FCI Connect Page – Florida Charter Institute

October 2026 FCI Connect | Momentum into the Fall

October 8, 2026 No Comments

Workshops Webinars Library Calendar Welcome to FCI Connect From the desk of our Executive Director A strong governance board is one of the most important foundations of a successful school. Effective boards provide strategic direction, uphold accountability, ensure sound stewardship of resources, and keep the organization’s mission at the center of every decision. When governance is strong, school leaders are empowered to focus on what matters most, creating high-quality educational opportunities and positive outcomes for students. Strong boards also foster transparency, build community trust, and help schools navigate challenges while maintaining a clear vision for the future. Governance is not simply about oversight; it is about leadership, collaboration, and a shared commitment to excellence. The most effective boards continuously invest in learning, engage in meaningful dialogue, and seek opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and effectiveness. By doing so, they create the conditions necessary for schools to innovate, grow, and serve their communities well. This commitment to continuous improvement was on full display at the 2026 Florida Charter Institute Governance Conference. The event brought together board members, school leaders, governance professionals, and education partners from across the state for a day dedicated to professional growth, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas.

August 2026 FCI Connect | A New Year, A New Beginning

August 25, 2026 No Comments

Workshops Webinars Library Calendar Welcome to FCI Connect From the desk of our Executive Director Welcome Back to School – Here We Go!! There is something about the first weeks of school. Fresh notebooks. Sharpened pencils. New shoes that will somehow look old by Friday. Teachers ready. Leaders focused. Families hopeful. And students walking through school doors carrying more possibility than any backpack could hold. Welcome back, Florida charter school friends. At the Florida Charter Schools Institute at Miami Dade College, we are heading into this school year with a little extra spring in our step because, for us, this one is historic. This past month, CIVICA Soho Career and Collegiate Academy opened its doors. And with that, Miami Dade College officially becomes a charter school authorizer with students in seats. That is a very big deal. CIVICA Soho is the first of what we believe will be many high-quality public education choices authorized by Miami Dade College in the years ahead. We are proud to welcome its students, families, teachers, leaders, and governing board into the MDC family—and even prouder of what this milestone represents. Because authorizing is not about collecting schools. It is about creating the conditions for

June 2026 FCI Connect | Building Your Team for the Year Ahead

June 30, 2026 No Comments

Workshops Webinars Library Calendar Welcome to FCI Connect From the desk of our Executive Director Preparation shapes performance. Summer is a critical planning season for school leaders, a time to strengthen operations, redefine priorities, and assemble the team that will influence school culture, instructional quality, and organizational performance. Every refinement contributes to a stronger organization, and every hiring decision makes a difference in the experience of students, families, and staff. Professional learning should remain part of that preparation. Later next month, the Florida Charter Institute is honored to welcome Doug Lemov, author of Teach Like a Champion, to Miami for three days of learning focused on instructional excellence. His work has shaped classrooms across the country, and this event offers practical strategies that leaders can bring directly into their schools. At the Florida Charter Institute, we remain committed to equipping Florida’s charter schools with the knowledge, resources, and support needed to meet both today’s priorities and tomorrow’s opportunities. Our team is here to answer questions, provide guidance, and partner with you as you continue strengthening your school. Thank you for your leadership and your commitment to Florida’s students. I wish you a productive summer and look forward to supporting your

May 2026 FCI Connect | Close Strong & Prepare Forward

May 27, 2026 No Comments

Workshops Webinars Library Calendar Welcome to FCI Connect From the desk of our Executive Director As we transition from one school year to the next, I want to recognize the tremendous dedication shown by charter school leaders, educators, and staff across Florida. This time of year often brings both reflection and preparation as schools celebrate accomplishments while planning for the opportunities and challenges ahead. At the Florida Charter Institute, we understand the many responsibilities leaders are balancing during this season. That is why we remain committed to providing practical guidance, timely resources, and meaningful professional learning that help schools strengthen systems, support educators, and continue serving students and families well. Thank you for the work you continue to do for students, families, and your school communities each day. Your leadership, resilience, and commitment make a lasting difference, and we are proud to stand with you. Warm regards, Susie Featured Article | Close Strong and Prepare Forward As schools across Florida wrap up the academic year and prepare for what comes next, charter school leaders are balancing two priorities at once: closing the year strong while planning ahead for a successful launch in the fall. This time of year brings important

April 2026 FCI Connect | Operations Excellence

April 15, 2026 No Comments

Workshops Webinars Library Calendar Welcome to FCI Connect From the desk of our Executive Director Strong schools are built on strong systems. Yet, school operations often go unnoticed until something goes wrong. Behind every smooth arrival, every meal served, and every safe and well-maintained campus is a dedicated team working tirelessly to ensure students and staff can focus on what matters most: teaching and learning. In this month’s featured article, Thibaut Delloue brings needed attention to the critical role of charter school operations. His perspective is a timely reminder that operational excellence is not a back-office function. It is a leadership priority. Operations is not one-size-fits-all. It is a broad and complex function that looks different in every school, shaped by community needs, staffing models, and day-to-day realities. From transportation and facilities to compliance, safety, and student services, operations leaders carry a wide scope of responsibilities that requires both strategic thinking and constant adaptability. At the Florida Charter Institute, we are intentional in our support of this critical work. Through our Help Desk and Charter Support Line, school leaders have direct access to former charter school practitioners who understand the policies, nuances, and real-time challenges of running a school. This

March 2026 FCI Connect | Replication with Purpose

March 18, 2026 No Comments

Workshops Webinars Library Calendar Welcome to FCI Connect From the desk of our Executive Director Miami Dade College authorized its first cohort of public charter schools — six schools, each a replication of an already high-performing charter operating in Miami-Dade and elsewhere in Florida. Each school brought its own mission and model, but all shared the unmistakable signs of quality: academic plans anchored in student outcomes, strong compliance, leadership teams with the skills, knowledge, and demonstrated capacity to open a school instead of merely talk about doing it, and financial plans rooted in discipline, not hope and wishes. These were not vague concepts with a glossy cover sheet. They were serious schools prepared for the serious work of serving children and families. That is what quality authorizing is supposed to do. It is about identifying schools ready to carry the full weight of public responsibility from day one and creating the kind of environment where great schools take root and thrive. A good authorizer is, in many ways, a venture bureaucrat — someone charged with protecting the public trust while also making room for excellence to grow. The work requires backbone, judgment, and the good sense to know that accountability

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