Twenty-two of California State University's 23 campuses have schools of education. So do nine of 10 University of California campuses and many of California's 77 private colleges and universities. Most schools post faculty biographies. Look for teachers who have taught in charter schools, organized charter schools, or sat on charter school boards. They have the expertise to teach courses on charter school issues. Current and past class schedules will show whether the school offers courses on issues like charter school teacher assessment, parent-teacher governance, and individualized learning.
Prospective teachers gain charter school experience when they student teach in charter schools. California State University, Los Angeles, can place students in 15 public charter schools in South Los Angeles or in the School of Arts and Enterprise in Pomona. California State University, Northridge, places student teachers in Chime Institute's Schwarzenegger Community School, a K-8 charter school. Stanford University School of Education runs its own charter school in East Palo Alto. Student teachers learn about charter school process when they attend school site meetings, interview full-time charter teachers and counselors and sit in on other teachers' classes and planning sessions.
For ongoing training, attend conferences sponsored by the California Charter Schools Association and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, advises Slovacek. "That's where you'll find excellent and uplifting professional development seminars," he says. Both associations also provide online workshops. Workshop topics range from governance and financing to how to identify, practice and evaluate effective teaching.
To get more charter school teacher training, students can attend online or on-site seminars and courses, sometimes called boot camps. Education professors or colleagues can help identify high quality courses taught by colleges or universities. The staff of a charter school education consulting firm can provide professional background information on the teacher and references from former students. Charter schools sometimes pay for classes for their staffs.