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The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

Amendment to the Charter of Lowell Community Charter Public School

To:
Members of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
From:
Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D., Commissioner
Date:
October 14, 2011

At the September 2009 meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board), the Board voted to authorize the Commissioner to act on its behalf in "approving charter amendments that do not involve changes in grade span, maximum enrollment, or districts served," provided that the Commissioner shall report to the Board on all such approvals and, provided further, "that the Commissioner shall notify the Board in advance of all such intended actions, and a Board member may request that the Commissioner place the charter matter(s) on the agenda of the Board for discussion and action."

Under the terms of the September 2009 delegation vote, I am reporting to the Board that I approved the following amendment, after notification to the Board and no request to place this amendment on the agenda in September 2011.

Lowell Community Charter Public School - Contractual relationship with an educational management organization

The Board voted at its February 2010 meeting to renew Lowell Community Charter Public School's (LCCPS) charter with probationary status and conditions. The conditions required the school to meet specific academic targets, to develop strategies to address academic underperformance, improve governance, and to reduce its enrollment and grade span. Specifically, the conditions required that the school enter into a contract with a educational management company (EMO) with a proven track record in order to improve the school's academic results and organizational viability.

On June 21, 2010, in order to meet the renewal condition, LCCPS entered into a five year contract with Renaissance School Services (RSS), an EMO with a focus on improving academic performance. For the 2010-11 school year, RSS served as the EMO for LCCPS.

On August 10, 2011 the school's board of trustees submitted an amendment request to sever its contractual relationship with RSS. While the school's board of trustees noted that RSS had contributed to the school's progress over the past school year, the amendment request cited the board's growing dissatisfaction with the services provided by RSS and the board's relationship with RSS.

Given the school's history and continued need for an external partner to oversee the improvement process, LCCPS will seek out and submit to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for review a contract with a new EMO to provide management services to the school. The school's board of trustees has identified several potential EMO partners and has outlined a selection process to find an EMO that will assist the school in meeting its renewal conditions.

This amendment request is reasonable and consistent with the charter school statute and regulations. As such, I approved this amendment request contingent upon the school's board of trustees contracting with another proven educational management organization.