The Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools (LAPCS) and Louisiana Appleseed will unveil their new joint publication Louisiana Charter School Board Legal Handbook with a free Continuing Legal Education course Friday, September 26, 8 – 10 a.m., the Pan Am Life Conference Center, 701 Poydras St., New Orleans.
Only 50 seats are available. Attendees must register by clicking here or by contacting Christy Kane, 504-561-7312 or ckane@appleseednetwork.org.
While the informational guide is targeted specifically to charter board members, attorneys who attend the CLE will receive two credit hours towards the annual 12.5 hour professional development requirement.
“Charter school law is still a relatively new field and many local attorneys may find this free CLE very valuable given the number of public charter schools in the state, especially the greater New Orleans area,” said Sarah Vandergriff, LAPCS Legal Director. “Ideally, learning more about the legal construct and requirements of charter boards will pique the interest of the attendees and inspire some to look into volunteering as a charter governing board member.”
The CLE in New Orleans is the first of at least three free trainings. Additional sessions will be added in Baton Rouge and north Louisiana. Presenters will include Ms. Vandergriff and Louisiana Appleseed volunteer attorneys Lee Reid and Jennifer Barriere of Adams and Reese LLP.
Every attorney who attends the CLEs will receive a copy of Louisiana Charter School Board Legal Handbook, covering all the basic legal requirements of charter governing boards, from the fundamentals of charter school law and the governing board’s role, to open meetings laws and code of ethics. Copies of the handbook will also be made available to every charter governing board and charter school in the State of Louisiana.
“There is no other resource like this out there for charter board members,” said Christy Kane, Louisiana Appleseed. “The volunteers serving on governing boards devote an incredible amount of time and effort to their school but many times aren’t given legal guidance. Great intentions alone don’t make great boards. They need to be paired with a clear understanding of their role and legal requirements. That is what this handbook intends to provide.”
The Louisiana Charter School Board Legal Handbook was prepared in collaboration by:Louisiana Appleseed; LAPCS; Alvin Miester of Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein and Hilbert, LLC; Adams and Reese LLP; New Schools for New Orleans; Jones Walker; Akin Gump; and Board on Track.
The publication was made possible through funding by The Booth-Bricker Fund; The Frost Foundation, Ltd.; LAPCS; Pro Bono Publico Foundation; and the RosaMary Foundation.
The mission of the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools is to support, promote, and advocate for the Louisiana charter school movement, increasing student access to high quality public schools statewide. Louisiana Appleseed recruits professionals to donate pro bono time to solve problems at their root cause and advance social justice by effecting change at the policy, or systemic, level. Louisiana Appleseed’s projects seek to increase access to opportunity, education and justice.