CBO Training Program

Why Attend?

In these complex times it has never been more critical to safeguard your organization with the in-house expertise to develop and maintain proactive, sustainable structures that effectively manage funding, retain staff, and ensure legal compliance and ethical decision-making. Participants and their organizations will benefit from:

• Up-to-date information, guidance, and analysis of the current political, regulatory, and legal environment provided by CSDC staff and instructors
• Hands-on exercises with real world applications including the design of easily updated electronic financial planning tools that can immediately benefit your school
• Feedback on your work and answers to your questions as you engage with the content
• Engagement with colleagues from similar charter organizations and/or with similar backgrounds to facilitate the continued growth in your network of charter business professionals.

Redesigned for Your New Reality

We understand that school leaders are stretched for time and resources like never before. CBO has been redesigned to make even more efficient and effective use of participants’ time, as well as your school’s professional development budget. The program will be delivered over 16 weeks, in a flexible format including:

• A structured content and engagement calendar for your planning purposes
• Live and on-demand sessions facilitated by staff and instructors via Zoom
• Engagement with colleagues from similar charter organizations in regularly scheduled, weekly cohort meetings
• An optional two-day, in-person workshop to work hands-on with your colleagues and CSDC staff
• Additional, optional on-demand sessions for continued learning

Topics

CBO Training consists of a scaffolded series* of facilitated sessions that cover the topics most critical to those managing and/or overseeing the business of charter school organizations. CSDC is uniquely positioned to help program participants understand how charter school finance and operations are similar to—but often different from—traditional school system practices. Participants will complete the program with an extensive understanding of:

• The California Context: How a charter organization fits into the state’s multi-agency, multi-layered public education landscape.
• Funding Programs: Complex state and federal school funding programs and how to apply for, manage, comply with and benefit from each.
• Strategic Fiscal Management: How to develop strategic and balanced budgets, long-term financial plans, cash flow projections, and a review of required reporting.
• Attendance Accounting: Manage the complexities of attendance accounting at various types of educational organizations in order to effectively monitor and maximize school funding.
• Accounting and Auditing: Charter school financial accounting and compliance auditing.
• Facilities: Navigate charter facility options, challenges, and strategies.
• Risk Management: Proactively protect your school by ensuring you have the appropriate processes, coverages, and risk management protocols in place from school safety to workers’ compensation to employment practices.
• Management Ethics: Negotiate the complex and shifting expectations regarding conflicts-of-interest, transparency, ethical decision-making, and legal compliance to keep your school and career on a straight, upward trajectory.

*Content may not be sequenced as listed above and additional content may be added, as necessary.

Who Attends

CSDC seeks applicants to the CBO program who are professionals with substantial fiscal and/or operational oversight responsibilities who are presently employed by or serving at an active California charter school organization(s), district office(s), or county office(s) of education. Principals or other academic leaders also participate in the program in order to effectively communicate with business staff and board members. We also encourage CBO Training program alumnus to attend every two-to-three years to reengage with the dynamic content. CBO Training participants work at all levels within charter organizations:

• Executives: Executive Directors, Controllers, COOs, Finance Officers, Board Chairs
• Directors: Finance, Operations, Business Directors, Site Leaders
• Managers and Coordinators: Accounting, Operations, Business Services, Bookkeepers, Finance Analysts

NOTE: The program is designed for those currently employed by a charter school and is not designed for consultants, charter service providers, or new charter developers in the petition-drafting phase. CSDC urges these audiences to attend our Annual Leadership Update Conference in the fall.

2022 Timeline

16-Week Charter School Business Management Training

• Early January: On-demand programming and cohort meetings begin
• Late January: First live meeting
• January – May*: Weekly live 3-hour meetings and weekly 1-hour cohort meetings via Zoom covering:
  • Attendance Accounting and ADA
  • California School Funding
  • Funding Opportunities
  • Accounting Fundamentals
  • Strategic Fiscal Management: Participants are encouraged to attend an optional two-day in-person training in Sacramento in late March.
  • Oversight and Accountability
  • Compliance and Risk Management

*CBO Training 2022 Breaks (subject to change):

• Week of March 14
• Week of April 11

Tuition

Tuition covers registration, materials, presentations, and individual assistance with exercises:

• Organizations with an active CSDC Membership $4,750 per participant
• Organizations without an active CSDC Membership $6,950 per participant

CSDC members receive a significant discount, but membership is not required of applicants. Most CBO Training program participants become CSDC Members to take advantage of the ongoing operational support CSDC provides to members including detailed analyses of the latest high-stakes fiscal, political, legal, and regulatory developments and access to member-only webinars and resources. Learn more about CSDC Membership .

CBO Training Program Application

The first of two application rounds is open now through November 19, 2021.

The final application deadline is December 17, 2021.

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