On October 18, the GVSU Board of Trustees acted on a handful of items related to GVSU-authorized charter public schools. Action items included:

GVSU celebrated the Thompsons and their foundation for their philanthropy on October 18 with a special dedication at the new center. The space, which is located in the Kirkhof Center on the Allendale Campus, prioritizes support for students from GVSU-authorized charter public schools and Thompson Scholars.

The Thompsons provide significant support to the ten GVSU-authorized UPrep schools in Detroit as well as thousands of students enrolled at GVSU.

Join MAPSA and special guests for a session that will dive deep into how the election outcomes will impact the future of charter public schools, policy shifts, and what to expect moving forward.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear what the election results mean for education reform and charter school advocacy. Registration available via the MI Charter Mastermind Network.

K-8 schools should be prepared to apply for the Benchmark Assessment Grant when the grant window opens on November 8. The tentative deadline to apply will be December 6.

To be eligible for funding, schools much meet a number of testing and reporting criteria. Details for funding can be found on page 15 of the Benchmark Assessment FAQ sheet. Schools can also contact GVSU School Support Specialist Jeff Maxwell with additional questions.

Pursue your graduate education degree or a variety of certifications with help from the GVSU CSO's Continuing Education Scholarship. Educators working in GVSU-authorized charter schools can earn a 50% or 80% tuition discount, depending on eligibility.

Apply by December 13 to use the scholarship toward courses in the Winter semester!

There are still a few sponsorships available to educators or board members from GVSU charter schools who want to attend the 2024 Michigan Charter School Symposium on Dec. 11-12 in Troy, MI.

Sponsorship will cover the full cost of registration ($450 value). Use the code GVSU24 when you register to apply the promotion.

Each year the GVSU CSO offers free workshops and webinars to help all educators find more solutions in teaching and learning.

Don't miss "Building Bridges: Crafting an Inclusive Approach to Family Engagement," a 3-session series that helps participants create flexible, equitable engagement plans that address diverse needs. The series starts November 21.

The GVSU CSO annually honors a charter public school whose program, project, practice, or or initiative best demonstrates the advancement of a GVSU core value. This year's Core Value Award will celebrate the value of International Perspectives.

Award applications can be submitted from November 1, 2024 - March 28, 2025. 

The GVSU CSO has been preparing its annual report on charter school authorization to fulfill requirements contained within Michigan Public Act 120 of 2024, Section 275k. The report, which was first developed last year, provides details on GVSU's charter authorizing practices as well as details on each GVSU charter public school, much of which is already publicly available.

The report will be submitted to the Legislature by December 1, 2024. A copy of the report will be posted to GVSU's website for public availability.

Niche's 2025 rankings for best charter public high schools in Michigan have four GVSU schools listed in top ten. They are:

The high school students from Michigan Math and Science Academy were recognized for excelling in their college courses.

The Michigan Department of Education recently released memos on a number of topics, including: