January 2026 FCI Connect | The Power of Fellowship
Welcome to FCI Connect
From the desk of our Executive Director
The Fellowship Florida’s Charter CFOs Have Been Waiting For
If 2026 had a theme song at FCI, it would be: “No more finance folks stuck in the back office.” In January at Miami Dade College, we kicked off the Florida Charter Institute’s first-of-its-kind Financial Fellowship—built for the people who keep schools strong, solvent, and sprinting toward student success.
We launched with Raj Thakkar, Founder & CEO of Charter School Business Management (CSBM) —a national charter finance expert who knows exactly where the numbers bite and where they can build . Raj didn’t bring fluff. He brought real talk: how finance leaders become the CEO’s most trusted C-suite partner—the strategist who can translate ambition into a sustainable plan (and catch the landmines before anyone steps on them).
And here’s the bigger play: this fellowship isn’t just professional development—it’s network development. FCI is intentionally knitting together a statewide (and national) bench of charter school finance professionals across Florida who can call each other, compare notes, share tools, and raise the standard of excellence—together.
Next up? We’re already building the next rung on the ladder: an Operations Fellowship for COOs—because when the CFO and COO are locked in with the CEO, schools don’t just run… they thrive. Sign up for our April 22, 2026 training to get a taste of what’s to come!
Warm Regards,
Susie
Featured Article | The Power of Fellowship: Building Leaders Through Mentorship and Connection
At FCI, strong schools are built by strong leaders—and strong leaders are developed through mentorship, collaboration, and the opportunity to learn alongside peers who understand the work.
This month, FCI launched a first-of-its-kind Financial Fellowship, beginning with an in-person convening at Miami Dade College’s West Campus. The Institute welcomed 20 charter school leaders and administrators from across Florida, forming a statewide cohort of professionals dedicated to strengthening school operations, improving sustainability, and advancing student success.
Over the coming months, Financial Fellows will engage in a guided experience that blends real-world strategy, peer learning, and practical tools focused on topics such as budgeting, state reporting, salary increase allocation, financial statements, and more—supporting sound decision-making and long-term financial leadership.
More than a professional learning series, the Financial Fellowship is designed to expand what charter leaders often need most: access. Through the fellowship, FCI is connecting school leaders to a trusted network of professional experts, guest speakers, and peer mentors, creating an environment where Fellows can raise questions tied to their unique school circumstances and gain insight from those navigating similar challenges statewide.
FCI is also continuing its commitment to leadership development through the Distinguished Academic Fellows Program, now in its second cohort. The program continues to elevate charter school leaders through collaboration, mentorship, and shared expertise.
Both fellowships reflect a clear belief: when leaders are supported, schools thrive. FCI fellows represent a stellar group of charter leaders who will help pave the way for Florida’s charter education and school administration to remain exemplary, innovative, and future-ready.
Featured Research
FCI’s Research Division is helping bring Florida charter school realities to the national conversation. In two recent pieces, Policy Fellow Thibaut Delloue examines how charter schools can approach innovation with intention and why Florida charter schools are at capacity even as district seats sit empty.
Read the articles here:
How charter schools should approach innovation
Why Florida Charter Schools Are at Capacity While District Seats Sit Empty
Upcoming Programming
February 10, 2026
FCI Webinar: Growing Enrollment, Without the Pains: A Smarter Expansion Plan for Florida Charter Schools
Whether you’re launching a new campus, refining your local presence, or managing a growing network, this session will help your charter’s marketing and enrollment strategy match the speed and scale of Florida’s movement and turn that momentum into long-term success. Register for this free informational session; space is limited.
April 22, 2026
Operations Leadership Workshop
This one-day workshop, designed for COOs, Directors of Operations, Project Managers, Office Managers, and anyone supporting school operations, will immerse participants in best practices for creating and implementing standard operating procedures. High-performing schools are almost all operationally excellent. However, leaders are rarely trained in the skills needed to balance enrolling students, running food service and transportation, maintaining facilities, overseeing information technology, and managing so many other operational responsibilities.
May 1 – 2, 2026
2026 Florida Summit of Classical Education
The Florida Classical Education Summit is a premier gathering uniting K-12 and higher education leaders to advance classical education from kindergarten through graduate school.
June 9 –11, 2026
Monitor the Learning – Instructional Leadership Workshop
This three-day workshop, designed for principals, deans of instruction/curriculum, and instructional coaches, will immerse participants in a coaching model that ensures student learning lives at the forefront of instructional coaching and decision making.
July 28, 2026
Foundations of Classroom Management and Engagement with Teach Like a Champion Workshop
This practice-intensive workshop will focus on high-impact behavioral and engagement techniques that enable joy and academic achievement.
July 29 – 30, 2026
Teach Like A Champion Workshop – Instructional Topic To Be Announced Soon
Teach Like a Champion will offer two sessions across three workshop days running from Tuesday, July 28 to Thursday, July 30. Participants can attend one or both sessions. The Wednesday and Thursday Workshops will focus on instructional best practice, with more coming as the event approaches.
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FCI Connect is the monthly newsletter from the Florida Charter Institute. FCI’s mission is to serve as Florida’s premier hub for charter excellence and insight by providing research-based best practices, resources, and support. FCI is powered by Miami Dade College and authorized in Florida statute.
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