Application Process
Please Note: The VOA-MN Charter School
Authorizing Program is not accepting applications for new charter
schools or change of authorizer requests during Fiscal Year 2012.
The Hallmarks of a Volunteers of America School
As a charter school authorizer, Volunteers of America - Minnesota, seeks to further the mission and values of its parent organization through its own vision:
To create a network of diverse and high performing schools that leverage their collective knowledge, skills, and resources to build capacity for educational excellence and exciting learning opportunities for Minnesota students and families.
To assist in the process of determining whether schools applying for Volunteers of America authorization are a good match for our program, we utilize a number of hallmarks. Schools that are a good match:
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Provide high quality educational opportunities
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Focus on underserved communities
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Demonstrate a commitment to racial, ethnic, and socio-economic diversity
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Encourage small school environments
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Promote community engagement
What Volunteers of America Offers to the Charter Schools It Authorizes
As a leading authorizer, Volunteers of America-Minnesota strives to ensure the success of each of its schools through a unique system of accountability that begins even before a school opens its doors. Schools authorized by Volunteers of America-Minnesota enjoy:
- Pre-opperational support provided via a detailed checklist designed to walk new schools through the processes of developing their learning program, reaching out to potential students, securing facilities, creating appropriate financial management and governance policies, and ensuring compliance with the law. This emphasis on a strong foundation prepares schools to meet Volunteers of America–Minnesota’s ready-to-open requirements.
- Cooperative oversight, which respects the charter school promise of increased autonomy in return for increased accountability, is ongoing. It revolves around three key questions:
--Is the student learning program a success?
--Does the school exhibit strong financial health?
--Is the organization effective and well-run?
To answer these questions and provide schools with useful feedback designed to encourage continuous growth and reflection, Volunteers of America-Minnesota performs a number of duties including:
--Attending board meetings
--Reviewing monthly financial statements and board minutes
--Conducting several formal and informal site visits throughout the year
--Monitoring academic performance through accountability plans
--Reviewing annual reports and audits
--Evaluating schools annually and prior to contract renewal
--Intervening as needed
- The Charter School Network promotes relationships between schools and the larger charter school community by creating professional development opportunities for participants—whether as a board member, school leader, or community member. Being authorized by Volunteers of America– Minnesota means being a part of a network of schools that meets annually, shares ideas on effective educational and operational strategies, and broadens individuals’ understanding of the charter school community throughout Minnesota.
- Encouragement and Recognition of Success through the Volunteers of America–Minnesota Excellence Awards. These awards are given each year to the Volunteers of America– Minnesota-authorized charter schools that show the highest quality results in the following areas:
--Excellence in Educational Learning Program
--Excellence in Financial Management and Oversight
--Excellence in School Board Governance
Volunteers of America Application Process
1. Charter school developers submit the appropriate materials to the Volunteers of America Charter School Office by the established deadline.
We are not currently accepting new charter school applications.
2. An external advisory committee made up of experts in the field reviews application materials guided by the Volunteers of America Charter School Application Rubric and Volunteers of America’s Hallmarks. Hallmarks seek to ensure that schools will:
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Provide high quality educational opportunities
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Focus on underserved communities
-
Demonstrate a commitment to racial, ethnic, and socio-economic diversity
-
Encourage small school environments
-
Promote community engagement
3. If a proposed school meets some or all of these criteria and receives strong positive feedback from the advisory committee, the founding group is invited for an interview with the Charter School Authorizing Program staff. The interview will focus on school alignment with Volunteers of America’s vision/mission, the educational and financial viability of the proposal and the founding group's capacity to implement an idea into a reality. Groups with a wide variety of skill sets (financial, operational, instructional, etc.) represented will be favored. Follow-up materials or additional interviews may be requested to further assess the quality of the application and developing team.
4. A recommendation is made to Volunteers of America leadership to approve authorization of the school.
5. Volunteers of America Charter School Authorizing Program staff then work with the school to make any necessary application revisions in preparation for submission of the authorizer’s affidavit to the Minnesota Department of Education.