“Before anything else, preparation is key to success.”

– Alexander Graham Bell

Topics in This Month’s Newsletter:

Testing Integrity – Blog post about assessment integrity.

Strategies for Motivating Students During Testing

FCI Staff Spotlight — Thibaut Delloue, Policy Fellow

“Books are the mirrors of the soul.”

– Virginia Woolf

Here’s What’s Inside:

• What is Three Cueing and Why is it Banned in Florida?
• Elevating National Reading Month
• FCI EDUCATE Background Knowlege Part 3 (Instructional Best Practices
• Team Member Highlight: Carlos Capellan
• Upcoming Spring 2025 Special Education Leaders Meeting

“A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.”

– John Maxwell

Here’s What’s Inside:

• Optimizing Educational Excellence: A Guide to Charter School Budgeting Best Practice
• Team Member Highlight: Meet Dana Vignale
• Vocabulary is knowledge -let’s teach it that way!
• Upcoming Spring 2025 Special Education Leaders Meeting

Here’s What’s Inside:

• Main Article: Recruiting for 2025-2026… Now?
• Team Member Highlight: Meet Christine Mentis
• Governance Resource Highlight: Succession Planning for Stability
• ESE Corner: Spring 2025 Special Education Leaders Meeting
• Educational Blog: Harnessing the Power of Background Knowledge
• Podcast Spotlight: It Starts with You

What’s Inside:

• Main Article: Celebrate! A Year in Review
• Event Spotlight: FCI Classical Schools Leadership Forum
• Educational Blog: Practice Makes Progress
• Team Member Highlight: Meet Dr. Christy Noe
• Governance Resource Highlight: 2024 Governance Conference Recap
• Exceptional Student Education Corner: Spring 2025 Special Education Leaders Meeting
• Warm Finishes: The FCI Team Celebrates the Holidays

What’s Inside:

• Conference Highlights: Key FCI sessions at the Florida Charter School Conference, covering ESE best practices, governance, and school launch training.
• Opportunities to Connect: Info on visiting the FCI booth and entering to win “Teach Like A Champion” training tickets.
• New Tools: Introduction of the Indicators of Distress Survey Tool to help schools monitor performance.

What’s Inside:

• Steps for school leaders to take after assessments
• Tips on using data in beginning-of-year observations
• Guidance on data accountability with school boards
• Info about upcoming webinars on using enrollment data for decision-making

What’s Inside

• Announcement of the Charter Support Unit (CSU) merging with the Florida Charter Institute (FCI), expanding resources and support for Florida charter schools.
• Overview of FCI’s expanded services, including technical assistance, professional learning, policy development, and board training.
• Emphasis on FCI’s roles: supporting schools, providing educational resources, authorizing charter schools, and conducting research to promote best practices.

What’s Inside

• Highlights and photos from first day of school celebrations across charter schools, capturing excitement and community spirit
• Emphasis on welcoming environments, supportive staff, and students reconnecting with friends
• Focus on the charter mission: personalized learning, academic excellence, and character development as the new year begins

What’s Inside

• Welcome Back Celebrations
• FCInsights: Building Trust & Rapport
• School Leaders Fellowship
• Governance Conference
• ESE School Leaders Meeting
• Resource Highlights