Guiding Principles
The following Guiding Principles are the core values that define Education One, as a charter school authorizer. These Principles drive our decision making process for continuous improvement and authorizing policies.
Focus on Equity
When performing its duties, Education One always assesses whether its actions will prepare students for success in higher education, their careers, and life, by focusing on measuring academic success in an equitable way. We believe that by focusing on equity for students and families, schools and the communities in which they serve will thrive!
Commitment to Innovation
Education One is particularly interested in operators that show strong potential to accelerate student success through an innovative approach to education; specifically, operators who willingly embrace innovation to promote critical thinking, and adaptivity that provides students with the necessary tools to tackle the challenges of the future. Additionally, Education One consistently strives to ensure our authorizing practices are innovative, through differentiated processes for monitoring and oversight, as well as our approach to collaboration and partnerships.
Continuous Improvement
Education One holds itself and its schools accountable to living out a continuous improvement model, building in routine opportunities for gathering feedback, self-reflection, and evaluation, that drive necessary changes to increase our efficiency and effectiveness and ultimately, impact students in a positive way.
Protecting School Autonomy
Education One values the professionalism of the staff and leaders at its charter schools and believes that these leaders know how to best serve their students and families, in order to ensure their success. Education One values school autonomy and believes that it is a school’s right to make high stakes decisions surrounding student achievement, day-to-day operations, oversight, staffing, etc. As a partner, Education One works with schools to understand their specific needs and the direction they are working to move in, and provides support and/or resources to help schools reach their goals, whenever possible.
High Expectations
Education One expects the charter schools it authorizes to set high academic achievement expectations, develop strong plans for family and community engagement, and adhere to high ethical standards for students, staff, and Board members. Similarly, Education One establishes high performance expectations, ensuring consistent and transparent communication with all stakeholders, upholding ethical authorizing practices, and adhering to the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) principles and standards.
Educator’s Lens
Education One is an authorizing office made up of educators with a variety of experiences in education working as teachers, instructional coaches, building principals, curriculum developers, and regional academic support leaders. It is through the lens of the educator that Education One establishes intentional and purposeful procedures and structures for its charter schools, in order to foster an environment in our schools where students, school staff, and leadership teams feel productive, accomplished, and supported.
Partnership and Collaboration
As a university authorizer, Education One recognizes the wealth of resources being a part of a larger campus culture provides us. We view this as an opportunity to provide resources to our schools to enhance and benefit students and school staff. Education One partners with university student groups, Greek life, athletic offices, etc. to provide resources to our schools that align with their unique needs. These include, but aren’t limited to, clothing drives, donation of school supplies/materials, campus field trips, extra-curricular fundraising, and internship opportunities.
Additionally, Education One works to collaborate with the Franks School of Education, Ketner School of Business, Allen School of Engineering and the Center for Innovation to promote interaction and collaboration between the university and schools we authorize.
Support and Advance Charter School Law
Education One works closely with state legislators and charter school leaders to support and advance laws that benefit the charter school movement as a whole, as well as the individual schools within its portfolio.