FAQs

Questions from SELS Family Information Nights 2010

• Thursday, 01 April 2010 14:04

The following set of questions were compiled from our Q&A sessions at the recent Family Information Nights.

Read more: Questions from SELS Family Information Nights 2010

Frequently Asked Questions

• Sunday, 31 January 2010 08:29

1. What is a charter school?

2. What are we proposing to do?

3. Will the Sierra Expeditionary Learning School further drain resources from TTUSD’s already stretched budget?

4. Will the displacement of students from our existing elementary schools into the Sierra Expeditionary School result in more teacher layoffs?

5. How does the Sierra Expeditionary Learning School propose to effectively serve English Language Learners?

6. What is Expeditionary Learning and why is different than what is being offered at TTUSD currently?

7. I have heard that charter school teachers do not need to be part of the union and as a result can be subject to unfair treatment. Is this true?

8. I have heard that charter schools haven’t worked very well in the past in our community. What is different for this proposed Charter?

9. Where will the Sierra Expeditionary Learning School be located?

10. What is the approval process for the Sierra Expeditionary Learning School?

11. How do I enroll my student in Sierra Expeditionary Learning School?

12. Do charter school teachers have to be credentialed?

13. Is the Sierra Expeditionary Learning School responsible for providing special education services to its students?

1. What is a charter school?

Charter schools are tuition-free schools that are open to the public, participate in state tests, employ credentialed teachers, and do not discriminate. Charter schools are often not bound by the constraints of school districts rules or union regulations regarding tenure, assignments, and hours. This freedom enables a charter to control its resources more efficiently and direct its energies to the needs of its population.

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2. What are we proposing to do?
Sierra Expeditionary Learning School (SELS) has petitioned to become an independent charter under the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District. SELS would initially serve 63 students in K-5th grades and expand over 4 years to serve 132 K-8 students. Sierra Expeditionary Learning School plans to begin its operations in the fall of 2010- 2011. SELS aims to work in partnership with the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District to offer a quality alternative educational choice for families and to ensure positive outcomes for students. 
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3. Will the Sierra Expeditionary Learning School further drain resources from TTUSD’s already stretched budget?
Charter schools are funded through the state and federal government and can also apply for grants and corporate underwriting. In fact, charter schools are eligible for a $500,000 start-up grant through the U.S. Department of Education. TTUSD receives annual state revenue of approximately $7,879 per pupil. Sierra Expeditionary Learning School receives $4,806 per pupil from TTUSD. TTUSD retains the additional $3,073 per pupil to help defer the district’s overhead. Additionally, Sierra Expeditionary Learning School will pay 1-3% of its revenue to TTUSD for oversight responsibilities. We also plan to contract on a fee-for-service basis with TTUSD for English Language Learner Support, Special Education services and potentially transportation, which will help to offset the budgetary impact on the district.
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4. Will the displacement of students from our existing elementary schools into the Sierra Expeditionary School result in more teacher layoffs?
The Sierra Expeditionary Learning School will enroll 63 students grades K-5; it is unlikely that any one grade in a current TTUSD school will see enough of a deficit in numbers to justify eliminating a teacher. The Sierra Expeditionary Learning School will create three teaching positions and one Director position in its first year.
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5. How does the Sierra Expeditionary Learning School propose to effectively serve English Language Learners?
We honor, respect, and value diversity and have designed our curriculum to promote cross-cultural understanding and appreciation. During our first year of operation, the Sierra Expeditionary Learning School EL identified students will participate in a Structured English Immersion Program. In this program, EL students will be taught in English with support in the student’s primary language. All students will participate in Spanish Language instruction. Since Spanish is our dominant second language in Truckee, it will be an excellent opportunity for native Spanish Speakers to model learning another language and culture to native English Speakers. 

The Sierra Expeditionary Learning School will meet all requirements of federal and state law to provide equal access to the curriculum for English Language Learners. The school is dedicated to providing EL students with an exceptional education and transitioning them into English proficiency as soon as possible. However, the school also recognizes the cultures, customs, and languages of all its students through the school’s core curriculum as it focuses on building lifelong learners and community engagement.
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6. What is Expeditionary Learning and why is different than what is being offered at TTUSD currently?
Expeditionary Learning Schools Outward Bound (ELS) is a national, nonprofit organization that provides an effective way for schools to educate children K-12.  Launched in 1993, ELS has endeavored not only to create good schools, but schools that are more adventurous and rigorous than the norm. The ELS approach holds that teaching and learning should be active and challenging; unique to ELS, teachers involve students in learning through rigorous academic content and service to the community, which are embedded in learning expeditions.  Learning expeditions are long-term, interdisciplinary, "real world" investigations by teachers and students of compelling subjects, which culminate in public presentations. Teachers receive intensive instruction in formulating curriculum around learning expeditions, as well as active teaching practices that foster student success and build positive school cultures.
The Expeditionary Learning Schools model is being implemented in more than 150 schools in 30 states, reaching 45,000 students and 4,300 teachers. Third-party research studies published by the Rand Corporation, the Academy for Educational Development, and the American Institutes for Research and the National Staff Development Council have evaluated Expeditionary Learning Schools and site positive outcomes, recognizing Expeditionary Learning Schools as one of the country's most effective professional development and school improvement programs.

For more information, visit www.elschools.org.
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7. I have heard that charter school teachers do not need to be part of the union and as a result can be subject to unfair treatment. Is this true?

A charter school enjoys more staffing autonomy and curricular freedom than a district, allowing it to implement innovative concepts and applications which enable the school to educate, change, and grow in response to students’ needs and best interests. This autonomy has been shown to lead to high job satisfaction among charter school teachers. Sierra Expeditionary Learning School teachers will receive a competitive salary and benefits comparable to TTUSD employees. Sierra Expeditionary Learning School teachers will not be governed by the existing contract between TTEA and TTUSD, but are able to join a collective bargaining unit if they choose.
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8. I have heard that charter schools haven’t worked very well in the past in our community. What is different for this proposed Charter?
The Sierra Expeditionary Learning School is intent on starting small and staying small so that we can remain focused on the goal of providing our community with an accountable educational alternative. In addition to collaborating with TTUSD throughout the entire planning phase, we have chosen a curriculum that has been nationally recognized as an innovative, research-based, school improvement model which has been credited with producing high performing public charter schools.
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9. Where will the Sierra Expeditionary Learning School be located?
SELS will be located within the town of Truckee. We are continuing to research several potential sites and look forward to creating an innovative, safe and stimulating learning environment with the help of a professional Expeditionary Learning school designer.
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10. What is the approval process for the Sierra Expeditionary Learning School?
A charter petition must be authorized by a local, county, or state school board. The petitioners (the founding group of parents) have presented the SELS charter petition to the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District. The petitioners expect to receive a decision from the district in early March.
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11. How do I enroll my student in Sierra Expeditionary Learning School?
Admission to Sierra Expeditionary Learning School for the 2010/11 school year will be open to any student who will be entering Kindergarten through 5th grade. Applications will be available in late March at our Orientation Nights. Enrollment will be by lottery.
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12. Do charter school teachers have to be credentialed?
Sierra Expeditionary Learning School core teaching educators are required to hold  appropriate California teaching certificates, permits or documents issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, including CLAD certification. In keeping true to our mission, we seek to provide exceptional instruction for our students. We will employ staff that have knowledge or expertise in the guiding philosophy of the school and who support the principles of Expeditionary Learning.
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13. Is the Sierra Expeditionary Learning School responsible for providing special education services to its students?
Sierra Expeditionary Learning School shall comply with all applicable state and federal laws in serving students with disabilities, including but not limited to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (“Section 504”), the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”).

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