Overview of Fordham's Sponsorship Work

The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation has actively sponsored (i.e. authorized) charter schools in Ohio since 2005. Our portfolio includes some of Ohio’s highest performing and highly regarded schools.
 
We have developed expertise in all the core areas of Ohio charter sponsorship, including law, finance, compliance, facilities, new school start-up, closure, managing the application process for new schools, contract management, school monitoring and renewal decisions.

For a more in-depth description of Fordham's sponsorship work, please see our most recent annual report.

If you have questions regarding any aspect of our sponsorship work, they may be directed to our Dayton office at 937-227-3368.
 

Fordham Foundation Policies:

Training on Guidance and Monitoring Protocol

The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation's monitoring and performance protocol is updated annually and is also available, here.
 
Fordham publishes guidance that complements the contract and delineates and defines the roles and responsibilities of the sponsor and the school. Guidance is presented twice annually, with each school's fall and spring site visit report.
 
Fordham also offers training on the written guidance, here. The training includes information regarding school performance, renewal, roles and responsibilities, legal updates and compliance reviews which are also in each site visit report and annual report.

 

Links to useful resources and organizations

National Alliance for Public Charter Schools 
National Association of Charter School Authorizers 
Ohio Department of Education Office of Community Schools 
USDOE's Office of Innovation and Improvement

 

Ohio Department of Education Trainings

System To Achieve Results for Students (STARS) allows individuals to access information on upcoming professional development and technical assistance programs offered by ODE. You can search for by topic, date, or area of focus. NOTE: To search STARS you must first sign in to your SAFE account on the Ohio Department of Education's website.

 

Epicenter

All Fordham sponsored community schools use Epicenter, a web-based workflow and compliance tool for authorizers and schools. It provides a single place to keep records and track activities to streamline the compliance process. Epicenter allows both the school and the sponsor to store, share, and access documents remotely, making the sponsor's oversight of community schools more convenient and efficient. Epicenter also functions as a document retention system.

Contact Information
National Charter Schools Institute

www.epicenternow.org