Post Hurricane Irma News

August 15, 2017

A Message to Member Schools from FCSA

We hope you and your families are well after the storm.  We have received feedback from many charter schools throughout the state.  While a majority of facilities were spared severe damage, many are still without power.  School leaders at facilities that experienced damage due to water and/or wind are working with repair crews, and busy making contingency plans for their students.  Meanwhile, FCSA will request a delay of the October FTE count to give our schools a chance to complete their recovery effort and not miss any deadlines.  We will have more information about this in the coming weeks.
Click here for a list of School Reopening Dates from around the state.
If your campus was damaged and cannot open let us know when you expect to resume classes, and if there’s anything we can do to help you during your recovery effort.  We especially want to know if you are experiencing challenges with your district while on the path to recovery.
The FCSA office was not damaged but we do not have power.  Our team is working remotely from home and any place that has A/C and WiFi — we remain available if you need to reach us. 
 
regards,
 
Lynn Norman-Teck                                   Ralph Arza
Lynn@flcharteralliance.org                      ralpharza@aol.com

Disaster Assistance Information

FEMA Assistance: To register for FEMA disaster assistance, call 1-800-621-3362 or visit www.disasterassistance.gov
Florida Emergency Information Line: 1-800-342-3557
The Florida Emergency Information Line is a toll-free hotline activated at the time of an emergency to provide an additional resource for those in Florida to receive accurate and up-to-date information regarding an emergency or disaster situation impacting the State of Florida.
Price Gouging Hotline: 1-866-966-7226
For your staff:
Residents who sustained losses in declared counties can apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov. Residents who suffered damages from the storm may register now, and if their county is later included in the declaration, the application will be processed automatically. If you do not have access to the internet, you may register by calling
1-800-621-3362 (FEMA) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY).       Click here to download the FEMA App to begin the registration process.

Revised Testing Schedule

The Florida Department of Education issued a Revised Fall 2017 Retake and EOC testing schedule.  “All tests will open on Monday, September 18, as planned,” said Commissioner Stewart but the department will “offer as much flexibility as needed to schools impacted by Hurricane Irma.”
Additional information will be issued next week.  Click here for details.

Cancelled FDOE Meetings:

Rule-Development Workshop – Due to the recovery efforts following Hurricane Irma, and to the fact that many schools and districts remain closed this week, the Florida Department of Education is canceling the three upcoming rule-development workshops that were intended to gather feedback on the model forms for charter schools and their sponsors. These workshops were to take place on September 15, 18, and 20. The Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice will work to identify appropriate times and dates to hold these workshops in the near future.
Wednesday, September 6: Charter school authorizer accountability discussion, Mall at Millenia Community Room, Orlando
Thursday, September 7: Charter school performance framework workgroup, Nova Southeastern University, Orlando
Friday, September 8: FLDOE/NACSA capacity interview training for charter school sponsors, Nova Southeastern University, Orlando
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