FCI Connect Page – Florida Charter Institute

February 2026 FCI Connect | Momentum You Can Measure

February 26, 2026 No Comments

Workshops Webinars Library Calendar Welcome to FCI Connect From the desk of our Executive Director Florida’s charter landscape is getting a little more… grown-up. Not louder. Not flashier. Just better. Because when high-performing schools want to replicate, Florida now has more than one doorway that says, “Come on in—but bring receipts.” That’s where the Florida Charter Institute (FCI) comes in—working shoulder-to-shoulder with Florida’s higher education institution (HEI) authorizers and alongside the state’s Charter School Review Commission to help the replication pipeline reward what actually matters: strong academics, strong operations, and a track record that holds up in daylight. Replication is not copy-paste. It’s copy-purpose—and then prove you can deliver it again, for real kids, in real classrooms, with real accountability. That’s why this work is equal parts enthusiasm and discipline: we’re excited about “yes,” but we’re even more excited about “yes, because the evidence is undeniable.” And here’s the fun part: this is momentum you can actually see. If you’ve been following FCI’s updates, you’ve already caught glimpses—authorizing work, research that sharpens the policy conversation, and professional learning that keeps adults getting better so kids can, too. (Yes, we’re the people who think “instructional technique” is a love language.) Also:

January 2026 FCI Connect | The Power of Fellowship

January 29, 2026 No Comments

Workshops Webinars Library Calendar 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

December 2025 FCI Connect | A Year of Impact

December 18, 2025 No Comments

Workshops Webinars Library Calendar Welcome to FCI Connect From the desk of our Executive Director As I reflect on the year behind us, I am proud of the thoughtful work our team has done to strengthen Florida’s charter sector. In 2025, the Florida Charter Institute remained committed to helping schools deliver strong outcomes for students by supporting educators, school leaders, governing boards, and families with clear guidance, practical tools, and research-based insight. Across research, professional learning, and direct school support, our work was guided by a simple principle — quality matters, and it must be built intentionally. Looking ahead, we will continue to raise the bar for excellence, accountability, and access across Florida’s charter landscape. I am confident in the direction of our work and grateful for our partners and colleagues who share this commitment. Together, we are building a strong future for Florida’s students. Happy holidays and happy new year, Susie Featured Article | A Year of Impact, How Florida Charter Institute Showed Up for Schools, Educators, the Community and Families This year, the Florida Charter Institute focused on helping Florida’s charter schools do their best work. We leveled up instructional excellence, strengthened governance, expanded family resources, supported new

November 2025 FCI Connect | How Students Learn

November 19, 2025 No Comments

Workshops Webinars Library Calendar Welcome to FCI Connect From the desk of our Executive Director Teaching for Thinking: Helping Students Learn Deeply in Every Classroom If you’ve ever tried to help a seventh grader untangle fractions at 7:45 a.m., you know this truth in your bones: math is not a spectator sport. It’s also not a magic trick, a personality trait, or a talent reserved for the chosen few. Math is thinking work. And as it turns out, Barak Rosenshine—and a few decades of cognitive science—have a lot to say about how to make that thinking work. This month, the Florida Charter Institute (FCI) is zooming in on Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction in an age when AI can spit out a step-by-step solution faster than a middle schooler can locate their pencil. The question isn’t, “Will AI change math instruction?” It already has. The real question is: Will we let technology make students lazier thinkers—or stronger ones? Rosenshine gives us a roadmap. Daily review that keeps essential knowledge from evaporating. Small, well-scaffolded steps instead of cognitive cliff dives. Lots of checks for understanding, guided practice, and—my personal favorite—a high success rate so students experience what it feels like to actually

October 2025 FCI Connect | Creating Learning Teams

October 20, 2025 No Comments

Workshops Webinars Library Calendar Welcome to the October edition of FCI Connect Creating Learning Teams Florida’s charter schools are strongest when every team learns together. This month’s FCI Connect explores how learning drives excellence at every level—from the boardroom to the classroom. From the Desk of Susie Miller Carello, we highlight the essential role of charter-school finance leaders and announce the Florida Charter Institute Financial Fellowship, a new initiative designed to strengthen financial leadership across the charter sector. Our Research Division examines how rethinking the use of underutilized public-school facilities can expand opportunities for charter students, while our FCI Educate division shares how collaborative professional learning empowers teachers and improves outcomes. Together, these stories show how Florida’s charter schools continue to lead as true learning organizations—innovating, adapting, and growing stronger for students statewide. From the desk of our Executive Director The Unsung Heroes of Charter School Success: Finance Leaders Charter schools run on vision, but they survive on numbers. Every board of trustees needs to know if the mission is sustainable—and that’s where the unsung heroes of charter school finance come in. Business managers, directors of finance, and CFOs may never get a standing ovation at graduation, but they are

September 2025 FCI Connect | Florida’s School Grading Scale Adjustments: What it Means and How to Navigate

September 11, 2025 No Comments

Workshops Webinars Library Calendar Welcome to the September edition of FCI Connect From the desk of our Executive Director What tools are critical for leaders in the 2025-2026 school year? A map & a compass. Without these, leaders wander aimlessly from teacher to teacher, observing classrooms, jotting notes, and too often offering vague praise that offers NOTHING to teachers. As a leader, yes, you should praise the extraordinary efforts you see teachers make….but they will REALLY VALUE direct, substantive ways to get stronger. And with the right map & compass, you can do just that! With these tools, you can chart a path that ensures feedback is specific, actionable, and connected to what matters most: student learning. Doug Lemov reminds us, “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes permanent.” That permanence can either be mediocrity or mastery, and the difference lies in whether teachers receive feedback sharp enough to shape their practice. Teachers deserve feedback that isn’t a pat on the back but a mirror—clear, reflective, and useful. A good monitoring map ensures leaders don’t just notice what’s wrong, but they pinpoint the moves that drive learning forward. As Dan Willingham explains, “Memory is the residue of thought.” If leaders want students to

August 2025 FCI Connect | Setting the Tone: Governing Board & School Leader Partnerships

August 14, 2025 No Comments

Workshops Webinars Library Calendar Welcome to the August edition of FCI Connect From the desk of our Executive Director Welcome to this month’s edition of FCI Connect! As always, our mission is to elevate charter schools across Florida—fueling excellence in academics, leadership, and public trust. This month, we focus on the cornerstone of charter school success: strong board governance. A high-functioning governing board does more than oversee—it champions student achievement, supports educators and school leaders, and builds confidence among families. As guardians of the public trust, Florida’s charter boards shoulder tremendous responsibility. When they apply for—and are granted—a charter, they not only receive millions in taxpayer-funded resources; they are entrusted with the futures, safety, and wellbeing of our state’s children. That’s a profound obligation to serve with both heart and unwavering integrity. On September 6, 2025, the Florida Charter Schools Institute will host our fourth annual Florida Charter School Governance Conference on the campus of Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School in Tampa. This in-person conference is designed specifically to serve the needs of Charter School Governing Board Members from across the state. There is no cost to attend. It will be a day dedicated to strengthening governance skills, expanding

July 2025 FCI Connect | Charter Ready: How Florida’s Schools are Laying the Foundation for a Strong Year

July 17, 2025 No Comments

Workshops Webinars Library Calendar “Don’t spin your wheels and stress. Take a deep breathe, center yourself and make a plan”-Douglas Adams in The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Welcome to the July edition of FCI Connect. Let’s kickoff the 2025 – 2026 school year with fresh insights and resources to support your mission. Featured Article: Charter Ready: How Florida’s Schools are Laying the Foundation for a Strong Year Grow Your Potential: Join Us At Our Next Professional Development Opportunity Teach Like a Champion | July 29-31, 2025 | Miami & Orlando The Florida Charter Institute is excited to welcome back Doug Lemov and the Teach Like a Champion team for professional learning in summer 2025. Why should you attend? Master high-impact techniques for questioning, writing, and discussion that maximize engagement and accelerate learning outcomes. Gain practical tools you can implement immediately to improve instruction and boost engagement. Learn proven strategies to build strong, supportive classroom cultures where all students thrive. Invest in your growth and bring back ideas that will elevate your entire school community. Exclusive FCI Pricing: Our FCI community will receive a subsidized registration rate to ensure this high-quality professional development remains accessible to our network of