Terry's Blog

A School for Every Kid

A School for Every Kid

Last spring, CSI had an amazing opportunity to partner with Ready Colorado to tell the story of four CSI schools through film.   Earlier this week, the film “A School for Every Kid” was shared with a community of CSI school representatives, education reform partners,...

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Partnership Authorizing

Partnership Authorizing

Partnership Authorizing One of the many challenging and rewarding aspects of our role as a statewide authorizer is statute’s charge for CSI to be a model authorizer. High-Quality Authorizing We have sought to fulfill this role as model authorizer through our...

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Welcome to 2021!

Welcome to 2021!

Welcome to 2021! There are many sentiments that capture the challenges of this past year and the hurdles we still need to overcome. However, many would agree that “the only constant is change” epitomizes what we can expect in 2021. In fact, the first couple weeks of...

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Community-Responsive Authorizing

Community-Responsive Authorizing

As the COVID-19 pandemic led to the suspension of in-person learning in the spring of 2020, schools scrambled to continue engaging students by working with available resources and using innovation and creativity. At CSI, we were also forced to take a hard look at our...

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Welcome CSI School Board Members

Welcome CSI School Board Members

At CSI, we believe that behind every successful charter school is a high-performing governing board. School board members volunteer their time and expertise to give back to their families and communities. Having served as a member on numerous charter school boards, I...

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Celebrating School Choice

Celebrating School Choice

This week marks National School Choice Week. Here in Colorado, Governor Polis has officially proclaimed this week Colorado School Choice Week. What is School Choice All About? School choice means that families have access to educational options that best meet their...

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Our Why

Our Why

At the turn of the year, a common tradition for so many is reflecting on the highlights of the year and crafting New Year’s Resolutions.  This past year, CSI as an organization experienced many successes and challenges: We saw another year of increased service to our...

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Reminders for this Holiday Season

Reminders for this Holiday Season

I’m not sure about you, but I’m feeling the hustle and bustle of this wonderful, beautiful, yet stressful time of year. The holiday season is full of joy, celebrations, excitement, family and traditions. It can also be just as filled with challenges and stresses. No...

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Practicing Gratitude

Practicing Gratitude

November is the month that our schools focus on teaching the importance of practicing gratitude. Walk the halls of any school and you will see bulletin boards full of student work. Handprint turkeys, colors of fall foliage, and expressions of gratitude are commonplace...

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Estimating Enrollment

Estimating Enrollment

Estimating Enrollment   October Count has come and gone. Schools and districts across the state are working to validate data and finalize numbers before submitting data to the state. Our Data Submissions Team is working closely with school staff in this process...

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Teacher Appreciation Week

Teacher Appreciation Week

“I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. It might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.” John Steinbeck As a parent, I have seen the amazing...

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2019 Legislative Session Recap

2019 Legislative Session Recap

As this year’s legislative session comes to an end, I am relieved that we made it out relatively unscathed (and actually, with some important wins). Here’s a recap of legislation and decisions directly impacting CSI: Session kicked off with a bill seeking to strip CSI...

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The Fight Continues

The Fight Continues

The Fight Continues Background on the Mill Levy Override Inequity Students attending district schools—traditional public schools, innovation schools, and district authorized charter public schools—have access to over 50 percent more public funding from Mill Levy...

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School Board Recognition Month

School Board Recognition Month

January is School Board Recognition month, and while the month is coming to an end, I wanted to be sure to take the time to recognize our many volunteer charter school board members for engaging in this critically important work. Charter School Accountability School...

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Post-Election Reflection

Post-Election Reflection

Now that we have processed the results of the elections, it’s time to get to work. In Colorado, we will have many new legislators in January and, importantly, a new Governor. For those of us working in or supporting charter schools, we are excited about Governor elect...

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Enrollment Wars

Enrollment Wars

Now that we’re at the end of September, many school leaders focus on the impending Pupil Count Day, which takes place on October 3rd this year. This is a critical day for public schools, especially charter public schools, since the vast majority of a charter school’s...

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Welcome to Terry’s Blog!

Welcome to Terry’s Blog!

I am Terry Croy Lewis, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Colorado Charter School Institute. I have worked in the charter sector for over 20 years as a founder, school leader, consultant, and governing board member. I will be regularly posting on topics ranging from...

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