Agenda Overview
The 2025 Spark Symposium for Charter Schools will offer an exciting and insightful experience for attendees.
Engage in roundtable discussions, participate in a legislative Q&A over lunch with expert panelists, and celebrate standout achievements during our awards ceremony. With impactful presentations from distinguished speakers, the symposium will explore the latest trends and developments shaping the charter school landscape.
8:15 - 9:00 A.M. Registration
9:00 - 10:00 A.M. Welcome & Morning Keynote
10:00 - 10:45 A.M. Break with Sponsors
10:45 - 11:55 A.M. Spark Zones: Track 1
12:00 - 1:30 P.M. Working Lunch with Legislative Q&A Panel
1:40 - 2:50 P.M. Spark Zones: Track 2
2:50 - 3:00 P.M. Break
3:00 - 3:30 P.M. Awards & Door Prizes
8:15 AM - 9:00 AM
Registration - 2nd Floor Lobby
Check in at the registration desk for your welcome bag and name tag. Need to register on-site? No worries, our staff is here to help!
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Welcome - Ballroom D
Join us in Ballroom D for the Welcome Remarks to kick off the 2025 Spark Symposium, followed by a special student performance to set the tone for the day. After the welcome, stay for our keynote speaker, Baruti Kafele, Education Speaker and Consultant at Principal Kafele Consulting, LLC. You can find more details about his bio and the full speaker lineup under the Speaker tab.
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
Break with Sponsors - North & East Ballroom Foyer
Take advantage of your designated time slot to interact with our exhibitors and vendors in the foyer. Learn more about their organizations and don’t forget—visiting our vendors earns you extra raffle tickets, increasing your chances of winning big!
10:45 AM - 11:55 AM
‘Spark Zones’ are dedicated times for collaboration, meaningful conversations, and in-depth learning. Each Spark Zone Track offers four total sessions: two expert-led presentations and two roundtable discussions. Attendees can choose one session that best aligns with their interests and provides the most relevant insights.
Spark Zones: Track 1 - Rooms A, B, C, & E
ROOM C Closing the Attitude Gap with Principal Kafele
ROOM A Charter School Finance Insights: A Collaborative Exchange
ROOM E Building Strong Teams: Educator Recruitment, Development, & Retention
ROOM B Charter Leader Collective Roundtable: Fostering Collaborative Growth
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch Begins - Ballroom D
Join us in Ballroom D for a working lunch with a Legislative Q&A Panel, offering you the chance to ask questions and gain insight into the latest legislative developments affecting charter schools
1:40 PM - 2:50 PM
Spark Zones: Track 2 - Rooms A, B, C, & E
‘Spark Zones’ are dedicated times for collaboration, meaningful conversations, and in-depth learning. Each Spark Zone Track offers four total sessions: two expert-led presentations and two roundtable discussions. Attendees can choose one session that best aligns with their interests and provides the most relevant insights.
ROOM E Resources for Charter Schools: Tools and Partnerships for Success
ROOM A Teaching and Learning Roundtable: Explore What Matters Most
ROOM C Insights into School Accountability
ROOM B Charter Schools: Navigating Legal and Policy Updates
2:50 PM - 3:00 PM
Break
Take a brief break as we prepare for the final session on the Spark 2025 schedule!
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Join us to close out this year’s Spark Symposium with an awards ceremony, celebrating the exceptional contributions of charter schools, their leaders, partners, supporters, and advocates who are making a lasting impact on the charter school community. We’ll also wrap up with a raffle drawing, where three lucky winners will receive cash prizes!
Awards & Door Prizes - Ballroom D
Spark Zones
‘Spark Zones’ are dedicated times for collaboration, meaningful conversations, and in-depth learning. Each Spark Zone Track offers four total sessions: two expert-led presentations and two roundtable discussions. Attendees can choose one session that best aligns with their interests and provides the most relevant insights.
Spark Zones: Track 1 - 10:45 AM - 11:55 AM
Closing the Attitude Gap with Principal Kafele
ROOM C
Presenter: Principal Kafele
In this focused breakout session, Principal Kafele will dive into the concept of the "Attitude Gap" and its significant impact on student success. Building on his keynote, he will share practical strategies to help educators and administrators foster an environment that encourages motivation, perseverance, and a growth mindset. Participants will explore ways to create a school culture that supports students facing challenges, providing them with the tools and mindset to overcome obstacles. You’ll leave this session equipped with actionable strategies to inspire and engage students, particularly those who need additional support to succeed.
Building Strong Teams: Educator Recruitment, Development, & Retention
ROOM E
Presenter: Co-Director of Teaching & Learning, Caroline Nail
Join us for a breakout session focused on strategies for recruiting, developing, and retaining high-quality educators and staff. In this session, we’ll explore various approaches to building and maintaining a strong teaching team, with a focus on long-term success. Expect a session that will provide valuable insights and ideas to help strengthen your recruitment and retention efforts.
Charter School Finance Insights: A Collaborative Exchange
ROOM A
Facilitators: Director of Finance Ken Rich and the APSRC Finance team
Join us for an engaging roundtable session where attendees will have the opportunity to dive deep into charter finance topics. This collaborative, interactive discussion will allow participants to share ideas, address concerns, and ask questions. Facilitated by Director of Finance Ken Rich and the APSRC Finance team, the session will offer valuable insights and expertise on a variety of important finance-related topics. Expect to discuss key areas such as the Legislative Session – Finance Acts, the eFinance upgrade and its new features, FY26 Budget Planning, and a CFAM Showcase featuring the Top 10 Reports. Come ready to participate, ask questions, and engage in thought-provoking discussions.
Charter Leader Collective Roundtable: Fostering Collaborative Growth
ROOM B
Facilitators: Jessica Wright, Literacy Specialist and Jeana Williams, Co-Director of Teaching & Learning
Join Jessica Wright, Literacy Specialist and Jeana Williams, Co-Director of Teaching & Learning, along with several Charter Leaders from across Arkansas for an engaging, interactive roundtable session. This discussion will delve into key leadership topics that impact the success of charter school students, educators, and leaders. Stemming from APSRC’s Charter Leader Collective (CLC), a program designed to connect Charter Leaders for collaborative growth, this session offers a unique space for attendees to lead, participate in, and build connections through conversation. Come ready to share ideas, ask questions, and engage in thought-provoking discussions with fellow leaders in the charter school community.
Spark Zones: Track 2 - 1:40 PM - 2:50 PM
Resources for Charter Schools: Tools and Partnerships for Success
ROOM E
Presenter: Director of School Support, Jim Robb
Join us for an engaging breakout session where we’ll explore a range of valuable resources available to member charter schools. This session will cover partnerships and products that come with special discounts, benefits, rebates, or even no cost to your school. We’ll discuss resources such as K12itc for outsourced technology services, TalkPath Live for remote student services in special education, CFAM for financial analysis tools, and DOTS for managing academic performance metrics. Additionally, we’ll cover options like Edlio OSP for payment processing, Arvest P-Cards for credit card management, and MY EDgislation for tracking legislative updates. You’ll also learn about synK12 Calendar for organizing school events and both the FMS and SMS Listserves to help finance and student records staff collaborate with peers. This session is packed with practical resources to help streamline your operations and support your school’s success.
Insights into School Accountability
ROOM C
Presenter: Co-Director of Teaching & Learning Jeana Williams
Join us for a breakout session that will explore key topics surrounding school accountability and growth within Arkansas. This session will cover various aspects of how schools are held accountable and the role these factors play in fostering growth and improvement. The discussion will offer insights into current trends, challenges, and opportunities. Participants are encouraged to ask questions and engage with the presenter. More details will be shared soon.
Teaching and Learning Roundtable: Explore What Matters Most
ROOM A
Facilitators: Co - Director of Teaching & Learning Caroline Nail and APSRC Literacy Specialists
Join us for an engaging roundtable session where we’ll explore a wide range of teaching and learning topics relevant to today’s educators. Whether you’re interested in instructional strategies, professional development, or building capacity within your school, this session provides a collaborative space where you can bring forward topics that matter most to you. Co-Director of Teaching & Learning Caroline Nail, will facilitate the conversation, offering expertise and guidance as the discussion unfolds. Come ready to ask questions, share ideas, and engage in a dynamic conversation focused on supporting educators and enhancing student success. More details to follow.
Charter Schools: Navigating Legal and Policy Updates
ROOM B
Facilitators: APSRC Staff Attorney Tripp Walter & Director of Legal Services Michael Helms, with Special Guests Donn Mixon, Attorney at Law from Mixon Worsham PLC, and Daniel Shults, Chief Legal Counsel, from the Arkansas Department of Education
Join us for an engaging roundtable session where attendees will have the opportunity to dive deep into legal and policy topics affecting charter schools. Expect to discuss topics such as the Arkansas State Legislature 95th General Assembly - Regular Session of 2025, with a focus on legislation impacting charter schools, charter school finance, and other trending legislative issues. Other potential topics include general legal and policy considerations for schools, including school law updates and key policy changes. As APSRC staff facilitates the discussion, participants will also have the opportunity to bring up topics that interest or concern them. APSRC Staff Attorney Tripp Walter & Director of Legal Services Michael Helms will guide the conversation, offering their expertise throughout. Come ready to share ideas, ask questions, and engage in a thought-provoking conversation on these timely and important issues.
Venue Map
Questions?
Visit the registration desk anytime for questions or assistance—our staff is here to help!
Spark Zones Classrooms
Join a Breakout Session or Roundtable in Spark Zones Track 1 & 2 (Rooms A, B, C, & E). For more information, click here to jump to the Spark Zones Section.
Spark Sponsors
Visit our amazing sponsors in the North & East Ballroom Foyer and collect raffle tickets! The yellow boxes on the venue map mark each sponsor’s location. For a full list of sponsors and their booth numbers, check out the dropdown below.
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Booth #1 - University of Arkansas Online
Booth #2 - Jackson Brown Palculict Architects
Booth #3 - Aspyre Select
Booth #4 - BYU Independent Study
Booth #5 - Coryell Roofing
Booth #6 - Lincoln Learning Solutions
Booth #7 - Phoenix Contractors, LLC
Booth #8 - K12itc
Booth #9 - Renaissance
Booth #10 - Equitable Facilities Fund
Booth #11 - Learning Blade
Booth #12 - Edlio
Booth #13 - Cognia
Booth #14 - White River Services and Solutions - Educational Technology
Booth #15 - Nabholz Construction Corporation
Booth #16 - WER Architects
Booth #17 - Red Comet
Booth #18 - Carty, Harding & Hearn, Inc.
Booth #19 - Beneliance
Booth #20 - Formos Consulting
Booth #21 - Lightspeed Technologies
Booth #22 - Natural Hearing Centers
Booth #23 - Cynergy Rehab Group
Booth #24 - Economics Arkansas
Event Details
Tuesday, May 20th, 2025
State House Convention Center