Kornerstone Charter School Planning Grant

Intellectual Property of Michael McCabe and Thomas Krause
with collaborative efforts & input by Brad Klitzke, Emily McCabe, Mike Rietveld, Katie Heling, Phil
Yunk, Marcia Van Hout, Judy Brown
I The Charter School Vision for Innovation

Describe the educational vision and philosophy which will drive your charter school
planning effort including the underlying theories and research which support that
vision. Include the following:
a. Describe the community in which the charter school will be located, its students and
the needs and interests to be served by the charter school.
Kornerstone Charter School (KCS) is a publicly chartered school in the Kimberly Area School District
in the state of Wisconsin. KCS will serve up to 75 students in grades 8-12. Kimberly, Wisconsin is a
community of 6,400 people within the Fox Valley region of Wisconsin, which has collectively has a
population of around. There are over 200,000 people. in the Fox Valley and 19,260 people live in the
Kimberly Area School District.
b. Describe how the concept of a “charter school” was introduced? Who initiated the
concept and why?
Kimberly Area School District (KASD) has one existing chartered school called CORE Charter School,
. CORE Charter School haswith an enrollment of 16-24 students. Most of the students entering CORE
Charter School are credit deficient and in need of credit recovery. Michael McCabe is currently the
Lead Teacher in CORE Charter. After attempting multiple innovations within CORE Charter, Michael
McCabe approached Mike Rietveld, the administrator of CORE Charter School, about a vision for a
new charter school. Mike Rietveld told Michael McCabe to proceed with planning and gather other
people to assist in planning the new charter school. In August of 2009, a formal planning team was
formed. The planning team consisted of onea high school English teacher, two high school Social
Studies teachers, onea high school art teacher, aone high school science teacher, and the Lead Teacher
from CORE Charter School. Three other staff members were invited to participate on the planning
team, but declined. On November 23rd, 2009, the Kornerstone Planning Committee presented
"Kornerstone Charter School Plan" to the school board of the School District of Kimberly. The half
hour informational presentation included a question and answer session in which the KASD Board of
Education provided consent for further investigation. On January 11, 2010, a community forum was
held and over a dozen community members provided feedback to the planning team. On March 8,
2010, the Board of Education authorized the Kornerstone Planning Team to submit the planning grant
to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). The planning team is chaired by Michael
McCabe and Tom Krause.
c. Include a Vision or Mission Statement

Mission Statement - Learn, Create...Inspire.
Our Vision - “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves
will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical
diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself
with ever-growing insistency. Remember that our sons and grandsons are going to do things that
would stagger us. Let your watchword be order and your beacon beauty. Think big.”
—Daniel Burnham, Chicago architect. (1846-1912)
1.d Describe why a charter is needed to achieve the vision. How is the school
innovative or unique and how will it differ from the schools now currently available to
students in the district? Why can't the vision be accomplished by merely adding a
program to existing offerings?
Currently, the Kimberly Area School District does not have a school like Kornerstone. Project Based
Learning and Service Learning will have an interdisciplinary focus unique to this charter school. A
charter school is needed to achieve this vision because the innovations are not possible in the existing
traditional school setting. KCS will achieve the following: personalized learning plan for every student,
year round school, unique technology plan for each students learning needs, high school credit for 8th
graders, innovative graduation requirements, grading based on demonstration of relevant 21st Century
employability skills rather than academic work samples. Student's are responsible for their learning and
have choices regarding curriculum.
Kornerstone must be a chartered school and not a program because an entire school culture needs to be
created from the ground up. Rather than having an administrator, Kornerstone will be teacher led; thus,
students will develop a five year relationship with teachers. This will allow the staff to layer
educational learning opportunities upon one another in a way that cannot exist in any other school
setting. Even if curriculum were flawlessly streamlined within a K-12 district; students continue to
travel from course to course every 45-90 minutes, and from teacher to teacher every 9-18 weeks. The
small school setting will provide students with unheralded continuity which cannot exist in a traditional
education setting with 1200 students.
Kornerstone stands alone from all other schools in the Kimberly Area School District in the following
ways:
• Year round school
• High School credit for 8th Graders
• 15:1 student to staff ratio
• Complete access to emerging technology
• Multiple grading scales
• Modified/flexible schedule (compressed courses, classes meet on alternative days,
extended school day, etc)
• Internship opportunities exceeding 18 weeks
• Community Mentorship Program
• Students will work with their parents and Kornerstone staff to create Personal Learning
Plan (PLP)
• Technology Transparency - Each student will have access to emerging technologies
needed to reach their academic potential. These tools are crucial in the creation and display of
student learning.
• Same teacher for 5 years
• Project Foundry Student Management Systems, SalesForces.com, and other systems to
track student progress, create Personal Learning Plans, and run a small school.
• Small school setting
Upon graduation from Kornerstone, students will be well rounded young adults who possess skills
needed to succeed in life, whether they pursue higher education or full-time employment.
Peer reviewed literature and other successful charter schools[1] clearly demonstrate that a charter
school allows for a new model of governance, a degree of pedagogical flexibility in return for
accountability, and the capacity to innovate because of a new vigorous vision. The Wisconsin charter
school laws allow for sustainable innovation to occur from the ground up and last for generations.
Kornerstone must be a charter school and not a program so that sustainability can be built into the
school.
2. Describe how your charter school addresses one or more of the following
educational priorities:
a.Serves children at risk as described in s.118.153 (1) (a), Wis. Stats.;
b.Supports the development of a charter school in a geographic area where one or
more schools are identified for improvement that requires corrective action, or
restructuring under Title I, Part A of the ESEA;
c. Closes the achievement gap;
d. Places an emphasis on building reading skills;
e. Promotes early learning opportunities;
f. Promotes educator quality;
g. Promotes career or technology education;
h. Encourages parent and community involvement;
i. Provides effective pupil services, special education and prevention programs to
support learning.
j. Promotes and develops 21st Century Skills.
Kornerstone Charter School will address all of the above areas except for subsection b and c. KCS will
serve at-risk youth by providing an alternative learning environment, developing long-term student to
staff relationships, and building in a structure that fosters community involvement.
Kornerstone places an emphasis on reading skills by empowering students to engage in their

curriculum through student choice in literature selection. Reading skills are ingrained into Project
Based Learning. Students must layer their reading with their thinking and writing. Reading will take
place every day and it is directly tied into student projects; therefore, reading will not occur in isolated
courses or assignments and the reading will have greater significance to the student because they select
their text.
KCS promotes early learning opportunities by melding 8th graders in with traditional high schoolers.
Through Service Learning, students will delve into the Kimberly community. Thus, relationships and
networks will be created. Systems and design learning are two instructional areas that are not always
taught in high schools. By placing an emphasis on community, learning, design, and systems, students
in KCS will approach projects through a mature lens. Empowering students to take an active role in
their educational experience promotes early learning opportunities. Although early learning is
commonly associated with primary grade levels, KCS is teaching high school students to manage their
time and talents in a manner more closely resembling higher education than traditional high school.
Educator quality is imperative in order for a successful launch of Kornerstone to get off the ground and
then to sustain innovative educational practices. The Kimberly Area School District and Kornerstone
Charter School Governance Board are going to have to 'grow' their own teachers. Because Tteacher
preparatory programs that prepare professionals to act as instructional leaders in a project/service based
environment do not yet exist, the Kimberly Area School District and Kornerstone Charter School
Governance Board are going to have to 'grow' their own teachers. Therefore, it It will be up to all
stakeholders to invest their time and energy to get the necessary training required to run a school.
Fortunately, other great innovative schools have already blazed a trail and laid the foundation for KCS
staff to follow. If we are fortunate enough to receive the planning grant, we will investigate realistic
ways to dedicate a portion of the an annual budget set aside for professional development of each staff
member. Educator quality will be promoted in KCS through collaboration with other PBL/SBL
schools, constant training and refining of pedagogical techniques, and an open dialog between
community members and KCS staff. Finally, if educator quality can be defined as fostering inquiry
learning in a student centered environment, then Kornerstone Charter School will strive to establish
such practices.
Career education will be promoted through service learning opportunities and the Community
Mentorship Program. The planning team wants to investigateenvisions an educational schedule that
includes having one day per week set aside for service projects in the community. Students in KCS will
have to complete at least one major service project per year. Students in KCS will have to embed some
type of community aspect into most of their projects. In Year 4 (11th grade), students will have to work
or volunteer in the community. In Year 5 (12th grade), students will have an internship with a business
of interest in the Fox Valley. Upon entering KCS, students will increase their understanding and
application of technology and digital learning devices. A student enrolled in KCS will know how to
work utilize the tools that are commonly used in the workplace. For example, if someone wants to be a
has an interest in graphic designer, during Years 1, 2, and 3, they will learn and master Adobe Creative
Suite and other relevant software applications. When they need to be placed at an internship, they will
already possess skills which most other 16 and 17 years olds have not acquired. The same example
holds true for any number of trades and professions. Career education will be a staple of Kornerstone
Charter School. During the planning year of the grant, the planning team wants to investigate the idea
of having two annual school wide projects. These projects will allow the students of KCS to explore the
globalized world. The concept behind the MacroProject and MicroProject is explained in greater detail
in Section I.3.b.
Parent and community involvement in KCS is highlighted throughout this document. Parents are
involved in creating their daughter or son's Personalized Learning Plan. Parents are involved in signing
off on student projects. Parents and community members will come into the school regularly to share
their talents and lend their expertise.
All students with disabilities in KCS will receive their special education services by a trained
professionals. Students in KCS will have the same teacher for up to five years; therefore, meaningful
relationships will be established and students with disabilities will have an opportunity to develop a
long term relationship with an educational mentor who can most effectively leverage their strengths.
j. Promotes and develops 21st Century Skills.
See below, Section I.3b
3a. The grade levels of children to be served
In 2011-12 Kornerstone will serve students in grades, 8,9, and 10. Grades 11, and 12 will be added in
subsequent years to achieve an 8-12th secondary school.
b. The unique curriculum and instructional model(s)/practices to be used
Student centered learning in Kornerstone Charter School will emphasize five Employability areas:
Work Ethic, Good Communication, Collaboration, Problem Solving & Critical Thinking, and Social
Responsibility[2].
I think this should be mentioned in the mission/vision section. This is such a great concept and what sets your idea apart – it
has to be thrown out there earlier and then described here.
Rather than earning a letter grade based on academic merit, students are assessed on their level of
mastery according to the five Kornerstone Employability Areas. These five specific employability traits
have been targeted because employers look for these areas when hiring high school graduates.
Instructional models in Kornerstone will focus on fusing Project Based Learning, and Service
Learning. All staff members will go through extensive training in each of the previously mentioned
instructional models. Throughout our initial planning year with our planning grant, staff of KCS will
also investigate the following instructional models: Brain Based Learning, Global Studies (especially
the open classroom model), Environmental Studies, Technology Education, and Online Virtual. We
will extrapolate practices from the aforementioned scientific models, and incorporate them into
Kornerstone's educational paradigm.
Supplying students with necessary emerging technologies is imperative. Throughout our planning year,
the planning team & KCS Governance Board will work to implement the emerging technologies which
are outlined in the 2009 & 2010 Horizon Reports. The Horizon Report is an annual publication
outlining technologies forthcoming to students in the K-12 sector over the next five years. According to
the 2009 Horizon Report, the Personal Web is going to be difficult to implement in a large school
setting due to restrictions placed on students by filters and other monitoring issues. The Personal Web
is the idea that each individual can have an online experience which is unique to themselves. Twitter,
Facebook, MySpace, Pandora, YouTube, Flickr, Google Reader, PublicEarth, and Nings all make the
Internet a highly participatory and personal environment. Rather than filtering, what if a school
embraced all of the sites listed above? The social learning environments online have been largely
untapped. A Kornerstone student will have access to sites, and actively contribute to making the web
personal. Each student will have whatever devices they need to maximize their learning experience and
grow as a student. KCS will not be limited by a 1:1 student to laptop ratio; rather, each student and
parent will make formal technology request at the initial Entrance Meeting when their Personalized
Learning Plan (PLP) is crafted. A student in Kornerstone will utilize mobile learning devices and
other smart objects to actively integrate into their educational experience.
The applied curriculum of KCS will have a focus on four main cornerstones. They are: Learning,
Design, Systems, and Community[3]. Student projects will focus on one of the cornerstone areas.
Projects associated with Learning will deal with traditional liberal arts areas (math, science Social
Studies, and English). Systems projects deal with studying complex structures existing in society,
science, or thought; while, in Design projects, students work to create their own system. In Community
projects, students will explore an area of the Kimberly community, Fox Valley, or the world.
There are a few courses that each student will have to take every year. The majority of students time
will be spent working on projects; however, it is imperative that student's academic skills continue to
layer and grow. Year round school is necessary for students to stay plugged into PBL & SL, while also
increasing their math and reading levels. Since Kornerstone will be starting with 8th-10th graders, all
students will take the 8th grade courses during 2011-12. A foundation of fundamentals will be
established. Below is a list of possible coursework for Kornerstone students:
Year 1 (8th graders): Acceptable and Appropriate Usage of Web and Devices, Introduction to Project
Based Learning, Introduction to Service Based Learning, Utilizing the Employability Traits,
Year 2 (9th graders): 21st Century Schooling, Social Networks, Systems Learning, Intro to Design
Year 3 (10th graders): Leadership, Community Mentorship Training,
Year 4 (11th graders): Senior Project I, Community Experience I, Advanced Web Tools
Year 5 (12th graders): Senior Project II, Community Experience II
Here is a brief description of a few unique courses we plan to design if our planning grant is approved:
Acceptable and Appropriate Usage of Web and Devices - Students will learn to use devices such as
laptops, netbooks, and smartphones. Students will learn to use Kornerstone Charter School technology
vernacular and create an Acceptable Use Policy which will guide learning and technology. In this
course, students will go beyond creating usernames and passwords by becoming active members in
learning communities. Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Nings, PublicEarth, Amazon, Google, and
Salesforce.com are just some of the sites students will be introduced to.
Introduction to Project Based Learning - Students will be introduced to the elements and procedures
of PBL. Students will develop big ideas for projects.
Introduction to Service Learning - Students will be introduced to SL. Students will examine
leadership through service and get introduced to several community members, business leaders, and
volunteers who are a part of the Kornerstone learning community.
Utilizing the Employability Traits/Processes of Learning - Students will examine the 5 main
employability traits and create assessments for which their learning will be gauged.
Intro to Design - What does it mean to create? What new innovative thoughts, products, or processes
can students display or create? This course will explore annual MacroProjects and MicroProjects.
Every student in KCS will actively participate on at least one annual project. An example of a
MacroProject is students creating a high speed transportation system to connect major cities in the
Midwest. Course work traditionally designated for collegial learning environments such as Political
Science, Sociology, Urban/Regional Planning, and Physics, will fuse with Math, science, Social
Studies. An example of a MicroProject is designing a daycare center for all employees within the
Kimberly Area School District. MicroProjects happen at the school, local community level; whereas,
MacroProjects impact the citizens on the entire globe.
Systems Learning - When a young man turns 18, he has to register for Selective Service. Working
adults must file taxes every year by April 15. Students seeking financial aid from the government must
fill out a FAFSA annually. In order to make a successful dentist appointment, an individual needs to
make sure their insurance, or lack of, covers a particular dentist. Systems have rules. Systems have
deadlines. Systems have clearly defined policies and paperwork. Each of the previously mentioned
tasks involves an individual making conscious decisions within a system that has specific rules.
Traditional schooling does not explicitly teach young adults to successfully operate in any system
except for the traditional school from which they come. Does a high school diploma mean an 18 year
old is ready to face the adult world and the multitude of systems? In Systems Learning students will go
beyond existing systems and study areas such as Game Theory, Economics, Programming, Statistics,
and Social Justice. Students' preparation for higher learning or the workforce will be accelerated
through a deep understanding of systems learning. Systems learning is the investigation of a set of
existing procedures or operations, whereas, design will focus on creating a new system.
This is totally amazing. I would be interested in using a curriculum like this to teach courses to kids in foster care (kids I
volunteer with). (As amazing as it is to see it here, it’s also a little sad…like duh. J )
During the planning year Kornerstone staff and governance will investigate what other schools are
doing to service their students given a 12 month format rather than a 9 month schedule. At the
Community Forum on January 11th, 2009, the Planning Team presented a structure for school day and
yearly calendar.
School Day
8:00am - 8:20am Community Building
8:20am - 8:45am or 9:00am Advisement/ Mini Lessons (Kornerstone Specific Curriculum)
8:45am or 9:00am - 10:00am Math OR Reading
10:00am - 11:30am Project Based Learning
11:30am - 12:00pm Lunch
12:00pm - 12:15pm Duties/ Journaling
12:15pm - 1:45pm Project Based Learning
1:45pm - 2:45pm Reading OR Math
2:45pm - 3:05pm Advisory Group Meeting/ Analysis
3:05pm - 3:10pm Clean up
Monday mornings will begin with whole group meetings, announcements, issues/concerns, and
celebrations. Kornerstone teachers reserve the right to deviate from the schedule if certain learning
opportunities arise, or educational immersion days are planned.
School Calendar
There will be a two week school immersion session in July. All new students must attend both weeks.
The first week will be community building with all the new members. All Kornerstone students will
attend the second week in the morning for team building and educational/technology setup. The
afternoons will be reserved for Personalized Learning Plan meetings with parents, students and
advisors. PLP meetings will run in blocks of time. There will then be one week off (last week of July)
for each student to set up their individualized technology plan (briefcase). For 2011-2012, the two
week boot camp will begin on July 11, and conclude on July 22. The first day of the first term will be
August 1st.
There will be four, nine week, terms during the school year. The first term will start the first week of
August and go until October. The second term will go from October until December. The third term
will go from January until March. The fourth term will go from March until May. In between terms
there will be a two week deviation from classes. During the fall and spring term breaks, the first week
will be set up with a teacher work day on Monday. Tuesday through Thursday is set aside for parent,
student, and advisor conferences. The second week of fall and spring breaks will be off, unless an
interim class is being taught. An interim class is a four to five day course. The students or teacher
propose the interim. There would need to be a minimum number of students enrolled to offer the
proposed course. During each term there will be two tentative due dates for projects. One due date
will be four and a half weeks into the term (on the Wednesday), and the second will be at the end of
term. The Friday after the four and a half week due date will be a half day for students with staff
collaboration in the afternoon. Kornerstone will be shutdown for two weeks during holiday break.
There will be three "Nights of Celebration" which will take place on the last Friday of the first three
terms. Teachers will have a collaboration day the following Monday after the "Night of Celebration."
Term four will be for Senior Projects and testimonials and celebrations from the year. A collaborative
Service Learning Project will culminate during this term. Students will also continue to work on
Project Based Learning at this time. There will be between 43 and 48 days per term, depending on
holidays and calendar breaks. Thanksgiving, the Friday before and Monday after Easter, Labor Day,
Memorial Day, and the Wisconsin Charter School Convention will be mandatory days off.
Summer School will be the first three full weeks of June. This time will be used for Summer Projects
(Transfer Hours), remedial work, or class proposals for half or full days.
At the community forum held on January 11th, 2010, the Kimberly community provided input
regarding the school day and structure of the school year. 100% of the attendants at the meeting
indicated they would like to see year round school. Community members also want the planning team
to investigate 'peak performance' within the school day.
Upon successfully completing Year 5, an internship, and a senior project, a KCS student will graduate
with a Kornerstone Diploma. In order to earn a diploma, students must attend KCS for a minimum of
three years.
c. The measurable goals of the charter school for each of the first 3 years (this does
not include student achievement goals—these are addressed in question e. below),
e.g. improving attendance, reducing special education referrals, providing high quality
professional/curriculum development, provide specific training for charter school
governance board etc.
Year 1
1. By the end of their first year of service, all governance board members will have formal
training in one of the following areas: Project Based Learning, Service Based Learning, or
school finance.
2. KCS Governance & staff will establish meaningful relationships with businesses and
community leaders in the Fox Valley.
3. Planning Team will transform into 'Implementation Team" and Spread the word about
Kornerstone to parents, students, and community members.
4. Highly qualified staff hired, and trained on all necessary instructional practices utilized in
Kornerstone.
5. KCS governance board will find an educational leader (see 'guru' in Section II.4) to provide
a stream of innovative ideas and focus professional development opportunities.
Year 2
1. KCS Staff will create an innovative learning environment, in which customizable
educational experiences are delivered to each student.
2. KCS Staff will continue to receive professional development in SBL & PBL.
3. Day to day operations will be teacher led. This will be the first teacher led school in the
KASD.
4. Governance Board members KCS staff will continue to receive side by side training.
Year 3
1. KCS students and staff will work together to deepen school culture. The staff will involve
the students in relationships with age appropriate peers around the world.
2. KCS Staff will continue to strive towards being highly qualified teachers and begin to share
the Kornerstone message with other schools in the district, other charter schools in Wisconsin,
and other schools in the world.
3. KCS governance board and staff will seek out their second 'guru' and clarify their
emphasis/focus for the next two school years.
4. KCS will have its first graduates, bringing to fruition the concept of the senior project.
d. The means of measuring the charter school goals in each of the first three years
Year One (2010-2011)
• Setup Non-Profit/Non-Stock corporation to house monetary transactions and establish a
protocol for financial operations
• Establish autonomous Governance Board, and begin holding monthly meetings by
10/1/10 (as defined in Section II.4)
• Hold at least six different community forums to inform the Kimberly community about
Kornerstone
• Hire KCS Staff (1 full-time staff member for every 15 students)
• Attend training and professional development in the following areas: Project Based
Learning (PBL), Service Based Learning, mobile learning, multiple intelligences, employability
traits, fostering community & school relationships, and school finance. All staff will engage in a
PBL Immersion week during the summer
• Set up Community Mentorship Program
• Complete all necessary forms, policies, and admissions paperwork necessary to create
Kornerstone
• Complete necessary steps required to enroll 45 students
Year Two (2011-2012)
• Have students participating in Service-Learning Projects
• Successful operation of the Community Mentorship Program
• Personalized Learning Plan's utilized and carried out on a daily basis
• Continued professional development and teacher competence in PBL & SBL
• Place Year 4 students into community internships/apprenticeships
Year Three (2012-2013)
• Be fully engaged in the 'open classroom'. Have meaningful relationships established with
peers around the world
• Begin discussions about applying for dissemination grant (can only be carried out if
Kornerstone is successful)
• Establish Senior Projects, and provide forum for seniors to share projects with community
& world.
• New 'guru' and other governance board members begin term and training
3e. The measurable student achievement goals for each of the first 3 years
• Students will successfully demonstrate the Kornerstone Employability Areas (Good
Communication, Work Ethic, Collaboration, Social Responsibility, and Problem Solving &
Critical Thinking).
• At least three times per year, students will display their work for the entire Kimberly
community.
• Students will demonstrate competency with technology and mobile learning devices.
Using these tools students will produce authentic original work pieces publishable to the entire
world.
• Students will participate in one MacroProject or MicroProject per year.
Year One (2011-2012)
1. 100% of all students at Kornerstone will have a Personalized Learning Plan.
2. 100% of all students at Kornerstone will have a Technology Transparency (technology plan
outlining what tools students require to maximize learning potential).
3. At least 60% of students at Kornerstone will increase their proficiency in math by the end of the
first school year, as demonstrated by MAP testing.
4. At least 60% of students at Kornerstone will increase their proficiency in reading by the end of the
first school year, as demonstrated by MAP testing.
5. By Thanksgiving, 80% of all students will complete a 30 hour project.
6. By February 1st, 80% of all students will complete a 60 hour project.
7. By June 1st, 80% of all students will participate in a MicroProject or MacroProject.
Year Two (2012-2013)

2. 100% of all students at Kornerstone will have a briefcase (technology plan outlining what tools
students require to maximize learning potential).
3. At least 75% of students at Kornerstone will increase their proficiency in math, as demonstrated
by MAP testing.
4. At least 75% of students at Kornerstone will increase their proficiency in reading, as demonstrated
by MAP testing.
5. By the end of Year 4 (11th grade), at least 90% of all students attending Kornerstone will have a
community mentor.
Year Three (2013-2014)

2. 100% of all students at Kornerstone will have a briefcase (technology plan outlining what tools
students require to maximize learning potential).
3. At least 90% of Year 5 (12th grade) students at Kornerstone will complete a comprehensive field
research project and present the findings to a relevant community group.
4. At least 90% of students in Kornerstone will increase their proficiency in math, as demonstrated
by MAP testing.
5. At least 90% of students in Kornerstone will increase their proficiency in reading, as demonstrated
by MAP testing.
6. By the end of Year 4 (11th grade), in least 90% of all students attending Kornerstone will have a
community mentor.
7. Upon completion of their Year 5 (12th grade), at least 95% of all Kornerstone students will be
accepted to a college or gain full-time employment.
3f. The means of measuring the student achievement goals each of the first 3 years
including:
Indicate agreement to administer reading and math assessment instrument(s) to be
administered fall (September) and spring (March) for each of the first two years of
operation, (e.g. Iowa Test of Basic Skills, Metropolitan, NWEA Measure of Academic
Progress, Stanford Achievement Test, etc.) and how the instruments will be used to
improve instruction and track achievement over time. (Year one operational results will
be reported on the Implementation Renewal application and year two operational
results will be summarized on a final grant report due October 1, following the final
year of the grant).
Every student in Kornerstone will participate in MAP testing at least twice per year (testing will be
offered in Fall, Winter, and Spring windows). Students will participate in district wide assessments if
they're in a demographic the KASD requires testing. Students will also participate in the HOPE Study
annually. The HOPE Study measures students attitudes toward learning, school, and their future.
Students will be strongly encouraged to take the ACT's and complete a project to prepare them for the
exam. At least three times per year, students in Kornerstone will display and present their work for the
Kimberly community.
Students will log all project hours worked and track their progress. During the planning year, the
planning team will perform a comprehensive search to implement a system to track student progress
and streamline Personalized Learning Plan's with completed student projects. Project Foundry and
Salesforce.com are examples of two protocols or systems the planning team will investigate for use in
Kornerstone. Ease of toggling access to open and restrict use of documents/permissions is essential if
parents, staff, and students are all going to collaborate on a consistent basis. Since Kornerstone will
utilize smart devices and provide students with laptops or phones, the methodology for tracking student
hours could potentially be paperless.
4. Describe the charter school’s four-year professional development plan by answering

the following questions:
a. What specific competencies, skills and knowledge do teachers and administrators
need in order to successfully implement the proposed curriculum and instruction at
the charter school?
Teachers must place students at the center of the school. Kornerstone is not about a teachers classroom.
Students in Kornerstone will select projects based on interests and passions. Teachers in Kornerstone
will use their knowledge, experience, and expertise to prepare students to meet their objectives, not the
teachers. Although Kornerstone is teacher led, the students must be the center of the school. Service to
students and community will be the foundation upon which teachers build their professional lives.
Teachers need training in Project Based Learning, Service Learning, mobile learning, utilizing &
assessing multiple intelligences, and incorporating the five Kornerstone Employability Areas into the
school's culture. Due to working with community members and business leaders, teachers will need to
posses excellent public relations skills. Teachers must be open to working year round. A three month
summer vacation will not exist at Kornerstone Charter School. Teachers must chair at least one
subcommittee as designated by the Kornerstone Governance Board. Leadership skills are a necessity.
Teachers need to have experience being a 'team member' of some sort. Teachers must strive towards
proficiency in all ten of the Wisconsin Standards for Teachers.
b. Provide a five-year professional/curriculum development plan on how you intend

to develop the required competencies, skills and knowledge for teachers and
administrators to achieve the innovations envisioned for the charter school.
2008-2009
In October 2008, the Planning Team Chair attended the National Division of Career Development
conference; after which, he led a book study on Clayton Christensen's Disrupting Class. In October
2009, the same group of people studied Curtis Bonk's The World is Open. In April 2009, the planning
team chair attended the WCSA conference in April. Upon returning from the conference, the planning
team chair informed KHS building principal about a vision for a new charter school. KASD committed
to sending planning team chair to additional conferences on Web 2.0 tools (CESA 6), and multiple
school tours/PBL immersion days at Valley New School. In June, 2010, the planning team chair will
attend the Games, Learning, and Society Conference in Madison, Wisconsin.
At the expense of the school district, the entire planning team was permitted to attend the 2009-10
WCSA Conference. Before knowing the status of our planning grant, the planning team has enrolled in
a summer immersion week at Valley New School (VNS). VNS will be working with EdVisions to
provide comprehensive training on Project Based Learning.
2010-2011 (Year 1)
• Explore various leadership models, e.g.; servant leadership, collaborative leadership, etc
o Book studies comparing leadership styles
• Begin training on PBL & SBL
o KCS Staff & Governance Board will: attend PBL Summer Immersion, attend
Minnesota New Country School, attend DCDT National Conference, attend WCSA
Conference, attend National Charter School Conference, establish relationship with
charter consultants who specialize in PBL, establish relationship with service learning
experts from DPI.
• Attend Harvard University's Charter Schools: Practices for High Performance.
o KCS Staff & at least one governance board member will attend a four day
conference from November 11th-14th.
o Leadership model will be shaped.
• Work with charter consultant to develop Community Mentorship Program
o Host Discovery Days, and recruit business/community leaders into Kornerstone.
• Begin training on mobile learning
o explore conferences dedicated to mobile learning
o explore embedded journalism to market Kornerstone
o Kornerstone will host a 2 day in-service with Judy Brown and experts from UW-
Madison's Games, Learning, & Society (GLS) department.
• Begin training of multiple intelligence theories
o 2 day in-service hosted by Barney Slowey and Jim Adams
• Begin training on incorporating Employability Traits into project assessments.
o Attempt to engage in a webinar with Dr. David Brewer, a professor at Cornell
University and expert in the field of creating authentic assessments for adults through
measuring 21st century skills.
• Develop professional resources and on-site library of above mentioned educational
practices/philosophies.
o acquire literature & peer reviewed studies
o establish a section on Kornerstone's website for the purpose of informing parents
and connecting Kimberly to the global community to further dialog and educational
practices
2011-2012 (Year 2)
• Further training on leadership model of choice, e.g.; servant leadership, collaborative
leadership, etc
o Attend leadership seminar
• Further training on PBL & SBL
o Parents, Students, KCS Staff & Governance will attend PBL Summer Immersion,
attend an innovative charter school, and attend the WCSA Conference.
• Deepen relationship with charter consultant
o Open Kornerstone for charter consultant to freely assess educational practices,
rigor of instruction, and staff competence.
• Finalize Community Mentorship Program Training Protocol
o Invite community mentor's to 'Boot Camp', conferences, governance board
meetings.
o Initiate community mentors by leading formalized training and laying out clear
expectations for conduct.
• Continue training on mobile learning
o explore conferences dedicated to mobile learning
o Participate in case study with GLS, PublicEarth, or another reputable
institution/company.
o Kornerstone will host a 2 day in-service with Judy Brown and experts from UW-
Madison's Games, Learning, & Society (GLS) department.
o Students, parents, KCS staff & governance board members will participate in
side-by-side training for utilizing 'smart phones' in the educational setting.
• Develop Kornerstone vernacular for incorporating multiple intelligence theories into the
classroom
• Further training on incorporating Employability Traits into project assessments.
o Host a town hall meeting and invite experts in the field of business and education
to analyze assessment methods
practices/philosophies.
o Acquire more literature & peer reviewed studies
o Continue to add to section on Kornerstone's website which will inform parents
and connect Kimberly to the global community in the purpose of furthering educational
practices and dialog
2012-2013 (Year 3)
• Establish leadership model
o Make parents and students aware of leadership style
o Document rationale behind leadership philosophies on Kornerstone website
• Continue training on PBL & SBL
o Parents, students, KCS Staff & Governance will attend host Summer Immersion,
• Continue relationship with charter consultant
rigor of instruction, and staff competence.
• Establish Kornerstone as a presence in PBL & SBL networks
o Collaborate with other PBL/SBL schools
o Lead dialog on issues, concerns, and observations in innovative learning
environments
• Analyze Community Mentorship Program Training Protocol
o Invite community mentor's to 'Boot Camp', conferences, governance board
meetings.
expectations for conduct.
o Provide community mentor's with a method for analyzing training and overall
impressions of Community Mentorship Program.
• Continue training on mobile learning
o Explore conferences dedicated to mobile learning. Arrange for parents, students,
and KCS Staff to share at a mobile learning conference
o Continue participation in case study with GLS, PublicEarth, or another reputable
institution/company
o Kornerstone will host a 2 day in-service with Google or other major mobile
learning device company
o Students, parents, KCS staff & governance board members will participate in
side-by-side training for utilizing 'smart phones' in the educational setting
• Further training on incorporating Employability Traits into project assessments.
o Host a town hall meeting and invite experts in the field of business and education
to discuss role of 21st century skills
• Continue development of professional resources and on-site library of above mentioned
educational practices/philosophies
o Continue adding to Kornerstone website and connect Kimberly to the global
community for the purpose of furthering educational practices and dialog
2013-2014 (Year 4)
• Go through substantial training to prepare staff to lead senior projects
o Visit Valley New School and other PBL schools to see how they formulate senior
projects
o Meet with charter school consultant to determine how to interweave service
learning and internship experiences into senior projects
• Implement student leadership model of choice -patterned after staff leadership
o Students and staff will attend leadership seminar
• Continue training on developments in PBL & SBL
o Parents, Students, KCS Staff & Governance will attend PBL Summer Immersion,
o Host an innovation summit with other area charter schools
o Senior Project Fair
• Deepen relationship with charter consultant
rigor of instruction, and staff competence
• Tweak Community Mentorship Program Training Protocol
o Host Discovery Days, and recruit business/community leaders into Kornerstone
o Invite community mentors to 'Boot Camp', conferences, governance board
meetings
expectations for conduct
o Provide literature to attract business leaders to become Community Mentors
• Begin training on emerging technology focus area (Guru driven)
• Develop Kornerstone vernacular for incorporating multiple intelligence theories into the
classroom
• Further training on incorporating Employability Traits into project assessments
o Host a town hall meeting. Invite experts in the field of business and education to
analyze assessment methods
practices/philosophies
o Continue to add to section on Kornerstone's website which will inform parents
and connect Kimberly to the global community in the purpose of furthering educational
practices and dialog
• Continue to innovate school day and school calendar
2014-2015 (Year 5)
• Spend 1 week at a charter school that utilizes service learning
• Spend 8-10 days throughout the year focusing on emerging technologies and placing new
tools into the hands of KCS students
• Attend national charter school conference for 1 week
• Continue training on incorporating Employability Traits into project assessments
o Host a summit. Invite experts in the field of business and education to analyze
assessment methods & engage in a discourse surrounding 21st Century skills.
c. Describe how the necessary training will be provided in each year for new
employees or employee transfers. It is essential that investments made in training
charter school staff to achieve innovation be maintained.
All new staff members will have to undergo an immersion week with a PBL institute such as
EdVisions. All new staff will also have to undergo service learning training with the Service Learning
Coordinator at DPI. With year round school leaving fewer days for professional development in the
summer, new employees shall be compensated for any professional development occurring outside of
the 198 contracted school days. The Governance Board shall determine the level of compensation.
During their six months of employment, all new staff members are expected to participate in at least
five webinars on their own time. They will report out their experience to other staff members in KCS.
All new employees are expected to find up to three conferences of choice to attend during their first
two years of teaching at KCS.
II Governance & Autonomy

1. Charter schools are exempt from state requirements regarding public education
unless specifically referred to in state statute. Identify which of these state exemptions
the school will take advantage of in order to maximize the flexibility afforded to charter
schools by state law. Please refer to the link to s. 115-121, Wis. Stats., in the resource
section of this application for specific statutory language.
Topic Statute Rationale / Comment

Year round school & provide
180 Day School Year S 121.02(1)(f)2 flexibility to meet Personalized
Learning Plans
Hours of Instruction S 121.02(1)(f)2 Student-directed Project Based
Learning & Service Based
Learning are not based on seat-
hours of instruction
State Graduation Requirements S 118.33(1)(a) School will accommodate for
students’ specific learning needs
KCS staff in conjunction with
Length of School Day S 121.12(15) Governance Board will determine
length of school day
2. Local school board policies may be waived for charter schools to provide maximum
autonomy and flexibility. Please identify school board policies that may be waived for
this charter school. This question does not apply to independent (2r) charter schools.
Whereas 'Principal', or 'appropriate administrators' appears in KASD Board Policies, 'KCS Teachers'
shall be substituted (Policies: 3120.09 - Volunteers; 3142 - Non-Renewal of Probationary Teachers;
3213 - Student Supervision and Welfare; 3217 - Dangerous Weapons; 3242 - Professional Growth
Requirements; 5330 - Use of Medications)
Topic Policy #
Board - District Administrator Relationship 1210
Independent Study 2370.01
Human Growth & Development 2414
Summer School 2440
Authorizing and Filling Positions; Employment of Prof. Staff, Selecting 3111, 3120, 3120.06,
Student Teachers, Employment of Casual Resource Personnel, Vacancies, 3120.07, 3132, 4120
Employment of Support Staff
Assignment and Transfer 3130
Reduction in Staff 3131
Staff Evaluation 3220
Creating a Position 4111
Assignment and Transfer 4130

Reporting of Progress 5421
Class Rank 5430
District Graduation Requirements 5460
Student Use of Electronic Devices 5512
Student Fundraising 5830
Purchasing 6320
Payment of Claims 6470
Gifts, Grants, and Bequests 7230
Community Use of School Facilities 7510
Use of Cell Phones and Other Data Devices by District Employees 7520
District Web Page 7540.02
Software Policy 7540.03
School Day 8220
Transportation 8600
Vending Machines 8540
Transportation by Private Vehicle 8660
3. Charter schools have a separate governance board that is legally able to contract
with the authorizer; has autonomy and control over charter school policies,
procedures, personnel, instructional programs and budget.
a. Describe your plans to establish an independent charter school governing board if
you have not done so.
KCS will have an operational Governance Board consisting of the following voting members: KCS
Staff, community members, parents, and a guru. Two non voting groups will also be a part of the
Governance Board, a student advisory council and a concigliere. Mike Rietveld has a lifetime
appointment as the KCS concigliere. His unique life experience as a life long Kimberly resident and
educator; as well as, his hand in the creation of Kornerstone, makes him an invaluable resource to the
formation and sustainability of a Governance Board. Due to his position as Kimberly High School
Principal, he shall not have a vote in any of the governance matters. However, his council will be
sought, and he shall always have a seat at the Governance Board as an advisor. The concigliere shall
also take back successful innovations and classroom practices from Kornerstone to other schools in the
Kimberly Area School District. The student advisory council will be made up of three KCS students.
Each student will be in a different grade level. The student advisory group shall be responsible for
raising funds that may be allocated to other students in KCS through the Student Activity Fund. The
student advisory group will work in conjunction with the Governance Board Chair to approve fund
requests made by KCS students. The students will also work closely with the Guru and be responsible
for implementing curriculum focus initiatives brought forth by the Guru.
For each voting KCS Staff member, there shall be one community member appointed to the
Governance Board. A 1:1 KCS staff to community member ratio must remain constant. The
Governance Board shall consist of at least 5 voting members but no more than 9. If a KCS staff
member or community member leaves the Governance Board, a replacement member shall be
appointed within 90 days of the vacancy. When replacing a community member, the replacement
member shall fulfill the remaining term. If replacing a staff member, the replacement board member
shall serve until a new KCS staff member is hired. Quorums, in which KCS staff is the majority, shall
not exist. A quorum may only occur if 51% of the voting members are not KCS staff. The Governance
Board Chair will always be a community member.
One parent of a past or present Kornerstone student shall also be elected to the Governance Board, and
serve a term not to exceed three years. Community members and parents shall serve a term of no longer
than three years. Community members may serve up to three consecutive terms. Community members
are elected by other governance board members. Community members and parents interested in serving
on the KCS Governance Board need to complete the necessary form no later than April 1. Elections to
the Governance Board coincide with the student lottery. Both of these events are held on the Tuesday
before May 30. New governance board members shall assume duties on July 1.
The role of Guru is filled by a specialist in the field of education. This position shall be appointed by
KCS staff and have a term of 2 years. A Guru can serve up to three terms in their lifetime; however,
consecutive terms served by the Guru are not encouraged. The Guru's duty is to bring constant
innovation to Kornerstone and challenge the practices of KCS Staff. Examples of Gurus include
university professors, experts in incorporating emerging technology, and governmental department
chairs. The Guru will have a vote in all Governance affairs. If the Guru does not reside in the Fox
Valley and is unable to physically or virtually attend the Governance Meetings, they are able to cast
their votes within 48 hours of the meeting (either before or after). If the Guru lives out of the area, they
will receive the meeting minutes within 3 hours of the end of the meeting. In this digital age,
geographic boundaries no longer prevent schools from having the guidance of experts.
b. Describe the authority this governing board will have to make decisions regarding
budgets, personnel, curriculum, charter school policies and the overall operation of
the charter school.
The Governance Board shall make budgetary decisions for all requested purchases. They shall approve
purchases on a monthly basis in a manner similar to the Board of Education for the Kimberly Area
School District. The Governance Board shall select personnel and staff to run Kornerstone Charter
School through the following procedure:
• All open full-time positions, stating required competencies, shall be posted to Kimberly
Area School District employees 72 hours before being posted to the general public. All KASD
employees will go through the process listed below.
• All completed applications will be turned in through WECAN,
www.kornerstonecharterschool.com, or can be turned in to the Kimberly Area School District
Administration Building.
• The Governance Board will select at least three candidates to interview. The Governance
Board will recommend two potential candidates to the Hiring Committee.
• The Hiring Committee will make the final decision for hiring staff members. The Hiring
Committee shall be made up of the School Board President, Governance Board President,
Superintendent or person delegated designated by the Superintendent, Kornerstone Teacher, and
principal (Mike Rietveld). At any point and time, Mike Rietveldthe principal may relinquish his
position on the Hiring Committee to another Governance Board member. He may turn over his
duties on the hiring committee to another Governance Board member on a case by case basis, or
indefinitely.
The Governance Board shall approve the curricular approaches used at Kornerstone. The Governance
Board will not make any day-to-day decisions regarding curriculum. That duty falls upon KCS staff.
The Governance Board will employ an independent evaluator to monitor the rigor and relevance of the
curriculum taught in KCS. The Governance Board will search for professional development
opportunities for KCS. The Governance Board will coordinate have responsibilities for fundraising.
The funds secured by the Governance Board will fund professional development, provide technology to
students, and assist in providing salary to KCS staff members for their work through the extended
school year. The Governance Board will create, implement, and amend all policies not laid forth in the
charter relating to running the school. The KASD Board of Education will have to approve any policies
relating to the physical school building.
The Governance Board shall exist as a Non-Profit/Non-Stock Corporation. The goal is to eventually
have 501 3c status in which Kornerstone can accept donations contributors can write off of their taxes.
With a super-majority vote of 80%, the Governance Board can update, alter, and re-create any part of
the master charter agreement.
c. Include a description of the administrative relationship between the charter school

and the authorizer and describe how the charter school will be managed.
Kornerstone will update the KASD Board of Education annually. As an instrument of the Kimberly
Area School District, Kornerstone has an obligation to increase students academic abilities.
Kornerstone students will participate in MAP testing at least twice per year. Students in Kornerstone
are subjected to all district wide and state mandated testing. The results of these tests are annually
reported to the KASD Board of Education. Any KASD administrator or school board member is
always welcomed to come and see the learning taking place at Kornerstone.
Kornerstone Charter School's Governance Board or its designee will be in charge of and govern the
school. Kornerstone's teachers are employees of the authorizer and responsible for leading and
directing the day-to-day operations of the charter school in accordance with the policies and procedures
set forth by the Governance Board. The Governance Board shall set policy and procedures aligned with
the vision and mission of Kornerstone Charter School and will determine its own budget, staffing, and
program evaluation. Kornerstone will follow all KASD financial and accounting policies and
procedures. An annual report including financial and program aspects of the charter school will be
submitted to the school board and available to the public each year.
d. Describe the specific training that will be provided to the charter board and when it
will be delivered, e.g. governing authority, Roberts Rules, finances/budgets, fund
raising, parent involvement etc
At least two of the initial Governance members will attend the Summer Immersion for Project Based
Learning at Valley New School. The entire Governance Board will go through extensive training in
order to become knowledgeable in Robert's Rules of Order, School Finance, Project Based Learning,
Service Learning, and school culture. At least once per year, the Governance Board will attend a
retreat. The retreat will consist of a two day conference in which the Governance Board will explore
pertinent issues to Kornerstone and become more knowledgeable regarding governance. An example
of an appropriate retreat would be attending the annual WCSA Conference.
III The Planning Process

1.Provide a chronological description of all charter planning activities completed prior
to the submission of this application.
April 2008-April 2009: Michael McCabe, Tom Krause, and Brad Klitzke attempted technology
innovations and inquiry learning in Kimberly High School and CORE Charter School.
April 2009 - Michael McCabe attended the WCSA Conference, and participated in the Technology
strand. Marcia Van Hout attended the Project Based Learning strand. Michael McCabe begins
discussions about a new charter school. He creates a working blueprint of a new charter school.
May 2009 - Kimberly High School teachers Emily McCabe, Brad Klitzke, Tom Krause, and Phil Yunk
provide insights into the development of the new school.
-Mr. Rietveld, KHS Principal, was approached about the concept of a new charter school. He was
supportive, and urged Michael McCabe to move forward with the planning.
June & July 2009 - Michael McCabe came up with name Quo Vadis (Latin for: 'where are you going'
or 'rise, and let us be on our way'. Brad Klitzke comes up with the name Kornerstone.
-Planning Team formed.
-The Charter Planning Grant was started as a Google Doc and opened up to the entire planning team.
August 2009 -
-Brad Klitzke and Michael McCabe attended an information session in Mid-August in Oshkosh. They
made contact with Barry Golden of DPI, and Steve DeMay from Valley New School. They were told
what to expect with the grant and creation of an innovative school. Barry placed a huge emphasis on
being innovative.
-Additional people invited to planning team, active members include: Mike Rietveld, Tom Krause,
Katie Heling, Brad Klitzke, Emily McCabe, and Michael McCabe.
-Planning team met every other week.
September & October 2009 -
-Michael McCabe spoke with Barry Golden and was told to get in touch with a charter consultant from
EdVisions.
-Michael McCabe contacted Aaron Grimm, a consultant from EdVisions.
-Mobile Learning expert Judy Brown attends Planning Team meeting.
-Meeting to inform the school board is set for November 23rd. Presentation for the board is created.
-Michael McCabe attends an immersion day at Valley New School on October 28th. Received great
information from staff and students. Michael McCabe met Aaron Grimm and spoke about an alliance
between Kornerstone and Edvisions.
November 23rd - Informing the school board- Michael McCabe and Brad Klitzke informed the school
board about plans for completing the Planning Grant. They told the school board they'd return in
March, seeking authorization. The school board was also invited to participate on the Kornerstone
Ning, which was set up in August 2009, to elicit feedback and facilitate discussions. A Ning is an
online social community. In this instance, the Ning is set up to encourage a dialog for a new charter
school.
December 2009- Four members of the planning team toured Valley New School.
-Heated discussions in planning team meetings lead to debates over structure of school day,
implementation of curriculum, open learning versus structured learning, degree of student choice in
curriculum, what is a credit and why do we need them if we're assessing employability and processes.
January 11th - Community Forum- A community forum was held at Kimberly High School. Over a
dozen community members attended. Barry Golden from DPI explained the basics of charter schools
and project based learning. Tom Krause and Michael McCabe led the forum with Barry Golden. The
event lasted for over three and half hours and several parents voiced their enthusiasm for the new
school. An email list of event participants was drafted and all attendees were invited to join the
planning teams website. The planning Team incorporated community feedback into ongoing dialog.
February & March -Planning team meetings continue on a bi-weekly basis
-Tom Krause and Michael McCabe attend Service Learning conference at DPI in Madison (March 3).
-Tom Krause and Michael McCabe go before the school board and gain authorization (March 8).
-Entire Planning Team attends WCSA Conference (March 22-23).
2. Provide a list of the names of the people involved in the planning process and their
role(s).
Michael McCabe - Lead Teacher CORE Charter School, Founder of Kornerstone & Planning Team
Chair; Tom Krause - KHS Social Studies Teacher, Co-Founder of Kornerstone; Brad Klitzke - KHS
Social Studies Teacher, major contributor to Kornerstone planning team; Mike Rietveld - KHS
Principal, Planning Team Member; Emily McCabe - KHS Art Teacher, Planning Team Member;
Marcia Van Hout - CORE Charter School Credit Recovery Coordinator, Planning Team Member; Phil
Yunk, KHS English Teacher, Planning Team Member; Katie Heling - KHS Science Teacher, Planning
Team Member; Billie Braeger - KHS Special Educator, Planning Team Member.
3.Provide a description of how parents and other members of the community have
been involved in the planning and design of the charter school.
On January 11th, 2010, over a dozen community members participated in a Community Forum. Tom
Krause, Michael McCabe, and Barry Golden presented an hour long synopsis of Kornerstone Charter
School. Mr. Golden informed the public about charter schools, validity of Project Based Learning, and
the relationship between KASD and the state of Wisconsin. Following the presentations by Tom
Krause, Michael McCabe, and Barry Golden, the people at the forum walked around the room and
posted their thoughts. Here is a list of the topics and questions presented to the people of Kimberly.
Their comments follow -
Community Involvement/ Businesses
Question: How do you see outside resources and members being a key part of the school? (Examples,
mentoring ideas, etc…)
i. Although I was a college-bound H.S. Senior, I did a co-op at a business that led to a job offer. Now I
am in medicine and job shadowing is essential to students exploring different fields.
ii. Community involvement is the key for those non traditional learning students. Helps explore what
they are curious about.
iii. Use existing organizations such as the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, etc…
School Building/ Set up (physical make-up)
Question: What would you like to see in a school for student first learning? (Do not worry about cost.
Brainstorm).
i. Non-traditional – take them where the learning can happen- outside the building.
ii. Ensure transportation to and from is covered.
iii. School with multiple settings within the building; kitchen, gym, lab, shop, etc…
Student skill sets/ needs
Question: What do you believe are key components which students should come out of school with?
i. Absolutely, they need critical thinking skills. To question and challenge best practices in a
constructive and cooperative way. Listening skills are essential to understanding problems and the
ability to provide feedback, both positive and negative. Arbitration and clear communication too.
ii. Knowing their strengths and weaknesses. How they learn best, since you never stop learning. They
can set goals and know how to achieve them.
iii. Accountability, good will, positive interpersonal skills.
Technology Integration/ ideas
Question: How should schools use 21st technologies to enhance student first learning?
i. Integrate technology into projects, present projects with technology of today, require technology to
be used in project work.
ii. My 5th grader is already using current technology in his traditional school; internet, PPT,
keyboarding skills. They need to understand limits, boundaries, inaccurate info, plagiarism, fraud,
etc…
iii. Work with FVTC to keep technology on the leading edge where business is and most schools and 4-
year colleges are behind.
iv. Stress to students that technology should not replace traditional reading.
School schedule/ day
Question: What are your thoughts on year-round schooling or a modified schedule? What benefits and
downfalls do you see to unique schedules?
i. Year round good with breaks. Daily schedule.
ii. Should recognize peak performance hours for teens.
iii. How would modified schedules affect co-curricular participation?
iv. Do all kids follow the same schedule?
v. Also affect summer only opportunities (for example Y Camp?)
vi. Year round is beneficial.
Catch All
Question: Other questions and concerns you may have? Ideas you would like to see investigated during
this process.
i. What about appreciation for the Arts and Literature? This will fit directly into the Project Based
Learning.
ii. A charter school also needs to emphasize health, happiness and positive interpersonal skills.
4. Provided a description of how parents and other members of the community will be
involved in the implementation of the charter school.
Parents and community members are an integral part of Kornerstone Charter School. Parents are
involved in creating their son or daughters Personalized Learning Plan (PLP). At least one parent will
serve on the Kornerstone Governance Board. There is a 1:1 community member to staff member ratio
on the Kornerstone Governance Board. Tom Krause and Michael McCabe will host over ten
discussions at various community settings in order to continue informing the community and gather
feedback. As our planning team expands, we will seek parents to help us set up the physical structure of
the school and participate in sub-groups within our Governance Board.
A key component of Kornerstone Charter School is the Community Mentorship Program. The
Community Mentorship Program works as such:
-At the beginning of Year 3 at Kornerstone (traditionally 10th grade), students will begin a quasi-
professional relationship with a community member who works in a field of interest to the student.
This community member will be known as the students 'Community Mentor'. The Community Mentor
is subject to a background check. They will have to undergo training.
-The Community Mentor will come into KCS regularly throughout the school year.
-The student will job shadow the community mentor during Year 3.
-During Year 4 (11th grade), the student will work with their Community Mentor on a project. The
Community Mentor will assume the advisory role for the student on the project.
-By the end of Year 4, the Community Mentor will assist in placing the student at an internship. The
internship will take place during the end of Year 4 or during Year 5.
-The Community Mentor will participate in the students Personalized Learning Plan during Year 4 & 5.
5. Describe how the district school board or chartering authority and the local
teachers association have been involved in the planning process.
In November, 2009, two members from the planning team (Michael McCabe & Brad Klitzke) informed
the KASD Board of Education. The school board received a packet of information describing the vision
of Kornerstone. The school board provided informal unanimous consent to proceed with the
completion of the planning grant. The school board asked several questions. During the first
informational meeting, the Board of Education was informed of two 'must have' issues with the new
charter school. In order to succeed, Kornerstone needs to be a stand alone school and not reside within
any currently existing schools. Secondly, in order to ensure sustainability, Kornerstone needs to get the
per pupil funding of its students. The money that would be funneled to Kimberly High School or JR
Gerritts Middle School for the student needs to flow towards Kornerstone Charter School. To ensure an
open dialog, the school board was invited to join the website that was set up by Michael McCabe. The
superintendent and high school principal are both members of the aforementioned website. The Board
of Education was invited to take part in the Community Forum on January 11th; however, the night
coincided with a board meeting. The school board was updated about the Community Forum and
charter planning progress in February, 2010. In March 2010, Michael McCabe and Tom Krause went to
the school board seeking authorization of the planning grant. In a 6-0 vote, the school board
unanimously voted to approve the submission of the planning grant for Kornerstone Charter School.
Brad Klitzke is a member of the planning team and he is the Vice-President of the Kimberly Education
Association. He's working with the teachers union to create a Memorandum of Understanding that will
protect teachers in charter school from reductions standard seniority language to better ensure
continuity of professional staff.
6. Outline the remaining planning work that needs to be accomplished to open your
school and to begin serving children by fall 2011. Please address facility and staffing
issues to the degree possible. Include a timeline for activity and planning processes.
Goal/Outcome Timeline Activity People Involved &

Responsible
Finalize Kornerstone May 2010 Bi-weekly planning team Planning Team Chairs
Vision & Mission – August meetings
2010
10/1/10 Draft charter school contract; Planning Team, School
have contract approved by Board, legal consul; KCS
School Board; Operational Governance Board
Governance Board
10/1/10 Establish Non-Profit Planning Team Chairs;
corporation as fiscal agent of School Board
Kornerstone
By 6/1/10 Draft & finalize policies and KCS Governance Board
procedures; parent and student
handbooks
Provide highly 3/1/11 Hire teachers (4), 2 by 11/1/10 KCS Governance Board;
qualified teachers and KCS Hiring Committee
other support
personnel
Develop curriculum 6/1/11 All planning year (2010-2011) KCS Governance Board;
and define professional development Planning Team Chairs
instructional activities
methodology
6/1/11 Visit other PBL & SL schools KCS Governance Board;
Planning Team Chairs
6/1/11 Identify instructional resources KCS Governance Board;
Director of Instruction;
KCS Staff
7/1/11 Develop Employability KCS Governance Board
benchmarks & Assessments
7/1/11 Develop Community KCS Governance Board;
Mentorship Program superintendent
Increase community 8/1/10 – Organize community KCS Staff & Governance
awareness and 7/15/11 informational meetings; Board
parental support for provide information in district
Kornerstone publications
12/1/10 Develop Website KCS Governance Board;
Planning Team Chair
1/10/11 Send out brochure to all 6-9 th
KCS Governance Board
grade parents in KASD
Ongoing Organize parent & student KCS Staff; KCS
informational meetings Governance Board
Ongoing Disseminate informational KCS Staff; KCS
pamphlet at Parent Teacher Governance Board
Conferences in October &
February
Develop charter 10/1/10 Secure space for charter school KASD School Board; KCS
school facility Governance Board
7/1/11 Identify and procure needed KCS Governance Board
equipment & resources
Enroll Students 11/1/10 Admission forms, procedures, KCS Governance Board
and applications finalized
1/1/11 – Accepted applications will be KCS Governance Board
7/30/11 notified
5/1/11 – Student Orientation KCS Staff
8/1/11
7/11/11 – Student PLP’s drafted KCS Staff, parents, and
8/1/11 students
Conferences & Ongoing Gain competence in PBL, SL, KCS Staff; KCS
Professional employability traits, Multiple Governance Board;
Development Intelligences, Mobile Learning, Community Mentors;
school finance, school culture, School Board Members,
charter school setup & District Administrators
sustainability, governance,
transition services, and
community involvement
Budget Training Ongoing Gain an understanding of KCS Staff, KCS
operating costs and financial Governance Board; KASD
management of a charter Business Manager
school
7. When school districts authorize charter schools and receive federal funding,
significant resources are invested in professional development during the initial three
years. Please describe efforts that will be undertaken to retain these teachers in the
charter school.
Kornerstone Charter School is teacher led. The creators of the charter school are the same people
charged with the task of educating the students, running the school, and sustaining an innovative
learning environment. The creators of the charter school understand their responsibilities associated
with beginning a new school. As long as the staff and governance of KCS operate a high quality school
and produces results, little cause for non-retention exists. During the planning year, the KCS planning
team will thoroughly investigate budgetary challenges. However, two large uncontrollables exacerbate
the situation surrounding the creation and formations of a new charter school. The first is building cost.
KCS will be in a stand alone site, and our largest budgetary expense outside of salary cost will be
building cost. The planning team is unable to secure a building until approval of the grant occurs. Thus,
current budget analysis are speculative. The second element associated with teacher retention is the
current budgetary crises faced all over the State of Wisconsin. The Kimberly Area School District is
demonstrating extraordinary leadership in these trying times by establishing an innovative learning
environment run by teachers. The fact that Kornerstone Charter School has gone from a vision and is
heading towards a reality is proof of effort undertaken to retain teachers. The planning team has been
provided with an opportunity to create a new school and see that school flourish from the ground up.
The MOU previously mentioned plainly establishes KCS staff will not be bumped out of their teaching
positions.
8. Document parent and community support for the proposed school. You may attach
up to three letters of support. These letters will not count as part of the 20 page limit.
****
IV Equal Access
1. Provide a description of how your plan will assure equal access for all students
regardless of gender, race, national origin, color, disability or age factors.
The Kornerstone Governance Board and Kimberly Area School District Board of Education will
collaboratively develop a recruitment plan consistent with the goal of achieving equal access for all
students in grades 8-12, regardless of gender, race, national origin, color, or disability. All students in
grades 8-12 in the Kimberly Area School District are eligible to attend Kornerstone Charter School. All
students and their families will be notified of the charter school application process and timeline
through the district newsletter that is mailed monthly, through the school district website, and through
mailings when funding permits.
2. Provide a description of how students with disabilities will be served

Kornerstone Charter School is open to all students. If the person attending KCS is a student with a
disability, she or he will receive their appropriate services identified in their Individualized Education
Plan (IEP). Before beginning the first day of classes at KCS, a student with disabilities will have an IEP
meeting in which the IEP team will discuss and determine the appropriateness of placement and
services in KCS. The IEP team will identify the supports needed to ensure student success. Every effort
will be made to involve the following participants at the IEP meeting preceding the students entrance
into KCS: Student, parent, special educator and regular education teacher from JR Gerritts Middle
School or Kimberly High School, KCS staff member, KCS Governance Board member.
The planning team wants to investigate the possibility of a KCS Governance Board Member serving in
the role of the Local Education Agency (LEA) representative. The Governance Board makes financial
decisions for KCS. A relationship between a student with disabilities and a member of the governance
board is vital to establishing need and cause for any expenses accrued per disability (examples include
assistive technology, transportation/building accommodations, etc). Service Learning (SBL) requires
students in KCS to actively participate in the community. During the Planning Grant year, the
Planning Team will thoroughly investigate any barriers, restrictions, or expenses that could possibly
arise due to the students disability level and SL. As permitted by state and federal laws, special
education services taking place in KCS will be charged to federal or state governmental agencies.
By Year 3 (10th grade) every effort will be made to have the student with disabilities complete the
majority of the Annual IEP. The student with disabilities shall be in charge of advocating for their
transition services (I-8), and completing the Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional
Performance (I-4). By Year 4 (11th grade), the student with disabilities will set up their Annual IEP
meeting and participate in completing the formal invitations (I-1, I-1T, I-3, EE-1, & P-2). By Year 5
(12th Grade), the student with disabilities shall complete their entire IEP. A KCS staff member or
KASD Special Education teacher will assist with the completion of the IEP as a part of a project.
During Year 4 & Year 5, the Annual IEP meeting will coincide with the students PLP creation meeting.
This will ensure inclusionary principles and allow students with disabilities to be a part of a common
planning time as their regular education peers. Innovation in the Individualized Education Plan could
lead to creating an inclusive community. Based on the demographics of other PBL schools in the Fox
Valley (Valley New School), the planning team of Kornerstone is anticipating at least 20% of the
student body will be made up of students with disabilities.
Upon entering Kornerstone, a KCS staff member will become the case manager of the student with
disabilities. With parental permission, the case manager will not have to posses any special education
licensure. Parents of the students with disabilities will determine if they are comfortable with
attempting innovative strategies seeking to improve student performance.
3. Provide a description of how students in the community will be informed about the
charter school and given an equal opportunity to attend
Prior to January 1st of each year, all parents of sixth through eighth graders in the KASD shall receive
literature regarding Kornerstone. Kornerstone representatives will hold information sessions at least
three times per year.
Informational meetings for parents and their students will be held in January or February. In addition,
school counselors will provide information on Kornerstone to students and their parents as applicable.
JR Gerritts Middle School, Kimberly High School, and the Administration Building will all have
applications for Kornerstone. No student will be denied an opportunity to complete an application.
When fair and appropriate, Kornerstone Charter School staff will assist students in completion of their
application. In order to keep clear communication and avoid perceived favoritism, any application
completed with KCS staff assistance will be sent to the superintendant of schools, and the Governance
Board.
4. Describe the admissions policy and any qualifications for admission that will be
established
5. Provide a description of a random lottery process to be implemented if more
students apply for admission than can be accommodated in the charter school
Kornerstone Charter School shall have an enrollment of no more than 45 students in grades 8,9, and 10
for the 2011-2012 school year. The enrollment period for the 2011-2012 school year will begin
December 1, 2010, and extend through July, 30,2011. In successive years the enrollment period will be
from January 1 - June 1.
In year 2 (2012-2013), KCS will expand its enrollment to 60 students and serve students in grades 8-
11. In year 3 (2013-2014), KCS will expand its enrollment by an additional 15 students and reach
capacity with 75 students in grades 8-12. In conjunction with the school board, the KCS governance
board will determine if the grade level or enrollment numbers require alterations. KCS staff may adjust
enrollment slots per grade level as necessary.
If the number of prospective student applicants exceeds the number of available enrollment slots, an
annual lottery shall ensue. The annual lottery will be held on the Tuesday preceding May 30th (if May
30th is a Tuesday, the lottery will be held on May 23rd). Completed applications must be turned in 72
hours before the lottery is held. Applicants exempt from the lottery process include siblings of KCS
students and children of KCS teachers (provided the number of children does not exceed 5% of the
total school enrollment). Exempt applicants will be granted 'prospective student' status and fill
available enrollment slots. The lottery is open to the public and facilitated by a KCS staff member and
governance board member. Names of applicants are blindly selected at random by a human. After all of
the available enrollment slots are filled, random selection proceeds until all names are selected to fill
the waiting list. Parents and students will receive notification of the results within 72 hours of lottery
completion. Upon parental notification, students are officially 'prospective students' in Kornerstone
Charter School.
Before gaining enrollment into KCS, all prospective students must complete an interest and aptitude
assessment (located on the Kornerstone website and available at Kornerstone Charter School). The
assessment measures the students strengths and weaknesses in their multiple intelligence area. The
assessment will also measure a students coachability. In order for a student to experience success in a
project/service based learning environment, they will have to be self reflective, able to handle critical
analysis, and be a team player. The student, a parent, and a former teacher will all complete the
assessment. Before successful enrollment into KCS, the student and parent will sit down with KCS
staff and go over the results of the assessment. Sticking to the spirit of a free, fair, and public school,
KCS staff will take measures to ensure the parent and student make the decision regarding entrance
into Kornerstone. If a parent feels they are being unjustly turned away from KCS, they may request a
grievance hearing with the KCS Governance Board. The District Administrator or representative of
KASD administration shall be invited to the meeting. A prospective student must complete the interest
and aptitude assessment within ten days of notification, or their enrollment slot shall be offered to the
next student on the waiting list.
After soliciting applications from students in the Kimberly Area School District, open enrollment
students per the Wisconsin Open Enrollment law will be considered if there are vacancies. If a vacant
enrollment slot does not exist, the student can participate in the May lottery and accept a place on the
waiting list.
V. The Budget
1. Describe the methods by which controls over expenditures and records of
expenditures will be maintained.
As an instrumentality of Kimberly Area School District, the charter school will follow all district
financial, accounting, auditing, and purchasing policies and procedures. The charter school will be
allocated funds, including federal discretionary funds and grants, in a manner consistent with other
district schools. Separate accounts will be set up for the Kornerstone Charter School under the control
of the charter governance or designee. An annual report including financial and program aspects of the
charter school will be submitted to the school board and available to the public each year.
Kornerstone Charter School will actively pursue applicable grants, donations, and fund-raising
activities. School district policies and accounting procedures will be followed for each of these
activities to assure appropriate monitoring and reporting.
As an instrument of the school district, Kornerstone Charter School and Kimberly Area School District
agree that all business functions, accounting, payroll, maintenance, and similar functions shall be
assumed by the district except the budgeted allocations shall be dispersed according to the charter
school governance board. Any grants or donations applied for and received by Kornerstone Charter
School shall be disbursed through the grant guidelines under the direction of the charter school
governance board.
As an instrumentality of the Kimberly Area School District, Kornerstone Charter School will fall under
the umbrella of the District’s liability insurance. The charter school will carry the types and limits of
liability insurance as is currently carried by the school district for all of its facilities. Upon the
establishment of KCS, there will be no change in the liability of KASD. The charter school will be an
instrumentality of the District. As such, it will be provided the same services as all other Kimberly
Area School District schools in regard to teacher salaries, facilities, and maintenance. Federal funds
will be allocated to the charter school at the same proportion as all other Kimberly Area School District
schools.
2. Provide a list of itemized expenditures and a budget narrative which provides a

rationale for why the expenses are necessary. This list should be consistent with the
Local Plan For Use of Discretionary Funds, but should offer greater detail including
specific items and the cost of items that will be purchased.
Budgeted
Activity Rational/Explanation
Amount
Draft charter school
contract, and
$5000 Legal Fees
have school board
approve master contract
Set up wireless internet
signal and point to point
$25,000 Connectivity in KCS is a necessity
link for new school
building
EdVisions technical $30,000 Provide assistance with set up and running PBL school, facilitate
assistance package on-site visits to EdVisions Schools (Minnesota New Country School
in Henderson, MN, Northwoods Community School in
Rhinnelander, WI, & VNS in Appleton, WI).
Project Foundry $3,500 Necessary to maintain records in a PBL school
Price includes cost of conferences detailed in section H above,
Conferences, In-service,
$30,000 travel expenses, cost of substitute teachers, and bringing specialist
Professional Development
to KCS for In-service.
Publications & brochures
10 meetings, $200 in cost per meeting (Handbook, application,
for community $2,000
school calendar, brochures, food)
informational meetings
Extended Time $6,000 Create policies, admission forms, finalize master charter, hold
informational meetings, and attend conferences outside of regular
school year (300 hours at $20 and hour).
50 netbooks (w/extra battery, 2 year warranty, & virus protection) at
Netbooks, Laptops, and
$41,000 $600 each; 10 laptops at $1000 each; 1 mobile printing stations at
Printing Station
$1000.
Work Spaces $22,500 8 ‘dogbone’ desks & chairs at $2500 per set; 1 conference tables at
$500 each, 4 teacher stations at $500 each
Professional Resource $5,000 Necessary to accumulate information regarding PBL & SBL
Library
Traveling expenses $3,000 Gas, lodging, and food, for visits to charter schools mentioned
above
Consultant Fees $2,000 Build a website for Kornerstone, 100 hours at $20 an hour; Create a
video for attracting parents & students, $2,500
3. Provide a plan on how the school’s innovative offerings including professional

development will be sustained and continued after the charter school grant expires.
Per Pupil allocations for expenses consistent with other schools in the district will enable Kornerstone
Charter School to continually offer a strong innovative instructional program after the school grant
expires. The Kimberly Area School District has made a commitment to allow per pupil monies to flow
to the charter school at a corresponding ratio to the number of students enrolled in KCS. As long as the
State of Wisconsin continues to provide adequate money to KASD, Kornerstone will be sustainable.
As an instrumentality of KASD, salary and building expenses shall be subtracted from the per pupil
money. The remaining funds shall be allocated to the Kornerstone Governance Board. The governance
board will have control and discretion regarding purchases and expenditures for KCS. When the initial
grant funds run out after the 2013-2014 school year, KCS is anticipating an enrollment of 75 students
in grades 8-12. Subtracting salary and building costs, the planning team has deduced the remaining
budget will be $155,000 a year. This number is calculated by multiplying the per pupil money by the
number of students ($645,000; 65 KASD students & 10 open enrollment students), and subtracting the
salary of five full-time teachers, and a support staff ($340,000). Further, the estimated annual building
cost ($150,000) also needs to be subtracted from the per pupil money. It is estimated that staff raises in
salary will erode the annual budget by $10,000 annually. The Kornerstone Governance Board shall be
responsible for reporting out all financial expenditures quarterly.
In order to pay for professional development and update technology long term, the planning team will
investigate the possibility of establishing an endowment fund. Kornerstone Governance Board will
establish itself as a non-profit/non-stock corporation. The planning team will investigate the possibility
of setting up an endowment fund as an arm of the non-profit corporation. The goal of the endowment
fund will be to receive donations and accumulate up to $500,000-$1,000,000 in donations. The interest
drawn off of the money accumulated in the endowment fund will finance professional development and
technology. This practice has been adopted by the Appleton Area School District and yielded positive
results.
[1] http://www.valleynewschool.com
http://www.newcountryschool.com/
http://www.instituteofplay.com/node/103
[2] Dr. David Brewer - Program Lead, Employment and Disability Institute; Cornell University.
[3] Adapted from: http://situativity.org

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I The Charter School Vision for Innovation

c. Include a Vision or Mission Statement

Kornerstone places an emphasis on reading skills by empowering students to engage in their

Year Two (2012-2013)

Year Three (2013-2014)

4. Describe the charter school’s four-year professional development plan by answering

b. Provide a five-year professional/curriculum development plan on how you intend

II Governance & Autonomy

Topic Statute Rationale / Comment

Assignment and Transfer 4130

c. Include a description of the administrative relationship between the charter school

III The Planning Process

Goal/Outcome Timeline Activity People Involved &

2. Provide a description of how students with disabilities will be served

2. Provide a list of itemized expenditures and a budget narrative which provides a

3. Provide a plan on how the school’s innovative offerings including professional

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