Authorizing Philosophy

The Charter School Division is guided by Osprey Wilds core values which form the acronym heal, a reminder that living these values can result in healing for ourselves, others, and the planet.

Osprey Wilds Core Value	What that means for the Charter School Division
Healthy Relationships	We build trust and mutual respect, holding schools accountable with care and treating every board member, school leader, and community we work with as a partner in serving students well.
Equity	We apply an equity lens to every stage of our authorizing work (from the schools we approve to how we evaluate performance) so that all Minnesota students have access to high-quality educational options.
Action	We act on what we learn, using evidence-based oversight, timely intervention, and clear contract decisions to ensure accountability has follow-through.
Lifelong Learning	We hold ourselves to the same standard we expect of our schools: continuously improving our authorizing practices and supporting schools in cultivating students’ connection to learning and the natural world.

Advancing Educational Equity through Intentional Systems

Guided by our core value of equity, the CSD leverages responsive authorizing practices to help schools identify and address systemic barriers to student success. Educational equity requires more than a one-size-fits-all approach. Charter schools have the freedom to design unique programs for their specific communities, while authorizers hold them accountable for their academic, financial, operational, and environmental results. Equality means everyone gets the same treatment, but educational equity requires providing individual schools with tailored resources, support, and oversight.

Through direct, data-driven support and strong relationships with school leaders, the CSD’s authorizing work is designed to ensure that the schools in its portfolio provide fair access, quality learning opportunities, and strong academic and environmental literacy outcomes for all Minnesota students.

What advancing educational equity looks like….

In our approach:

We believe charter schools are a vehicle for local control and self-determination.
We believe in presuming expertise rather than inability.
We believe in creation and change with, not for, the people most impacted by the decision.
We believe in authorizing restoratively, and view conflicts and harms as opportunities for restoration—both to seek full and direct accountability and to strengthen the community to prevent future harms.
We believe schools, families, communities, and the authorizer are connected and responsible for supporting each other’s success.

In our processes:

Providing support to new school developers through rigorous feedback on their new school application materials.
Setting clear, public standards upfront to ensure every major decision about a charter school’s future is transparent, fair, and focused on student success.
Ensuring the voice of students, families, and school staff in the renewal evaluation process.
Protecting student rights and public interests providing accountability for financial and operational stability.
Internally designing and implementing a strategic plan aligned to our organizational mission, vision, and values.
Centering the learning, achievement, and success of all students in our decision-making, processes, and technical assistance.
Guide corrective action in schools if students are not learning, and intervene when financial or operational problems arise.

In our practices:

Participating in annual professional development, and requiring staff to create and complete professional development goals each year.
Reducing opportunities through bias through rigorous evaluator training.
Practicing a relationship-based approach to authorizing with dedicated primary contacts who interface with a school and board directly.
Differentiating elements of oversight activities for each school based on their needs and the students they serve.
Soliciting annual feedback from schools on the work we do and how we can improve.
A commitment to dismantling racist and other discriminatory policies, procedures, and systems through participation in the OW JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Committee.

In our sector:

Participating actively in the MN Association of Charter School Authorizers (MACSA), including focused anti-bias and anti-racism work.
Partnering with the Minnesota Association of Charter Schools (MACS) whenever possible to advocate for charter schools locally, statewide, and at the federal level.
Reflecting on Osprey Wilds’ alignment to the National Association of Charter School Authorizer’s (NACSA’s) Principles and Standards to ensure our authorizing practices are in line with nationally recognized effective practices.
Working with the Minnesota Department of Education and other agencies to reduce administrative burdens on schools.