Frequently Asked Questions What is a charter school? A charter school is an independently run public school that usually draws its leadership from the surrounding community. Some charter schools are run by for-profit organizations, however, the Hillsboro Charter Academy (HCA) is run by a non-profit organization funded through grants, private donations and the public school system. The HCA will not charge tuition and will be open to all Loudoun County elementary school students. It will be held accountable to achieve its educational responsibilities through a contract with Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS.) How is a charter school different from a regular public school? The leadership of a charter school is given the freedom to run the school according to its own unique mission and approach to education. While a strong relationship remains with the local school system, the management team of a charter hires a principal and teachers who are committed to this unique vision. How is a charter school different from a private school? Unlike private schools, charter schools do not charge tuition, nor do they have any admission requirements beyond being a resident of the county in which the charter resides. How is a charter school different from a magnet school? A magnet school is run by the school system and usually has a particular area of academic focus. Often magnet schools have specific admission requirements. While a charter may also have a specific area of academic focus, there are no admission requirements and enrollment is conducted by lottery. Don t charters take money and resources away from the rest of the children in the system? No. Charter schools receive their funding based on the number of children enrolled. In fact, as a public school, the HCA will receive the exact same per pupil funding from LCPS as the county wide per pupil average. This requirement is set out in the contract between LCPS and the HCA. This ensures that a child at the charter is not costing the taxpayer any more than any other child in the school system. Isn t it unfair to make this special approach to learning available to only a small number of students? The theory behind school choice is that each child responds differently to his or her learning environment. A robust school system is one in which there are a variety of school settings and teaching approaches available for parents to choose from. This is one reason why Loudoun County already allows open enrollment, giving parents across the socio-economic, ethnic and cultural spectrum the choice to enroll children in schools outside their attendance zones. HCA aims to be one of the many choices that are being developed within Loudoun County.
Do charters actually save money? Charters should be able to operate more efficiently because they can streamline certain processes. Sometimes this can lead to an overall cost savings. HCA is committed to running the school in the most fiscally responsible and cost effective way possible. I heard that charters cost more money to run, is this true? First, in terms of LCPS funding, the HCA will not cost more -- it will receive the LCPS the same per pupil funding as the county wide average. Second, the unique and innovative teaching approach planned by HCA may require more resources than other schools using a more standard curriculum, and any extra funding needs will be met from sources other than LCPS. HCA is seeking funding through grants and fundraising activities to supplement the funds that will come from LCPS. However, cost effectiveness remains a major priority of the organization. Shouldn t we leave running the schools to the professionals? HCA will employ experienced, licensed teachers, administrators and staff members who meet all the requirements of the Virginia Department of Education (VA DOE) and LCPS policies. While remaining consistent with those requirements, a charter allows for community and parental control of the organization, ensuring that the unique, innovative mission of a small and engaging learning environment fits the founders vision. The HCA Board of Directors is made up of parents, community leaders, experienced educators, professionals and visionaries who are determined that the teachers be given the freedom to innovate that is often missing in a standard school classroom. Why do charters ask parents to get involved as volunteers? Children do well academically when their parents are engaged and involved in their education. The volunteer culture at a charter school enables the kind of parent/teacher collaboration that is meant to foster that level of engagement. What kind of curriculum is planned at HCA? HCA is creating a brand-new curriculum that is unlike anything else being used in the region. It will span across the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM). The lessons themselves will be project-based, giving children an opportunity to gain problem-solving skills to approach real world concerns as they learn. What is a STEAM curriculum? The 21 st century world calls upon the adults of tomorrow to have strong skills in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Employers and institutions of higher learning are seeking young people who are prepared for the fast pace of change in these fields; so many schools are now using STEM curricula. Yet it is becoming widely recognized that communication skills and higher-level thinking are enhanced when the arts and humanities are integrated into multi-disciplinary programs. This revelation has led to a growing movement toward STEAM education. What is Project-Based Learning? Project-Based Learning (PBL) enables children to tackle problem solving, using critical thinking and collaboration on projects that mimic real-world scenarios. Students engaged in challenging projects learn with enthusiasm and take on a deeper
understanding of the core concepts than they might otherwise through lectures, textbooks or workbooks. The knowledge gained via this approach goes beyond a mastery of facts by instilling an understanding of how to obtain information, and how to process and act upon it in meaningful ways. Who is building the curriculum? HCA is very fortunate to have a group of excellent LCPS teachers, some of whom are currently teaching in Hillsboro Elementary, participating in this effort. These teachers are working with other volunteers who have knowledge and experience as educators, and together they are creating the curriculum. During the coming months, the HCA Board plans to bring in a number of additional educators or persons with strong experience in the educational field to aid in the curriculum development process. How are you going to make sure that my child is treated as an individual? The driving principle behind Hillsboro Charter Academy is that each child has his or her own interests, strengths and struggles. Each child requires personalized attention that is based on an understanding of those unique characteristics. HCA plans to use a multidisciplinary group approach that includes teachers, parents, administrators and other staff to craft a Student Learning Plan for each child that will guide the goals and expectations set for that child s school year. How will your gifted program work? HCA plans to employ a full-time gifted specialist who will assess students for gifted abilities or qualities in multiple areas of study. Identified children will participate in enrichment lessons as the gifted teacher joins or pushes in to the classroom environment. The classroom teacher and gifted specialist will work to integrate the gifted lessons into the larger project based curriculum. The gifted specialist, as appropriate, will also provide specialized pullout lessons. What about students with special-education needs? Loudoun County Public School special education services department has made a contractual agreement to provide special education within HCA. LCPS and HCA are committed to making sure that these services are integrated into the unique learning approach that HCA is providing. Additional services for occupational or speech therapy will be also be provided by LCPS on a contractual basis as required by the identified needs of the individual child. What about students with English Language Learner needs? HCA will screen all students to determine the need for ELL services and shall provide them as needed through contractual engagement of LCPS ELL specialists. Services shall not be limited only to foreign language learners, but to anyone with an identified need in accordance with LCPS policies. Will we be able to see lesson plans before we enroll our child at HCA? A curriculum is the structural foundation for a school year and identifies the learning goals and knowledge expectations for each grade. Teachers then build their own lesson plans and tailor them to the unique strengths and needs of the children in the classroom. Given this approach, it would therefore not generally be the expectation in any classroom for the teacher to share all the lesson
plans at the beginning of the year. However, portions of the curriculum plans will be available for review prior to the beginning of the year and of course, parents are always encouraged to engage with the teachers directly. HCA is committed to maintaining a culture of open communication between parents and teachers that will enable parents to have a clear understanding of what is being taught in their child s class. How do we know our children will learn what they need to be ready for middle school? The HCA curriculum is utilizing the Virginia Standards of Learning exit guidelines to ensure that every child at HCA will be able to meet the expectations for each grade level. Any child who completes the requirements of a grade at HCA will have the knowledge that they would gain at any other school in the LCPS system. Will our kids have to participate in standardized testing? HCA plans to use a system of evaluating outcomes and progress based on portfolio reviews as well as other standard grading assessments. HCA will use only those standardized tests that are required to meet VA DOE requirements. Will there be transportation? HCA hopes to be able to provide transportation to as many children as possible. Bus routes for the current attendance zone as well as a larger area that includes towns in western Loudoun are planned, at a minimum. In conjunction with the LCPS transportation department, we are also exploring ways to provide cross-county busses utilizing central pick-ups. Final plans will be based on enrollment numbers and financial feasibility. Additionally, HCA will work to support the establishment of carpools by helping families in near proximity to network together prior to the opening of the school year. How are you handling school lunches? Initially, HCA will utilize LCPS food services for meals. It is part of the long-term plan for HCA to switch to an independent healthy food plan when it becomes feasible for the school to expand its services. Children who qualify for free or reduced price lunch will be provided their meals in accordance with current LCPS policies. I heard that there have been big problems at the other charter school, how can you be sure that you won t have the same problems? The opening of any new school is a huge undertaking and certain challenges are to be expected in the inaugural year. During the process of approval with LCPS, HCA s leadership had ample opportunity to learn from some of the complex issues that have arisen at other schools and is committed to taking whatever guidance we can from the issues that have been identified and improving upon the process. Why does the HCA Board of Directors have a principal who is not an LCPS employee? The principal is the educational leader of the school who is charged with bringing the vision and the mission to life. Being independent of LCPS will give the principal the freedom to innovate and take a strong leadership approach, supported and overseen by the HCA Board of Directors.
But if the principal isn t an LCPS employee, who will make sure that he or she is doing the job? HCA recognizes that the principal must meet the standards and expectations of LCPS, and the Board of Directors is confident that it will be able to hold that individual accountable to those requirements. There is also a detailed contract between LCPS and the HCA, which will help ensure that the HCA and the principal are meeting all applicable VA DOE and LCPS requirements. If a parent has a question or complaint about the charter, to whom should we direct our concern? HCA will establish a culture of open communication and transparency. Families will be encouraged to first express their concerns to the teachers and administrators in the school. If there are issues that are not satisfactorily resolved at that level, there will be established channels that enable the HCA Board of Directors to address problems and, if necessary, work with LCPS to jointly resolve any issues. How does the enrollment lottery work? Because of the size of the facility, and our commitment to small classes, there are a limited number of slots in Hillsboro Charter Academy. Children who are enrolled in Hillsboro Elementary School during the 2015-2016 year prior will be granted slots in the 2016-2017 school year. Additionally, the siblings of those children will be given priority slots. After that, any child who has met the requirement of living in Loudoun County and has submitted paperwork for enrollment by the stated deadline will be allowed to participate in the lottery. The lottery will proceed on a grade-by-grade basis, and the number of children chosen will depend on the number of available slots in each grade. While we cannot guarantee that siblings will be given an opportunity to attend the same school, every attempt will be made to enable children from the same family to attend, in accordance with guidelines from Federal No Child Left Behind statutes. I want to get involved in the planning process, how do I do that? Volunteers are welcome and greatly appreciated. During the planning year there are many large projects and tasks that need to be accomplished in order to be ready to open in fall of 2016. The HCA Board has a number of committees that have ex-officio slots for parents and members of the community who want to serve in an advisory capacity. Additionally, there will be a number of events and projects that will take dedicated and committed volunteers to help with planning and execution. If you are interested in participating in any of these, please contact the Board of Directors via email to state your interest.