CharterSAFE Mission and History

CharterSAFE is a non-profit risk-sharing pool providing a comprehensive insurance and risk management program to independent charter schools in California. Created in 2004 by charter school leaders seeking a more affordable and reliable option for insurance and safety, CharterSAFE currently serves over 850 school sites throughout California.

CharterSAFE's members are its owners. Members hold a proportional share of the CharterSAFE cash surplus and can participate in future distribution of equity in the form of cash dividends or reductions in premium. Members also elect the CharterSAFE board of directors from a pool of nominees, all of whom are leaders in the charter school movement.

CharterSAFE's mission is to provide our charter school members with a strong understanding of school hazards and approach to risk management. We believe that a safe and secure learning environment allows member schools to focus on and dedicate its resources toward empowering students through education.


Towards that goal, CharterSAFE has focused on three aspects of school risk financing and risk management.

  • Comprehensive Property & Casualty Insurance Program: CharterSAFE created a comprehensive insurance program to ensure that our member schools are properly covered for all of the exposures in operating a quality school. CharterSAFE writes its own manuscript insurance coverage form (Memorandum of Coverage) to ensure that our coverage is tailored to the needs of charter schools in California. We review both our insurance program and coverage form annually to ensure it adequately encompasses trending innovations or losses in the charter school movement.
  • Complimentary Member Services: CharterSAFE strongly believes that the best way to keep schools safe is to proactively help our members manage their risks and prevent losses. Our risk management team actively seeks to educate our members on best practices for safety and risk management, including HR consulting, site inspections, contract reviews, waiver templates, and more.
  • Proactive Hands-On Claims Management: The best way to ensure a claim is well-managed is to actively participate in the claims process. CharterSAFE's claims team is at the table from the time a member notifies us of a possible claim through the creation of a litigation plan and budget and will attend mediations and hearings as a strong advocate for our charter school members.

As a public entity that serves its member schools, CharterSAFE is in a unique position to support member schools in their unique curricula and educational goals. Please let us know how we can help your school!

Our Team

CharterSAFE Statement in Solidarity Resources

June 5, 2020

 

Humanity is humanity. We have to protect all humanity, and if any part of humanity is in peril, all of humanity is in peril. Right now in America black lives are needlessly and violently lost. Black lives, and black livelihoods, matter. From systemic racism to violent murders, it is our collective responsibility to demand justice and change. While this week has been a hard discourse for some, this is the daily reality for the African American community. Educating the next generation is crucial in this fight for justice, and we thank our members for your frontline work in the battle against racial discrimination, internalization, and discourse. Here at CharterSAFE, we would like to do our part as well to support your endeavors as a partner. Three of CharterSAFE’s core values are to:
  • Proceed with heart to make decisions with integrity and care;
  • Be accountable to one another in providing realistic and timely resources and solutions; and
  • Channel positivity into action by pushing the work forward and building upon one another’s strength.
It is in this spirit that CharterSAFE would like to provide the free resources listed below for those of our members and wider community grappling with what allyship means, how to gain deeper understanding of the racial issues in America, and what to do in support: Additionally, Meg Palisoc, a prominent Los Angeles charter school leader collected a list of 10 K-12 resources on race, riots, equity, and trauma. The list is shared below:

And finally, if your school has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that can provide mental health resources, please remind staff of the program and provide contact information. If your school experienced property damage resulting from the violence in the last week, please file a claim on our website at www.chartersafe.org.

The CharterSAFE board and team would like to express our solidarity with the African American Community. We will work to be an active ally to the African American community and a partner to our members who are doing the hard work of educating our youth. Whether it is simply to ideate, creating a policy, or implementing a program, please do not hesitate to reach out to the CharterSAFE team if you need any support surrounding the safety of your school community.

In Solidarity,
The CharterSAFE Board Governance Committee, representing The CharterSAFE Board and Team

Signed:

Thuy Wong, President and CEO
Walter Wallace, Chairman of the Board
Irene Sumida, Vice-Chair of the Board
Yvette King-Berg, Board Member

CharterSAFE has been invaluable to ICEF, especially in the area of HR risk mitigation. The guidance, expertise and support of the JPA staff have allowed us to drastically reduce our exposure to the many risks associated with running public schools. Furthermore, their detailed efforts to help with our processes, procedures, employee handbooks and even some hiring decisions have significantly improved our risk management.

– Parker Hudnut, Chief Executive Officer, ICEF Public Schools

Effectiveness and efficiency is a high priority for our HR Department, so when CharterSAFE sent HR professional Sharon Stull, J.D. to offer professional guidance and HR expertise to conduct an internal audit for us, we jumped on it. Her audit helped strengthen our organizations overall HR management, while also validating our areas of strength. Sharon even offered her assistance in management level training.

– Rick Piercy, Chief Executive Officer, Lewis Center for Educational Research

As a director of an independent charter school, I find that CharterSAFE provides exceptional services. We have used CharterSAFE for over 6 years and we find that the CharterSAFE staff is friendly and helpful, and responds immediately to our questions and needs. They are extremely competitive on their prices and I would highly recommend CharterSAFE to any charter school administrator who wants insurance coverage for their school without any of the headaches!

– Roger Coy, School Director, Three Rivers Charter School