Rural/Non Metro Charter Resources

CDE's Schools of Choice (SOC) Unit seeks to support high-quality educational choices for Colorado families and students and to promote thoughtful innovations that will prepare Colorado students to be 21st-century adults. We realize that charter schools in Rural/Non Metro Colorado can face challenges and opportunities different than those of their urban counterparts. As such, we work to provide professional development and technical assistance geared specifically for our RNM charter schools.

Charter Schools in Colorado

(Map provided by the Colorado League of Charter Schools)

Rural and Non-Metro (RNM) Charter Support Seminar: 

The Rural and Non-Metro Charter School Support Seminar (formerly known as the Western Slope Seminar) highlights the most relevant topics and impacting rural schools. This annual training is designed to provide essential guidance and highlight relevant topics impacting charter schools in our RNM regions.

Links to past seminar recordings and resources:

RNM Support Seminar, February 23, 2023

RNM Support Seminar May 6, 2022

Rural and Non-Metro (RNM) Charter Support Forum: 

During the 2023-24 school year, the Schools of Choice Unit will continue to host the RNM Charter Support Forum through a six-meeting virtual series. This forum aims to provide belonging, connection, network opportunities, and best practices for rural and non metro leaders. 

RNM Charter Support Forum #1: Recruiting Educators

RNM Charter Support Forum #2: Capital Construction

RNM Charter Support Forum #3: School Finance

RNM Charter Support Forum #4: Recruitment and Retention

RNM Charter Support Forum #5: Tuesday, June 4, 2024, 4:00PM to 5:00PM REGISTRATION

ADDITIONAL SOC RESOURCES

Schools of Choice Listserv

Joining the charter school listserv you will receive informational e-mails from Schools of Choice and charter school events such as grant trainings, administrative and leadership meetings, and networking opportunities.

SOC Update Newsletter

The “SOC Update” is the newsletter that is sent out to our listserv of over 1,500 charter leaders, authorizers, and others. The purpose of this newsletter is to keep all parties informed of currently CDE and SOC news and events. Join the listserv to receive this newsletter.

Resources for Colorado Charter School grant recipients and authorizers

Our office administers the Colorado Charter School Startup and Implementation grant, which provides technical assistance to charter schools and authorizers, processes waiver requests for the State Board of Education, collects data on charter schools, produces special topic studies and the state evaluation of charter schools, and responds to questions from the general public. 

Charter Board Modules

The Schools of Choice Unit has worked in collaboration with the Colorado League of Charter Schools, the Colorado Charter School Institute, and the Colorado Association of Charter School Authorizers – incorporating feedback from charter school governing board members, school leaders, and school authorizers – to update the free, on-demand, governing board training courses that CDE has provided for many years. As a result of this collaboration, we are happy to launch the revised Charter School Board Training Modules that are now accessible on the Colorado League of Charter Schools learning management system (Freestone). We encourage all our stakeholders to begin using the revised Charter School Board Training through Freestone.

Equity Convenings

The Colorado Department of Education’s (CDE) Schools of Choice Unit (SOC) hosts regular equity convenings under the Federal Charter Schools Program Grant for State Departments of Education. The vision for the equity convenings is to bring together charter leaders, charter authorizers, and other education stakeholders to explore challenges and promising practices related to increasing equity in our schools.

ADDITONAL CDE RESOURCES

CDE Field Services and Support Unit Regional Representatives

Field Services and Support Information and Quick Links