warners, parents of seven children, who chose American Preparatory Academy after researching several charter and district schools. This conversation discusses identifying your educational philosophy as a pa...

We are starting the new school year with Why Choose a Charter School? This episode gives an inside look to one family's decision to send their children to a public charter school. Meet the Hansens, parents of three children, who chose a charter school after having their children in private school. This conversation covers identifying your educational philosophy, matching that to your child&ap...

The featured conversation this week is with Stephanie Eccles, Executive Director at Excelsior Academy located in Erda, Utah. We learn about Excelsior and Stephanie's familial push into education (which she appreciated!) We frankly discuss the role of character education in a student's life and how Excelsior seeks to develop good people and not just good students. Excelsior also has a pod...

In this conversation with Dr. Sonia Woodbury, we learn about the unique community of City Academy. Dr. Woodbury started City Academy with like-minded teaching professionals from the University of Utah. As one of the first charter schools in Utah, City Academy serves 7-12th grade with the goal to not only have students highly engaged in their learning, but become involved and active citizens within...

Join our conversation with Tyler Bastian, principal of Roots Charter High School in West Valley City. Roots is a farm-based school that provides real-life work experience to make education meaningful and applicable to students. Many of his students had left school previously or weren't interested in graduating. Tyler talks about creating a safe and loving environment to re-engage students to...

We've had a little break, but would like you to get to know us! UAPCS (Utah Association of Public Charter Schools) provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in Utah's public charter schools. Hear a conversation with Royce Van Tassell, Executive Director, about the impact of charter schools on student's lives, and the community UAPCS seeks to build thro...

Today, we visit our sister podcast: Climbing the Hill. Climbing the Hill is all about the Utah Legislative Session and how it affects charter schools. We discuss the following with Royce Van Tassell, Executive Director, Utah Association of Public Charter Schools: Budget Funding still looks like increase of 6% WPU. LRF increase 7%. HB 475 Economic Stabilization Account Allocations: This bill will a...

Robert's Rules of Order provide structure and formality to help your meetings run smoothly. In this conversation with Joylin Lincoln, Director of Training for the Utah Association of Public Charter Schools, we cover the basic tenets of Robert's Rules including motions, agenda structure, and examples of how it all fits together. Check out this powerpoint   (that would be great to use for...

We talk with Mountainville Academy Principal, Janese Vance. We have a great conversation about building school culture for students and teachers, listening to solve problems, communication in and out of the school, and so much more! The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in ed...

Board Meeting Structure is essential to create an efficient board meeting. Here are some highlights from the discussion with Joylin Lincoln, Director of Training at the Utah Association for Public Charter Schools (UAPCS). Importance of board structure Agenda suggestions Director's Report (30 minutes) focuses on academics written report in board packet so board can ask pertinent question Finan...

In this podcast, we discuss the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act and how it applies specifically to charter schools. Our conversation points out some of the most outstanding components of the law, but is not exhaustive. We discuss the Public Notice Website . This  is where agendas, calendars, minutes and recordings should be posted. The Utah Open and Public Meetings Act (UT Code Title 52, Chapter...

This 27 minute audio training will help you know the first things you need to know when joining a charter school board. Taught by Joylin Lincoln, Director of Training, at the Utah Association of Public Charter Schools, this training covers:  your role as a board member documents to read New Board Member Documents New Board Member Training learning the difference between governance and management g...

In this conversation, Royce Van Tassell, Executive Director of the Utah Association of Public Charter Schools, shares the history and purpose of Utah public charter schools. The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools is a non-profit organization. The mission of UAPCS is to provide advocacy, training, and technical support that promote excellence in public charter schools throughout the state....