Governing Body Training Approval

(1) Approval of Training Courses. (a) Charter school governing body training courses (“Training Courses”) shall be approved by the State Board of Education (“State Board”). (b) Training Course hours will be recognized only for Training Courses approved by the State Board in accordance with this Rule. (c) Prospective course providers shall submit an application for Training Course approval to the School Board Training Advisory Committee (“Advisory Committee”) created in State Board Rule 0520-01-02-.11, by February 15 prior to the fiscal year in which the Training Course will be offered. The application for Training Course approval shall include, but is not limited to, the following information: 1. Name of the individual(s) or entity wishing to provide training; 2. Experience of the individual(s) or entity in providing governing body training; 3. Instructor qualifications; 4. Title, proposed agenda, and length of Training Courses; 5. Intended audience for the courses (New and/or Experienced Governing Body Members); 6. Description of content to be delivered and learning objectives; 7. Description of instructional strategies, activities, and presentation materials; 8. Method of delivery of Training Course content (webinar, in-person, etc.); 9. Fees, if any, to be charged; 10. Methods used to evaluate the achievement of stated learning objectives and provider effectiveness; and 11. If a charter school or charter management organization (“CMO”) proposes Training Courses for approval, the proposal shall state whether the Training Courses are restricted to members of the charter school or CMO’s governing body or if the Training Courses will be open to any governing body member who wishes to participate. (d) Training Course applications shall be evaluated following the same process outlined in State Board Rule 0520-01-02-.11 paragraphs (1)(e) and (1)(f)1. Training Courses that meet the requirements of this Rule and are recommended by the Advisory Committee for approval shall be submitted by the Advisory Committee to the State Board for approval. When submitting recommended Training Courses for approval to the State CHARTER SCHOOLS CHAPTER 0520-14-01 Board, the Advisory Committee shall include a summary of the reasons for the approval recommendation. 1. Training Courses recommended by the Advisory Committee and approved by the State Board shall be included in State Board Policy 6.112. 2. Training Course approvals are valid for three (3) years, unless the provider or the State Board indicates the Training Course is proposed or approved for a shorter period of time. Training Courses may be submitted for renewal at the end of the approval period. 3. Approved Training Course providers shall notify State Board staff if any changes to information outlined in paragraph (c) are made to approved Training Courses during the approval period. The State Board staff shall determine if re-approval is required as a result of the changes. (2) Training Course Requirements. (a) Training Course requirements for new governing body members with less than one (1) year of continuous service as part of the current governing body and members of newly approved charter school governing bodies (“New Board Members”). 1. Training Course Hour Requirements. New Board Members shall, at a minimum, complete six (6) hours of training within twelve (12) months of joining the governing body. (i) Governing body members with a break in service of more than one (1) year within the same governing body or new members of a governing body shall be considered New Board Members for training purposes. 2. Training Course Content Requirements. New Board Members shall, at a minimum, receive training on the following topics: (i) Overview of responsibilities of non-profit governance, including but not limited to financial oversight and evaluation of school leadership. (ii) State laws and rules governing charter school operations, including but not limited to student discipline and student discipline due process requirements, and requirements to comply with federal laws including, but not limited to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”), the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. (iii) Tennessee open meetings and open records requirements. (iv) Conflict of interest and ethics. (v) Education’s governance structure, including an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the State Board of Education, Department of Education, and the Public Charter School Commission. 3. New Board Members may establish compliance through the completion of one (1) six (6) hour Training Course, or through the completion of multiple Training Courses combined to reach the six (6) hour minimum. CHARTER SCHOOLS CHAPTER 0520-14-01 4. New Board Members shall complete all required Training Course hours within twelve (12) months of joining the governing body. (b) Training Course requirements for experienced governing body members with one (1) or more years of continuous governing body service as part of a specific school’s governing body (“Experienced Board Members”): 1. Training Course Hour Requirements. Experienced Board Members shall, at a minimum, complete four (4) hours of training each year. 2. Training Course Content. Experienced Board Members may select any Training Course(s) approved by the State Board. 3. Experienced Board Members may establish compliance through the completion of one (1) four (4) hour Training Course, or through the completion of multiple Training Courses combined to reach the four (4) hour minimum. 4. Experienced Board Members shall complete all required Training Course hours by June 30 annually. (c) If a governing body member is unable to complete all required training hours due to an unanticipated hardship, the Charter School may request a waiver from the authorizer or Commissioner of Education to reduce or waive the annual training requirement for that governing body member, pursuant to T.C.A. § 49-13-111. If a New Board Member is granted a waiver of required Training Course hours for a particular year, any Training Courses not completed by the New Board Member shall be made up in the following year. Waivers shall only be valid for one (1) year. (d) Charter school authorizers shall monitor charter governing body compliance with these rules. Approved Training Course providers shall annually provide a list to authorizers of all governing body members who have completed approved Training Courses during the fiscal year by August 1. Governing body members shall provide documentation of the completion of required Training Courses to the authorizer, if requested.