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We’re excited to invite you to register for the upcoming Charter Capacity Interview Readiness Institute–a critical, full-day experience designed to prepare your team for upcoming capacity interviews. Here are some notes to keep in mind:

Important Registration Note

You can register multiple members of your team at one time through the Eventbrite link. We strongly encourage you to do so to ensure your full team is accounted for.

 Full Team Participation Matters

It is critical that you have strong representation from your founding board and leadership team in attendance.

This Institute is intentionally designed for teams to:

• Practice and respond to mock capacity interview questions
• Build alignment across board members and leadership
• Strengthen clarity around roles, decisions, and execution

The capacity interview is not an individual exercise. It is a board-based demonstration of readiness, and your preparation should reflect that.

Strong Charter Expert Partners Are Already Stepping In to Support You

We already have a strong group of experienced charter leaders and subject-matter experts who have committed to supporting this day.

These partners bring deep expertise across:

• Academics and instructional design
• Governance and board development
• Finance and sustainability
• Operations and school launch
• Special populations and student support

More importantly, they are not just attending. They are coming prepared to work directly with your team, provide honest, candid feedback, and help you strengthen your responses and overall readiness.

This is a unique opportunity to engage with individuals who understand both the authorizer expectations and the realities of operating a charter school.

What Makes This Day Valuable

You will have the opportunity to:

• Engage in small-group sessions with these experts
• Practice real capacity interview questions
• Receive direct, actionable feedback
• Strengthen your own understanding and knowledge going into the capacity interview

This is not a passive training. It is a working session designed to provide in-depth coaching and support that will directly impact your readiness.

How to Prepare (Pre-Work)

To maximize your time and get the most out of the Institute, please come prepared to actively engage:

• Review your full petition as a team, ensuring all members have a high-level understanding of each section
• Be prepared to clearly explain:
  • Your academic model
  • Your governance structure and board roles
  • Your financial plan and key assumptions
• Identify 2–3 areas where your team feels least confident
• Practice answering at least 2–3 potential interview questions as a team prior to attending

The more aligned and prepared your team is coming in, the more targeted and impactful your experience will be.

What to Bring

To get the most out of the day, please come prepared with:

• Your most recent draft of your charter petition (digital or printed) – all members should have access to the more recent draft of the petition
• If you have been denied by the local board of education, all members should have a copy of the denial letter and understand how the board has responded to the feedback in the denial letter
• Key documents or notes related to your:
  • Academic program
  • Budget and financial plan
  • Governance structure
• A note-taking device (laptop, notebook, tablet) for capturing real-time revisions and reflections
• A fully engaged mindset and readiness to participate as a team

If you haven’t already, you can register for the upcoming Charter Capacity Interview Readiness Institute here.

Shabaaka Smalls