Step 1: Initial Draft of the Application

During Step 1, charter school developers become organized by setting up a founding committee and defining their decision-making process, delegating responsibilities to individuals that are going to be involved in creating the charter application. Activities include building a relationship with the authorizer, meeting with the various "experts" to discuss target areas of the application, reaching out to the community with information about the school, and connecting with the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) Schools of Choice office, and The Colorado League of Charter Schools (CLCS or The League) for training and support.

The applicants should set up a time to meet with someone from the New School Development office at The League in order to access Technical Assistance (TA) and thoroughly understand what is involved in:

• Determining the capacity of their group
• Assigning tasks to individuals or recruiting team members with expertise
• Developing a quality educational program
• Writing an application
• Accessing local application policies and information
• Working with the authorizer
• Meeting legal requirements
• Adequate financial planning
• Adequate facilities planning