Alameda County Office of Education

Charter Schools Office

A charter school is a public school that may provide instruction in grades kindergarten through 12, created and organized by community leaders or community-based organizations, a group of parents, or teachers. Charters can be authorized by a local school district board, county board of education, or the state board of education.

Authorized Charter Schools Policies & Procedures Manual LCAP SELPA Renewal Petitions Public Hearings and Notices

Alameda County Board of Education Authorized Charter Schools

Under the direction of the Alameda County Superintendent of Schools, the Accountability Partnerships, District Business Advisory Services and Human Resources Departments coordinate the academic, operational and fiscal oversight for charter schools approved by the Alameda County Board of Education.

ACOE monitors charter schools in the portfolio in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, Alameda County Board of Education (ACBOE) policy, memoranda of understanding, and each school's operative charter. Information gathered through academic, operational and fiscal oversight serves as part of the charter school’s ongoing record for the ACBOE to make informed decisions about charter school authorization, renewals, material revisions, sharing of promising practices, and if necessary, steps for remediation.

Oversight and Accountability

EpiCenter

EpiCenter is the platform used by the Accountability Partnerships team to manage operations and compliance requirements for all Alameda County Board of Education authorized charter schools.

Every charter school, their board, and the charter management organization (if applicable) has access to the documents and information they need to fulfill their roles and responsibilities. All compliance requirements are submitted via EpiCenter for review, feedback and approval by ACOE staff.

Charter Leaders Network

As a way to offer additional support to all charters authorized by the Alameda County Board of Education, the Accountability Partnerships team facilitates the Charter Leaders Network. The purpose of the network is to

Improve communication between the ACOE Charters Office and ACBOE authorized schools
Provide greater support around accountability requirements
Facilitate a Community of Practice

Charter School Grievance Process

The Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE) follows the California Department of Education’s (CDE) Uniform Complaint Procedure (UCP) guidelines when receiving a complaint from any person against charter schools. This is consistent with California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Sections 4600-4687.

The UCP covers investigations of Local Educational Agencies, i.e., school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, local public or private agencies which receive direct or indirect funding from the State to provide any school programs, activities, or related services. The investigation process will be determined in accordance with the level of complaint (California Code of Regulations, Title 5).

How to File a Grievance with ACOE

STEP 1: Contact Charter Authorizer

Any person may file a complaint by completing the ACOE Grievance Form.

Any person is encouraged to first file a complaint, in writing, with their charter school site directly in an effort to reach resolution. The charter school must comply with the CDE Uniform Complaint Procedures (UCP) and post its complaint procedures on its website.

STEP 2: Resolution

Upon receipt of the ACOE Grievance Form, ACOE staff will respond within two business days to schedule an initial meeting to discuss the complaint. Following the meeting, ACOE will contact the charter school to notify and investigate the complaint with the charter school. Upon communicating with both parties, a meeting will be scheduled to seek resolution. The grievance process and findings will be completed within a 30 day period.

Renewal Petitions

Connecting Waters Charter-East Bay Renewal Petition – Renewed on 12/10/24

Opportunity Academy Charter Renewal Petition

Urban Montessori Charter School Renewal Petition – Not Renewed on 12/10/24

ACOE Staff Summary of Findings Report for Charter Renewals

Petitions

New Charter Petitions
Dependent charter schools, independent charter schools, and countywide benefit charter schools may choose to submit a charter petition directly to the Alameda County Board of Education (ACBOE). The links below offer charter school governing boards, administrators, staff, and the public a clear understanding of the process for submitting a new petition, including the requirements for submission and insight for the review process.

New Charter Petitions Process

Charter Petition Appeals
A charter school whose petition was previously denied by the governing board of a school district within Alameda County has the option to submit the petition for the establishment of a charter school to the Alameda County Board of Education (ACBOE) within 30 days of a denial by the governing board of the school district. The links below provide a guide to charters appealing to the ACBOE and provide the public with a clear understanding of the process for submitting a charter petition appeal to ACOE.

Charter Petition Appeals Process

Charter Petition Renewals

The links below provide charter schools authorized by the Alameda County Board of Education (ACBOE) guidance on submitting a renewal, along with providing the public a clear understanding of the pathways to charter renewal, the criteria needed to renew, and the process for submitting renewal petitions to the Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE).

Charter Petition Renewals Process

Material Revisions

Material Revisions for Authorized Charter Schools
Material revisions for authorized charter schools are governed by the charter school's Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) approved by the Alameda County Board of Education (ACBOE) and charter school. Each charter school's MOU outlines requirements for material revisions. Authorized charter schools shall refer to Section 23: Material Revisions to Charter of their MOU to determine the need for a material revision request. At the charter school's request, the ACBOE may authorize material revisions to the original charter petition. Prior to submission to the ACBOE for determination, the Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE) staff receive and review the material revision submissions from ACBOE authorized charter schools. Charter schools should consult with ACOE staff regarding any proposed changes.

Material Revisions Process

Links

Contact Us

Juwen Lam
Chief of Accountability Partnerships
(510) 670-4147
juwenl@acoe.org

Scott Figgins, M.Ed.
Director of Research and Analytics
(510) 670-4245
sfiggins@acoe.org

Anika Hardy
Director of Strategic District and School Support
(510) 670-4171
ahardy@acoe.org