Charter School Connection

Charter Connect

Growing charter schools TOGETHER.

  1. 4D AGO

    #72 BChex | Ken Monroe

    In this episode, Dallan sits down with Ken Monroe, CEO of BChex and host of The Bad Hire Podcast. This conversation has been months in the making — after first connecting at the NC Association of Public Charter Schools Conference in July, Dallan traveled to Huntersville, NC to record both podcasts in person! Ken shares valuable insight into how BChex helps charter schools ensure a safe and secure environment through effective background screening. As he explains, people are the key to every organization’s success — and making the right hiring decisions starts with knowing who you’re bringing on board. Learn how BChex’s innovative platform, Screening Hero, empowers schools to confidently and correctly screen staff and volunteers, and why Ken believes every school should have an expert in screening. BChex’s mission is simple but powerful: to create safer schools through prevention and education. Don’t miss this episode filled with practical advice, industry expertise, and actionable steps to strengthen your school community. Show Notes: BChex https://www.bib.com/

    23 min

  2. OCT 28

    #71 Orcutt Union School District | Joe Dana

    In this episode of “The Charter School Connection” Dallan speaks with Joe Dana, the assistant Superintendent of Orcutt School District. Joe has been at the school district for 36 years but also was a student in the district starting in kindergarten. Over his time there he has seen a lot of change. From being a principal at multiple schools to opening the first charter school in the district. Joe shares his journey with us and some insights he has learned along the way. As with many other schools, some of the biggest challenges they have faced are issues with enrollment and facilities. Joe uses these challenges to share some solutions and advice for anyone looking into opening a charter school. A big theme of the episode is making sure to have people who want to be part of the community and to tell their story will go a long way. Joe ends the episode sharing some great resources that have helped him along the way. They are shared in the show notes. He also invites anyone who would like to, to come stop by and visit Orcutt Academies and Orcutt School district to see what makes them so special and unique. Time Stamps: 00:50 How did Joe get into the school district world? 1:50 How did you go from principal to principal to charter school? 4:45 What is different about Orcutt Academy? 6:37 Challenges you have faced? 9:54 Advice for anyone wanting to open a charter school? 15:00 Solutions 16:21 Hiring Process 18:25 Final Resources Show Notes: Orcutt Union School District https://www.orcuttschools.net/ Orcutt Academy K-8 https://orcuttacademy.orcuttschools.net/ Orcutt Academy High School https://oahs.orcuttschools.net/ Charter School Development Center https://www.chartercenter.org/ Western Association for Schools and Colleges https://www.acswasc.org/

    21 min

  3. OCT 21

    #70 Exalt Education | Tina Long

    In this episode of “The Charter School Connection” Dallan speaks with Tina Long, Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer at Exalt Education. Tina shares how her experience with education from a mother’s viewpoint brought her to the charter school world. She shares her journey from opening a charter school in Oregon to now being at Exalt Education in Little Rock, Arkansas. Exalt Education started in 2014 with 123 students and now has 1,000. A common theme in this episode is striving to give the children the best education for them individually. Every child is on their own path and there are ways to make sure the curriculum fits them. The pillars the elementary school is built on, help the children thrive. This year the high school opened with 250 students already enrolled. There is a unique model within the high school that sets students up for success. Tina also shares some valuable information for all charter school administrators. From what is needed to open a successful school and how to find the best school board. As well as some challenges and how to overcome them. You do not want to miss this episode. Time Stamps: 00:38 How did Tina get involved in Charter Schools? 2:10 Is the first school you opened Exalt Education? 3:58 Advice to anyone starting a school? 5:30 What makes a board successful? 7:00 Why is Exalt Education unique? 9:50 What did 8th graders do before you had a high school? 10:45 The new High School 14:23 How long have you been following this model? 17:45 Challenges and solutions 22:29 Final Thoughts Show Notes: Exalt Education https://www.exalteducation.org/

    24 min

  4. OCT 14

    #69 Da Vinci Tree Academy | Matt Roll

    In this episode of “The Charter School Connection” Shawn visits Da Vinci Tree Academy in Tucson, AZ. While doing an in person visit, Shawn sits down with Matt Roll, Principal and Founder to record a podcast. This episode is unique because they cover a variety of topics that we haven’t discussed on the podcast before. As with many of our guests, Matt did not intend to be in the charter school industry. He had a very interesting journey from going to college for business to now being a founder and principal at Da Vinci Tree Academy. Da Vinci Tree Academy is a STEM school that is known for creating a CDC compliant model classroom during the covid pandemic. The only one in the country. Tune in to hear this incredible story! Matt shares a book and a person that have both influenced him and his school. Listen in to hear what they are and how they have impacted him! Matt shares some advice he has for other charter school administrators starting with the importance of networking. So many different aspects of the charter school industry can be benefited by networking. A challenge that Da Vinci Tree Academy has faced is a teacher shortage. Can you relate to this challenge? Check out what Matt has found as a solution to the problem and how you could also! Reach out to Matt to learn more about his advice he shares in the episode. Time Stamps: 1:48 Who are you (Matt Roll) and what is your background in Charter Schools? 7:59 What gave you (Da Vinci Tree Academy) the ability to pivot and be innovative so quickly? 14:20 What are some books or people that have influenced you (Matt Roll)? 19:20 Any challenges or successes that other charter school administration could benefit from? Show Notes: Da Vinci Tree Academy https://www.davincitree.academy/ Matt Roll mroll@davincitree.academy “Driven By Data” by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo https://a.co/d/5giWT1N

    25 min

  5. OCT 7

    #68 ABA Toolbox | Leila Farshchian

    In this episode of “The Charter School Connection” Dallan speaks with behavior health specialist, Leila Farshchian, from ABA Toolbox. This episode is a bit different but very helpful for charter school administrators looking for improvements in special education. In this episode you will learn more about what brought Leila to the behavioral health field and how ABA Toolbox came about. She also shares some challenges they have faced and overcome. But the highlight of this episode is learning about ABA toolbox and how it can help improve your special education department. Tune in to see how your school can benefit from this! ABA Toolbox is a special education software for schools to help support and focus on the learner. It provides a unified, collaborative and cohesive experience. By having this software there is less time spent on reports and more time spent on the students and providing them the support they need. Time Stamps: 00:45 What is ABA Toolbox? 3:58 How did Leila get involved in behavior health? 7:49 For charter school administrations that want to improve special education, why is ABA Tool Box a good fit? 9:25 Share some challenges ABA Toolbox has faced and how they were overcome. 11:33 What are some challenges that schools face that ABA Toolbox can resolve? 13:25 Final Thoughts and Resources Show Notes: ABA Toolbox https://www.abatoolbox.com/ Science of Teaching from Columbia University

    15 min

  6. SEP 30

    #67 Armadillo Community Charter School | Rachel Garner

    In this episode “The Charter School Connection” Dallan speaks with Rachel Garner, Executive Director at Armadillo Community Charter School in Oregon. Although she originally wanted to be a vet, Rachel has found her way to charter school administration. Rachel is focused on making a change from the top and she shares her journey with Dallan. Armadillo Community Charter School was one of the first charter schools in southern Oregon and continues to be unique by keeping the size small. The student body hovers around 75-80 students and while there is room for more, the importance of the small class size remains a priority. Not all students fit in large mainstream classrooms, so Armadillo is there for students who need a smaller, more individually oriented program. They focus on teaching hands on critical thinking with community learning. Rachel shares some valuable advice for all administrators. Listen in to see her tips on how to build a strong school board. In Oregon, charter schools are seen as a negative competition for public education. To counter this, Rachel and her team at Armadillo are continuously sending out the message that they are working for the same goal of having successful students. It is not a one size fits all situation. Rachel ends the episode by sharing a book that has taught her to find the positive each day. Tune into the episode to see where you can learn this also! Time Stamps: 00:47 How did Rachel get involved in the charter school space? 1:52 What schools got you to where you are today? 2:42 What is it like working with high school students in today’s world with so much technology access? 4:36 What makes Armadillo Community Charter School unique? 5:50 How many students are at Armadillo Community Charter School? 6:50 What can students expect from the classroom environment? 8:08 What challenges has Armadillo faced and how have they been overcome? 9:30 Tips to find a good board 11:30 Any other challenges? 12:47 How have you tried to deal with the challenges? 13:50 Final thoughts and resources Show Notes: Armadillo Community Charter School https://www.armadillocharter.org/ “365 Days of Awesome” by Monica Genta https://monicagenta.com/365-2/

    15 min

  7. SEP 23

    #66 BC Construction Group | Lynette Stevens

    There is a trend in these last few episodes and this one is no different. In this episode of the “Charter School Connection” Dallan sits down with another one of the amazing connections we found at the NCAPCS Conference, Lynette Stevens from BC Construction Group. We bonded at the conference talking about donuts from one of the local beach towns and are happy to have her as a guest on the podcast. BC Construction Group does construction in a few different areas but one core area they specialise in is the education division. The biggest pitfall they have seen for charter schools is making plans without knowing the budget they have or how much their plans will cost. To help with this issue they have come up with the Rapid Rise solution to help try to ease the construction process. Tune into this episode to hear more about this project. By working with BC Construction group they will be your one stop shop for construction on your school. Time Stamps: 1:00 How did Lynette get involved in the BC Construction Group? 2:07 How did BC Construction Group fall into the charter school industry? 3:25 Check out the education division section on their website. 5:35 What makes BC Construction Group unique for charter schools and what mistakes have you seen the administration make in terms of construction? 8:50 First step to move forward? 10:10 What are some success stories you have seen? 14:21 Final thoughts Show Notes: BC Construction Group https://www.bccgp.com/

    16 min

  8. SEP 16

    #65 Goodall Consulting | Eddie Goodall

    In this episode of the “Charter School Connection” Dallan sits down with another one of the amazing connections we found at the NCAPCS Conference, Eddie Goodall, President of Goodall Consulting. This one is extra special because he founded the association in 2009. Eddie shares his journey to how he became president of Goodall Consulting. Eddie started in the charter school world on the political side of charter schools in 1995. By 1999 he met with a small group of people in a Sunday School classroom to discuss opening “Union Academy.” Eddie is so proud of this school and shares what makes him proud. He went on to run for senate with a “School Choice” Campaign where he stayed for six years. Tune in to see what challenges he ran into along the way and advice he has for anyone looking to help charter school policies. Eddie went from politics to consulting to help others within the charter school community. It is important to remember that we are here for the students, not the system. Goodall Consulting is about charter school advocacy and school choice. Eddie and his team help charter schools navigate all the different challenges they might come across so that they can succeed. This is a challenging time for charter schools and Eddie plans to write an article about his views on the current climate. Be sure to keep an eye out for this article because it will be beneficial for all. We will make sure to share it when we receive it. While they work primarily with North Carolina Charter Schools at the moment, anyone interested in charter schools (opening a school, politics, helping a school, etc), Eddie is always willing to hop on a call with you at any time. A list of all their services and how to contact them can be found at www.goodallconsulting.com. Time Stamps: 00:40 How did Eddie get involved in the Charter School industry? 4:00 Advice for people looking to make changes in Charter School policies? 6:50 What made Eddie proud of Union Academy? 11:35 How did you go from politics to consulting? 16:40 When will your article about the 10 things hurting Charter Schools be posted? 17:56 Anything else to add? 22:32 Eddie shares the name of his book - Charter Diary: North Carolina’s Second 100 Charter Schools 23:21 Learn more about Goodall Consulting? 24:48 Do you have clients outside of North Carolina? 25:40 Final thoughts. Show Notes: Goodall Consulting: https://goodallconsulting.com/ Charter Diary: North Carolina’s Second 100 Charter Schools: https://www.amazon.com/Charter-Diary-Carolinas-Second-Schools-ebook/dp/B07PXT67LX

    26 min
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Growing charter schools TOGETHER.

Information

  • Creator
    Charter Connect
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    72
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Charter School Connection