May 2017
Charles Koch Foundation Awards Major Grant to TeamCFA
TeamCFA was born from the vision, time, and treasure of its
founders, the Bryan family. Their vision and ideas for providing school choice across the
country in a way that is cost effective and develops the next generation of American
citizens is applaudable. In recent years, the Bryan family has moved away from the day
to day operations. We are forever grateful to the Bryan family and will move forward with
their vision. Since the inception of TeamCFA the Bryan family has provided not only their time and
handwork, but the financial support of the organization. Now, as Mr. Bryan retires, it is
the responsibility of the TeamCFA leadership team to seek funds from the private
and philanthropic communities to supplement the Bryan family and Challenge
Foundation monies.
It is with great excitement and gratitude that we announce TeamCFA has been awarded a
$1,002,000.00 grant from the Charles Koch Foundation for the continuation of the
Instructional Coach program. We are humbled by the confidence that the Foundation
has placed in TeamCFA. The School Support Team has done a tremendous job in
supporting our schools to become B or better. TeamCFA applauds the efforts of the Charles Koch Foundation for joining the generosity
of the Bryan family and the Challenge Foundation in supporting our organization. This is
the first non Bryan family grant that TeamCFA has ever asked for. In that spirit, we are in
contact with foundations and organizations that support our mission to expand
TeamCFA’s network of schools.
Our organizations align in many ways. The Charles Koch Foundation has worked to help
people improve their lives by advancing an understanding of the benefits of free
societies since their founding in 1980. The Charles Koch Foundation supports education
and research that facilitates dialogue and sparks innovation, creating opportunities for
people to thrive.
We are honored to have the Charles Koch Foundation believe in the TeamCFA mission:
To support the development of academically rigorous, financially sustainable TeamCFA
charter schools by employing proven academic, business, and governance practices
and leveraging the free market to support the broader school choice movement
Again, we are elated and thankful for the support we have received from the Charles
Koch Foundation and will continue to update you on further support.
NOMINATE THE TEAMCFA TEACHER OF THE YEAR We want to celebrate our teachers! Teachers are the backbone of our schools and
without them we couldn’t educate the next generation of American Citizens. At
this year’s annual TeamCFA conference the teacher of the year will be announced
and the recipient will receive $2,000. Candidates for Teacher of the Year should:
o inspire students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn
o have the respect and admiration of students, parents, and colleagues
o play an active role in the community as well as in school
o demonstrate a commitment to developing the next generation of American citizens
Nominate a teacher!
NOMINATE THE TEAMCFA ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR
Our schools wouldn’t run without our amazing administrators. At this year’s
annual TeamCFA conference the administrator of the year will be announced and
the recipient will receive $2,000.
Candidates for Administrator of the Year should:
o promote the success of all students by ensuring management of the school,
operations, and resources for a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment.
o promote the success of all students by collaborating with families and community members, responding to diverse
community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources.
o promote the success of all students by modeling a personal code of ethics and developing professional
leadership capacity.
Nominate an administrator!
Teammate in the Spotlight: Our May Teammate in the Spotlight is instructional coach,
Jeannette Bray.
Jeannette Bray received her bachelor's degree in Agriculture Science
from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo but moved to Arizona with her
husband and subsequently embarked on a career in education. She
has completed two separate master's degrees, one in Secondary
Education and another in Educational Leadership. She has spent a
total of 14 years in education; 7 teaching Language Arts/Science, 5
as a school principal, and 2 years coaching and providing
professional development. All of those years have been spent in
Arizona with a combination of local district schools, and charter
schools. She currently works with the Arizona schools within the
Team CFA network. She enjoys being in the classroom with kids,
and helping teachers be more successful, although ultimately she
wants to make sure that teachers just have more fun in their profession and embrace their struggles. Helping
teachers effectively grow themselves and their students is her passion. Currently she is working on her
doctorate in education, with a dissertation that centers around leading teachers towards innovation and
accountability. Additionally she is working on a publication that helps teachers utilize the common core ELA
standards more effectively. When she is not working she can be found with her family either fly fishing, or
camping, and spending as much time with her extended family in Livingston MT. A note from the Academic Division
The Core Knowledge Foundation is hosting a leadership institute in Charlottesville,
Virginia, on July 21 and 22. Members of school administrative teams who are not
attending the TeamCFA conference this year may be interested in attending.
https://www.coreknowledge.org/implementation/professional‐development/leadership‐
institute/
Please see the link below for "A Sense of Belonging," Dr. E. D. Hirsch's latest article.
http://democracyjournal.org/magazine/44/a‐sense‐of‐belonging/
A note from the Educational Technology Division
Looking for research that CompassLearning is an effective tool to assist in remediation
and enrichment of all students? Read this post from Business Wire in regards to a study
that CompassLearning
conducted: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20141013006148/en/National­
Study­Quantifies­Learning­Benefits­Students­Compass.
If your school is interested in CompassLearning training for next year, please contact
Kristen Rodriguez at [email protected] to schedule a professional development
session for your staff.
A note from the School Support Team
As we approach much needed summer fun, please share with your school community:
Did you know that children lose an average of 2 months of reading and math skills over
the summer? It can also take up to 2 months from the first day of school to get students’
brain development back on track. What can parents do to prevent this learning loss?
Make time for reading! Children should read 20 minutes EVERY day. Most local
libraries have summer reading programs where students earn prizes. Other
businesses that have summer reading programs include Pizza Hut, Barnes and
Noble, Chuck E. Cheese, and TD Bank (North Carolina).
Cooking with your children is the perfect opportunity to practice measurements,
fractions, and weights.
Daily chores are a great way to teach responsibility and give children the chance to
save and count money.
Teenagers can find a summer job or volunteer opportunity to keep their minds
active.
Get outside and be active! The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that more
than two hours a day in front of the TV leads to increased obesity and lowered
academic achievement.
The number one thing we want for your child over the summer is safety. Make sure if
children are home alone, they are responsible and know what to do in case of an
emergency. Is there a neighbor that can check in on them during the day? Do they know
what to do and say if someone calls or comes to the door? Be sure to review these
procedures and have a fantastic summer vacation!
PUTTING OUR SCHOOLS IN THE SPOTLIGHT, FOR YOUR INFO AND DELIGHT
Piedmont Community Charter School: A Challenge Foundation
Academy
Gastonia, North Carolina
At the Piedmont Art Festival, we wanted to shed light on how
elementary art teacher, Amy Jones, folds the Core Knowledge
Curriculum into art class. After third grade read classic tales, students studied the story
elements in art and then made Aladdin's magic carpet. Mathematical symmetry can even
be found in an ancient African mask. At the art festival, parents could see the boards that
Mrs. Jones used to teach their students about ancient African culture, artifacts and
beliefs before they made their masks. Fourth graders studied radial on a larger scale,
medieval cathedrals. They discussed the medieval period and examined examples of
architectural elements from that time period before making their own stain glass
windows. A goal of our art festival was to help parents see the broad academic
connections that greet their student in art class at Piedmont. Visit them @ http://pccharter.teamcfa.school Shining Rock Classical Academy: A Challenge Foundation
Academy
Waynesville, North Carolina
First grade at Shining Rock Classical Academy has been on all
sorts of adventures this month! Our most recent science unit
has covered animals and their habitats. What better way to
learn about habitats than to take a field trip? On April 6th, first
grade headed down to Knoxville, TN to experience wildlife at
the Knoxville Zoo. Students traveled with their families and found animals to fit specific
items on their scavenger hunt. We then headed over to Gaitlinburg, TN to the Ripley's
Aquarium to spend the night with the sharks. Students slept under the shark tunnel and
even pet a small shark! The class was able to feed sting rays and explore underwater life
as we know it. After a full day of seeing land animals, they traveled to Ripley's Aquarium
of the Smokies where they spent the night learning about water animals. They amazed
the staff with their knowledge of Science, even answerimg 9th grade level questions. The field trip ended with the group sleeping beneath the shark tunnel! It was a great
experiential field trip and everyone, young and old, enjoyed. We are so thankful to have
a great supporting community that allows us to travel.
Visit them @ http:/srca.teamcfa.school Western School of Science and Technology: A Challenge Foundation
Academy
Phoenix, Arizona
It’s been a strong final semester at Western School of Science and
Technology: A Challenge Foundation Academy (“Western: CFA”)!
There are three big milestones that we’re celebrating:
First, over 70% of our students passed the state­mandated civics test the first time
around. This is an incredibly strong result and very much in line with TeamCFA’s
civic­minded mission! Arizona was the first state in the nation to require passing a
civics test for graduation.
For the third year in a row, Western: CFA was honored to win the Educating
Excellence Award from the Maryvale Revitalization Corporation! This award
recognizes schools that have made a difference in our community by raising
expectations and delivering results to students and their families.
Lastly, and also for the third year in a row, our soccer team has made the state
playoffs! Vamos Warriors!
Visit them @ http://western.teamcfa.school Special Mention: TJCA:CFA Ranked #5 in NC Special Mention: TJCA:CFA Ranked #5 in NC Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy in rural Rutherford County, NC was again
ranked as one of the best high schools in the state and nation by US News and
World Report. TJCA is ranked #5 in North Carolina, and the #1 high school west of
Greensboro. TJCA is also ranked #13 5 in the nation out of over 2 2 ,000 high schools
nationwide , and received national gold medal recognition .
Headmaster, Joe Maimone commented, “What a great honor for our students, staff,
and families to receive such prestigious recognition in our state and nation! I believe that our family
atmosphere and our strong focus on ‘developing thoughtful, articulate young adults’ has helped to achieve
this great accomplishment.”
Principal, Gary B lak e added, “This ranking is a testament to the hard work and dedication of TJ CA ’s
outstanding staff, students, and families. The challenging curriculum prepare s our students to be successful
in whatever path they choose after graduation. The TJ CA family is proud of this accomplishment.”
Academic Dean, Jeff Zielger added, “The honor of achieving a U.S. News gold medal ranking, and of again
ranking among the top 150 schools in the nation, is a tribute to the strength of our distinctive Core
Knowledge and classical curriculum, the hard work and knowledge of our K­12 faculty, the dedication and
sacrifice of our parents, and the work ethic of our students.”
Below is the link to the released article.
https://www.usnews.com/educati on/best­high­schools/north­ carolina
Stay tuned for more school spotlights. We take turns each month.
Watch and enjoy our 2016­2017 promotional video:
Have you missed anything? All recent editions of Around the Network:
April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016
October 2016 June 2016 March 2016
September 2016 May 2016 February 2016
August 2016 April 2016 January 2016
Together Each Achieves More: Challenge Foundation Academies www.teamcfa.org
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