Page 7 - CharterToolkit

Q. UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES MAY THE SBE APPROVE A PETITION ON APPEAL?
A. The SBE may reverse a petition denial only upon its determination that there was an abuse of discretion at the school
district and/or county level.

Q. IF A CHARTER PETITION IS APPROVED ON APPEAL AT THE STATE BOARD LEVEL, WHO WILL BE THE CHARTERING
AUTHORITY?
A. The SBE is getting out of the charter authorizing business. If a petition denial is reversed by the SBE, either the
school district or county board of education will be designated as chartering authority—a decision made by the SBE in
consultation with petitioner.

Petition Renewals
Q. DOES AB 1505 PROVIDE NEW CRITERIA FOR CONSIDERING CHARTER PETITION RENEWALS?
A. Yes. In effect, the new law establishes a three-tier system of charter renewal criteria based on a charter school’s
performance, depending on whether a charter school is generally low performing, middle, or high performing.
Performance criteria are largely based on criteria from the State Dashboard.

Q. WHERE CAN I FIND A BREAKDOWN OF THE CRITERIA FOR THE NEW THREE-TIER RENEWAL SYSTEM?
A. Lozano Smith has created a quick-reference chart explaining in detail the new criteria for considering charter renewal
petitions. Please contact Client Services (clientservices@lozanosmith.com) to request a copy of the chart.

Q. WHAT CRITERIA ARE USED FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS NOT SCORED ON THE DASHBOARD?
A. For charter schools eligible for alternate methods for calculating the state and local indicators, the chartering authority
must consider the charter school’s performance on alternative metrics applicable to the charter school based on the pupil
population served.
Q. WHAT IF THE DASHBOARD INDICATORS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF RENEWAL?
A. If the dashboard indicators are not yet available for the most recently completed academic year before renewal, the
chartering authority shall consider verifiable data provided by the charter school related to the Dashboard indicators, such
as data from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CASPP).

Credentialing and Fingerprint Clearance Requirements for Charter School Teachers
Q. IS IT TRUE THAT ALL CHARTER SCHOOL TEACHERS MUST NOW HOLD A TEACHING CREDENTIAL?
A. Yes. Charter School teachers must hold the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) certificate, permit, or other
document required for the teacher’s certificated assignment. A charter school has authority to request an emergency
permit or a waiver from the CTC, on a case-by-case basis, in the same manner as a school district.

Q. WILL CURRENT CHARTER SCHOOL TEACHERS WITHOUT CREDENTIALS BE GIVEN TIME TO COME INTO
COMPLIANCE?
A. Yes. Teachers employed by charter schools during the 2019–20 school year will have until July 1, 2025 to obtain the
certificate required for the teacher’s certificated assignment.

Q. WHAT IF A CHARTER SCHOOL TEACHER WORKED WITHOUT A CREDENTIAL IN PRIOR SCHOOL YEARS, BUT TOOK
THE 2019-20 SCHOOL YEAR OFF?
A. The new law provides an exception only for teachers working in the 2019-20 school year. Therefore, teachers who worked
without a credential prior to this school year, and subsequently wish to work in the 2020-21 school year or thereafter, must
comply with all new credentialing requirements.

New Charter Legislation Toolkit - Frequently Asked Questions LozanoSmith.com