Anna Kucaj, Achievement School District
Stacey Thompson, Shelby County Schools
Carol Swann, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
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Only authorizes excellent schools that offer highquality instruction and are in the best interests of
the students, families, and district;
Holds schools accountable, closes low performers,
and encourages the expansion of high performers;
Defends the public trust using processes that are
transparent and fair;
Promotes innovation by protecting school
autonomy;
Communicates effectively.
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Engaging a variety of stakeholders
Qualities sought in effective reviewers
Selecting high-quality reviewers
Training reviewers
Evaluating reviewers
Who Is On Your Team?
Evaluators should represent:
• A diverse group reflective of your district
• Individuals with specific areas of expertise (e.g.,
academics, operations; finance, legal, organizational,
community)
• Experts in serving your student population (e.g.,
special education, English language learners, etc.)
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Experience and/or expertise in specific areas of the
application – academics, operations, finance,
governance, management, etc.
Time to commit to the entire authorization process
Impartiality/No conflicts of interest
Familiarity with Tennessee laws and academic
standards
Ability to write and speak to specific strengths and
deficiencies using the data given
Ability to formulate probing questions to effectively
probe separate sections of the applications.
Other Key Skills
Smart Soft
Skills
Communication
•Ability to clearly
articulate ideas
•Ability to listen
Teamwork
•Ability to work effectively
with others
•Ability to engage in
productive discourse
Writing Skills
•Ability to support claims
with evidence
•Ability to express concepts
effectively in writing
Soft Skills: Personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively
and harmoniously with other people.
Possible Reviewers
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Local Stakeholders/Community Members
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National Experts
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Internal Staff
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Existing Charter Partners
Vetting Reviewers
 All Call for Evaluators
 Interviews (e.g., phone, video, in-person)
 Performance tasks
Recruiting evaluators is easier, and more effective, if
you can make the process mutually beneficial. Stated
benefits might include:
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Participation as professional development
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Giving community members a voice
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Adjusting work schedules to create free time
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Providing compensation, or at least covering meals
and expenses
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Develop a contextualized training based on audience
(e.g., webinar, on-site, conference call, etc.)
Align training to the application and scoring rubric
Provide a thorough process that includes practice so
that reviewers can see an actual application and apply
the scoring rubric
Offer a detailed description of the district context for
external reviewers
Be clear about expectations regarding the rubric (e.g.,
complete sentences, page numbers, precise and detailed
descriptions of strengths and weaknesses that are
measurable and objective, etc.)
Establish a clear, thorough explanation of “consensus”
Supply a differentiated, more detailed, training for
team leads
Possible Data Sources
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Survey of evaluators
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Survey of applicants
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Anecdotal and specific feedback from team leads
Information is Needed
 Effectiveness of training
 Preparation to evaluate
 Guidance from team leads
 Cohesiveness of process
Anna Kucaj, [email protected]
Stacey Thompson, [email protected]
Carol Swann, [email protected]