MINNESOTA GUILD OF PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS

MINNESOTA GUILD OF PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS Welcome Vision: The Minnesota Guild of Public Charter Schools advances positive educational outcomes for students that lead to success in life. Mission: The Guild advocates for teacher leadership, professional autonomy, and the creation of innovative schools for student engagement and the ownership of learning. The Guild strives to support students, families, and communities most affected by the achievement gap and low graduation rates. Guild Priority: Teacher-Powered Schools: As a single-purpose charter school authorizer under Minnesota Statutes, section 124E.05, the Minnesota Guild may not limit its authorizing decisions to any single curriculum, learning program, or method. However, the Guild is committed to growing a portfolio of high-quality, innovate charter schools that promote, establish, and expand teacher-powered models and autonomies. The teacher-powered model includes 15 areas that provide teachers autonomy to make decisions impacting school and student success. These areas of autonomy include charter school board governance, making all decisions about the school’s learning program, choosing the process and methods for teacher evaluation, and managing the allocation of the school’s financial resources. Charter schools may implement one, or many, areas of autonomy to be considered a teacher-powered school. Visit the Teacher-Powered Schools Initiative web page for additional information and resources. Additionally, the Guild seeks to promote and is especially interested in authorizing new charter schools that address the additional statutory purpose (Minnesota Statutes, section 124E.01, subdivision 1(5)), “create new professional opportunities for teachers, including the opportunity to be responsible for the learning program at the school site.” Finally, the Guild’s new charter school application is aligned with the priorities, criteria, and requirements of Minnesota’s Federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) grant project.