The Other Charter

This post will appear in the "PAW Print" newsletter on May 28, 2009::

Now that I’ve nearly completed my first year as a charter school parent, it’s clear to me that a successful charter school is really about two charters and both of them are equally important. The first charter, of course, is the one that the school has with the State of North Carolina, which is all about meeting the standards for schools set by the state. It’s also about realizing the vision laid out in the charter application for what makes the school different, which comes about by implementing the educational philosophies behind the vision.

The “Other Charter” is the one the parents have with the school to serve and support it. In order to work, the Other Charter needs full participation because the role of parents in a charter school is so critical to the basic operation of the school that if the school had to pay vendors to provide the services that our parent volunteers provide, the numbers just would not add up and the school would have to close. As a result, both charters are necessities for Endeavor to operate and succeed. We’ve had so many successes this year, and many of them are due to the way that our parents have stepped up and kept the Other Charter alive.

If you are among the few that have not found your groove as a charter school parent, please contact me at paws.president@endeavorcharter.com and I might have some suggestions for you. If your daytime hours are limited, there are many ways you could help the school in the evening or on weekends. Of course, during the day there are many opportunities to help – both at the school, or from your home or office. For those of you that are involved, thank you so much for your time and dedication. And remember that as a member of PAWS you have a voice – please participate in the PAWS General Membership meetings or come observe one of the PAWS Board meetings. The next Board meeting is at 6:30pm on Tue., June 16 in the multipurpose room. This letter appears as a post in my blog – click on the link below my name and post a comment if you like.

All the best,
John