Our Mission:

Our goal is to help public education make the leap from a highly-regulated, process-based system to one that allows and encourages schools to be more creative, performance-based centers of effective teaching and learning. We aim to achieve this by providing technical assistance to the charter school reform movement in California and nationally.

What we Offer:

CSDC provides experienced and expert technical assistance, training, and resources to California charter school developers, operators, charter-granting agencies, and policy makers. Center staff have extensive, "hands-on" experience in both charter school policy and school-based practice. We are known for our in-depth and practical expertise in the most challenging aspects of charter school planning, operations, and oversight. These areas include:

• How to plan and start a charter school.
• Defining and measuring student and school performance.
• Roles and responsibilities of charter-granting agencies.
• Charter school finance and operations.
• School governance and leadership.
• Charter school law and policy.
• Charter school facilities.
• Charter school special education funding and programs.

The CSDC offers a variety of resources and assistance, including:

• Comprehensive, intensive workshops and "boot camps" on both basic and technical topics.
• Numerous charter school publications ranging from detailed "how-to" guidebooks and "tool kits" of sample documents to brief news articles and policy papers (most of these publications may be viewed and downloaded for free from the Center's charter school web site.)
• Expert and timely advice via phone, fax, and electronic mail.

The Center's extensive web site (www.cacharterschools.org) contains detailed information about charter schools in California and nationally and about the Center's services and resources. The Center also frequently shares its charter school experience and expertise with organizations across the country in partnership with the Charter Friends National Network (www.charterfriends.org).

Who We Are:

• Eric Premack, CO-Director
• Laurie Gardner, CO-Director

Contacting Us:

The CSDC is a nonprofit program housed at the California State University Institute for Education Reform, an education policy center located on the CSU Sacramento campus. The Institute was founded by former State Senator and California Secretary of Education Gary K. Hart, and by Susan Burr, former California Undersecretary of Education and the author and drafter of California's Charter Schools Act. The Center's activities are supported by generous grants from foundations and individuals, and limited in-kind support from the California State University. Thanks to generous philanthropic support, most Center services and publications are available for free or at a very low cost.