The Vista School in Ivins, UT hosts Vex Robotics competitions. Join us at the December 2022 competition and learn all about Vex! Many thanks to the students, parents, and teams from across the region that spoke to me:Vista School Middle School Division Champions and World CompetitorsSuccess Academy, Utah TechMoapa ValleyDoral Academy, Las VegasBear River Vex Robotics is a curriculum, and extra-curricular activity. Vista School incorporates it from kindergarten on to emphasize STEM education that keeps students engaged. Visit the Utah Charters podcast page for photos and videos from the competition. Watch one competition match on YouTube.

If your school is looking for a fun, active, easy-to-start, and affordable after school team/activity for students, consider a Jump Rope Team. One of the unique performances at Charter Day on the Hill at the Utah State Capitol was watching this enthusiastic, choreographed group of jump ropers performing rump jumps, synchronized swings, and crossies! Hear about the program...and you may find yourself wanting to take the leap!Canyon Rim Academy has a 20+ year tradition of having a Jump Rope Team. In this interview, I speak with founding parent of Canyon Rim (and the Jump Rope Team), Shana Heyn, about starting the Jump Rope Team. We talk to team members Mark (6th grade), Goldie (5th grade), and Beatrice (4th grade) about being serious jumpers and the joy (and pain) of jump rope performing. We wrap up with a discussion with the coaches (AND former Jump Rope Team members AND current teachers at Canyon Rim Academy) Paige Pectol, Serena Knaphus, Hanna Broome, and Calli Hodson. I was  interested to know how their passion for team jump roping informs how they coach and encourage this next generation of jumpers. Pictures from the Jump Rope Team performance at Charter Day on the Hill and at their after school practices can be found at https://www.utahcharters.org/podcasts. The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.

Scott Mastroianni, Director of Canyon Rim Academy, shares his experience of finding Canyon Rim after teaching all over the world and all over the education spectrum. He is building on the 15 year of community support of Canyon Rim to continue their clear and encouraging core values of Learning, Respect, Safety, Love, Peace,and Joy. We discuss the joy of "saying yes" to innovative ideas (and what that looks like in practical terms). We also talk facilities, and the challenges of housing academics, arts, and a myriad of programs in an older building.The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.

In our new series of Ten-Minute Trainings, listen to our Director of Training, Shannon Greer, concisely let you know the basics of OPMA (Open and Public Meetings Act) in Utah. This can be used in board meetings with the accompanying worksheet to help your board comply to this vital law.***Updated and shortened from the other OPMA training.***Grab the WORKSHEET! (print or view pdf online)Turn on the podcast!Be in compliance!Here is what we cover:Noticing a meeting (even if it's an emergency!)Board meeting agenda (everyone needs one...and a good one)Electronic meetings (do you have a policy so you can even have one?)Board meeting minutes (let 'em know what happened in a timely manner)Common violations-what to watch out for! The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.

Chris Barnum, Principal at Vista School in Ivins, Utah discusses the triple focus of academics, arts, and technology. The school offers a variety of options so students can focus on what interests them the most....but not without giving them plenty of exposure to a variety of fun curriculum! Chris discusses going from teacher to administrator and how to help teacher (and his own) burnout.This episode, recorded December 3rd, discusses the newly opened expansion of Vista School. The new 500 seat theater was dedicated January 7, 2023. The theater will showcase student productions with professional sound and lighting, including an orchestra pit. If you're around, make sure to attend one of their many productions!  The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.

Our conversation this week is with Christy Hall, Director of St. George Academy in Washington, Utah. Christy has over 20 years experience in charter schools in southern Utah. We discuss the focus of St. George Academy, building and inclusive school culture with student input, and much more! Christy has a great story about transitioning from a performance-based charter school to an academic-focused school-let's just say you teach math a little differently. This story shows that as an educator, Christy is determined to serve students in a meaningful and individualized way.The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.

Listen in to my conversation with Nathan Marshall, Executive Director at Providence Hall Charter School. He watches over 2000 students, K-12, in Herriman, UT. Recently discussed in a BYU Daily Universe article, Providence Hall has taken steps to eliminate cell phone use in the classroom. We talk the impact of this on student engagement and chasing lizards (no, really!) so take a few minutes and get to know Providence Hall and Mr. Marshall.NOTE: There were a couple recording errors, so the full explanation of the cell phone program was not recorded. You will understand the gist of the program which is that cell phones are put away in during each class. The students are allowed phones at schools between periods and during lunch.The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.

Join in this conversation with Eulogio Alejandre, Principal of Esperanza Elementary. Esperanza Elementary educates its student to be biliterate in Spanish and English. In our conversation we cover the need for biliterate education especially in our local Latin population and best methods to provide that learning. We discuss the four registers of language and how that impacts language learning. You will see the intentionality of Esperanza's design and how passionate Mr. Alejandre is about educating "his" children.The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.

This week's conversation is with April Thompson, 9th grade science teacher at Lakeview Academy. April participated in the Pathmaker Bridge program at the University of Utah where she conducted cancer research over the summer. In this conversation, we learn about the program and April's research project to encourage other charter school teacher to participate. We also learn about April's path to becoming a teacher. Side note: April also works for UAPCS as the APPEL Program Coordinator. Reach April at april@utahcharters.org.Mentions in the podcast:Genetics Science Learning Center part of University of Utah Health Sciences: https://teach.genetics.utah.edu/Utah State Science Standards (Science with Engineering Education-SEEd): https://www.schools.utah.gov/file/e5d886e2-19c3-45a5-8364-5bcb48a63097Pathmaker Bridge (teachers): https://uofuhealth.utah.edu/huntsman/education-training/pathmaker/bridgePathmaker Scholar (high school juniors and seniors): https://uofuhealth.utah.edu/huntsman/education-training/pathmaker/scholarsThe Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.

This week my conversation is with Katina Santamaria, Principal, Guadalupe School in Salt Lake City. Ms. Santamaria and I discuss the literacy focus of Guadalupe, the close culture of the school community, and swimming in the ocean (wear a bright pink cap)! To learn more about Guadalupe School visit https://guadschool.org/ or call (801) 531-6100.The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.

Itineris graduate, Mitchell Sandborn, takes a few minutes to discuss the impact the Itineris had on his career. Hint: A lot! He works as an IT contractor at Itineris! Hear about his educational journey and what his time at Itineris meant to him.To learn more about Itineris, visit https://www.iechs.org/.The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.

In this conversation with Renee Edwards, we learn more about Itineris Early College High School and Renee's path in education. Itineris is affiliated with Salt Lake Community College and 90% of its seniors participate in college-level classes. Learn about the supportive education system at Itineris that helps students reach their potential. Itineris currently serves 10-12 grade students, but is adding 9th grade next year. To learn more, visit https://www.iechs.org/. The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.

This episode covers the UAPCS APPEL Program. APPEL stands for Alternate Pathway to Professional Educator License. All teachers who do not go through a traditional teacher college, can get a professional license through an APPEL program. Many district and other charter schools have their own programs, but UAPCS also has its own robust program. Joylin Lincoln and April Thompson coordinate the teacher candidates for UAPCS.  In this episode I discuss with Joylin why an APPEL program is necessary, the types of teacher licenses, and how the program works.For questions about the UAPCS APPEL program visit utahcharters.org/APPEL or email appel@utahcharters.org. The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.

Want to know how to approach strategic planning at your school? Kim Dohrer, President, Academica West and Kara Findley, Lead Board Liasion, Academica West join us to discuss board retreats and strategic planning. We discuss the following:Why board retreats are importantKey components to planning What items does the director need to provide in the state of the school?Academic data (achievement test results)Staff data (teacher retention, salaries)Stakeholder survey resultsFinance (facility needs, curriculum costs)Strategic Planning-ask questions!Understand Director's responsibilities for alignment of goalsKnow your charterKnow legal requirementsUnderstand your "sacred cows"Identify expectations of your directorWhere is the board at? Do we understand governance vs. management?What are our roles?What are the needs of the school?Set short term goalsFollow up on goals in board meetingsWhat resources can we put toward goals?Dealing with less-engaged board membersRequirements for Open Meeting Act and board retreatsUsing a "parking lot" for issues brought up in board retreats/meetings. (You'll want to find out what this is!)The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.

The featured conversation this week is with Blake Clark, Executive Director at St. George Academy, located in St. George, Utah.  We discuss the great things going on at GWA, teacher and administrative collaboration, and supporting students' emotional wellness.The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.

We are starting the new school year with Why Choose a Charter School? This episode gives an inside look to one family's decision to send their children to a public charter school.Meet the Warners, parents of seven children, who chose American Preparatory Academy after researching several charter and district schools. This conversation discusses identifying your educational philosophy as a parent and seeking the best school to support that philosophy.The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.

We are starting the new school year with Why Choose a Charter School? This episode gives an inside look to one family's decision to send their children to a public charter school.Meet the Hansens, parents of three children, who chose a charter school after having their children in private school. This conversation covers identifying your educational philosophy, matching that to your child's individual needs and finding the right school for them, all through the Hansen's experiences. The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.

The featured conversation this week is with Stephanie Eccles, Executive Director at Excelsior Academy located in Erda, Utah. We learn about Excelsior and Stephanie's familial push into education (which she appreciated!) We frankly discuss the role of character education in a student's life and how Excelsior seeks to develop good people and not just good students.Excelsior also has a podcast called Excelsior Speaks. We encourage you to check it out, especially Excelsior Writes about Grit, discussed in this episode.The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.

In this conversation with Dr. Sonia Woodbury, we learn about the unique community of City Academy. Dr. Woodbury started City Academy with like-minded teaching professionals from the University of Utah. As one of the first charter schools in Utah, City Academy serves 7-12th grade with the goal to not only have students highly engaged in their learning, but become involved and active citizens within their communities. We hope you enjoy this great conversation with Dr. Woodbury.The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.

Join our conversation with Tyler Bastian, principal of Roots Charter High School in West Valley City. Roots is a farm-based school that provides real-life work experience to make education meaningful and applicable to students. Many of his students had left school previously or weren't interested in graduating. Tyler talks about creating a safe and loving environment to re-engage students to success. He also explains his educational journey and how it shaped the creation of Roots.The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools (UAPCS) is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, training, and technical support to promote excellence in education across Utah. Visit www.utahcharters.org for more information.