Columbus – Auditor of State Dave Yost will host Ohio’s first statewide Charter School Summit this summer to provide school educators and administrators with financial, professional and academic training.

The two-day summit, held in cooperation with leaders of the charter school community, will be held Aug. 11-12 at the Hyatt Regency Columbus and will feature nationally known experts on school choice, including:

• Dr. Geoffrey Canada, president of the Harlem Children’s Zone 
• Dr. Steve Perry, founder of the Capital Preparatory Magnet School
• Mike Feinberg, co-founder of the KIPP Foundation
• Paolo DeMaria, superintendent of Ohio Department of Education
• Dave Yost, Auditor of Ohio

“Charters are an extremely important option for many Ohio parents and their children,” Auditor Yost said. “This summit will offer an opportunity for charter school administrators and educators to receive financial oversight training, share best practices, hear from national experts, and discuss the unique challenges facing their schools.”

The genesis of the summit is the charter school fiscal officer training provided annually by Auditor of State staff.  The summit will also provide training on compliance with Ohio’s recently reformed charter school laws; best practices on record keeping and enrollment; teacher development and retention; cultivating public-private partnerships; board governance; and hearing stories of success.

Conference participants include representatives of the Ohio General Assembly, Auditor of State’s office, Ohio Departments of Education and Higher Education, and superintendents from four of Ohio’s largest school districts.

“Nobody ever learned how to hit a homerun by watching film of strikeouts,” Yost said. “The summit will focus on what is working in the school choice movement – and there is much that is excellent.”

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The Auditor of State’s office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,800 state and local government agencies.  Under the direction of Auditor Dave Yost, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies and promotes transparency in government.

Contact:
Ben Marrison
Director of Communications
614-644-1111