Connecticut Charter Schools Association

ANNOUNCEMENT: Odyssey Community School has been awarded a $150,000 federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grant through the Great Schools for Connecticut Project to support the creation of two new preschool classrooms.

Odyssey is one of three CT public charter schools awarded CSP funds through the second cycle of the competitive subgrant process managed by CTCSA. Read more about Odyssey's expansion plans, the GSCT grant process, and this year's awards here: https://hubs.la/Q02QQ9Vx0

ANNOUNCEMENT: Interdistrict School for Arts and Communication has been awarded more than $730,000 in federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grant funding through the Great Schools for Connecticut Project to support the creation of 4th and 5th-grade classrooms at their school.

ISAAC is one of three CT public charter schools awarded CSP funds through the second cycle of the competitive subgrant process managed by CTCSA. Read more about ISAAC's expansion plans, the GSCT grant process, and this year's awards here: https://hubs.la/Q02QPP4R0

ANNOUNCEMENT: New Beginnings Family Academy has been awarded more than $850,000 in federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grant funding through the Great Schools for Connecticut Project to support the creation of the school's Early Learning Center in 2025.

NBFA is one of three CT public charter schools awarded CSP funds through the second cycle of the competitive subgrant process managed by CTCSA. Read more about NBFA's expansion plans, the GSCT grant process, and this year's awards here: https://hubs.la/Q02QMqn_0

What a great event! Families are critical partners in a student's educational journey. ❤️

As we shared in last week’s communication, Bridgeport Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Carmela M. Levy-David has decided not to move forward with a new school-day schedule this year. The schedule she had planned to implement required us to adjust our arrival and dismissal times, which, as you know, we had already put in place.

Since we rely on the same transportation service as BPS and must align with the district's plans, we have carefully considered all of the limited options based on this change. We have concluded that the best course of action is to return to a schedule similar to our original school day schedule—the one that you are familiar with and had originally anticipated for this year.

What this means for AF Bridgeport Families:
Starting Monday, September 16, 2024, we will revert to the following schedule, similar to what we had last year.
Our official school day will be from 7:40 to 3:45 Monday through Thursday and 7:40 to 12 on Fridays.

We know that many of you had to make adjustments to accommodate the former schedule, and we apologize for any inconvenience and frustration this additional change from the District may have caused. We appreciate your patience, understanding, and partnership.

While this has been a challenging process, we hope that returning to the schedule our families and staff are familiar with will ultimately bring a sense of relief, as it has worked well for us in previous years. The well-being and success of our students remain our top priority, and we are committed to doing everything we can to ensure this upcoming adjustment goes as smoothly as possible.

Connecticut's public charter schools are focused on finding innovative ways to get students engaged and prepare them for the next levels of their education -- and their next stage of life.

Spanish Teacher, Senora Morales, is ready for the school year! Did you know that IDCS provides Spanish instruction for students in all grades? Starting in pre kindergarten, students receive 15 minutes of Spanish instruction per week. By grades 7 and 8, students are receiving 45 minutes of Spanish instruction 2-4 times a week. The introduction of Spanish instruction at an early age gives IDCS students a head start with foreign language selection and requirements when they enter high school!

How cool! 🔬

Welcome back to school! We are excited to see all the great things our students and schools achieve in the 2024-25 school year! 🌟

Keep up the good work! 📖

Public charter schools give parents the ability to decide which public school option is best for their student. Connecticut's charter schools offer innovative educational alternatives for students who may have struggled in traditional school environments.

Public charter schools have the freedom to innovate and find creative ways to meet the needs of students, while remaining high standards of accountability. Each school's approach is unique to the students of their communities.

Public charter schools provide tuition-free options to parents who want to be able to decide on which public school option is best for their child.

Public charter schools are public schools. They are designed to innovate to meet student needs, while maintaining the same standard of accountability as other public schools.

Happy 15 years and counting! 🥳

We're supporting emerging leaders at CT's public charter schools with a new leadership development program, created in partnership with LeveragED. Our sessions began last week with four leaders from three different schools learning how they can grow as leaders and continue to innovate for their students. The LeveragED LaunchPad Program will continue with our next session in October!

Early Voting is now open in Connecticut ahead of the Primary Election on August 13.

Registered voters in a party holding a primary can vote early from August 5 to August 11 from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (extended hours available on Aug 8).

To learn more and find your voting location, visit https://hubs.la/Q02Krqjf0.

This fall, CTCSA staff will be among many heading to Manhattan to learn from public charter school leaders, educators, and innovators across the northeast at the 2024 New York Charter Schools Conference on October 23 and 24.

The event is organized by our sister organization, the NY Charter Schools Association, and offers the latest insights into the strategies and challenges at public charter schools across the northeast and the country. Click here to learn more and to register: https://hubs.la/Q02JjxMx0

We at CTCSA are looking forward to another exciting school year and more opportunities to support Connecticut's 21 public charter schools and help connect their students to the legislative process.

What a great use of time over the summer break! These scholars are honing their public speaking skills, helping them become more confident in sharing what they know and what they've learned. 🌟

Connecticut's public charter schools play a pivotal role in our public education system and give parents the ability to decide which public school is best for their child's future.