Today, we are honored to share the extraordinary story of Arthur Samuels, Co-founder and Executive Director of Math, Engineering, Science Academy (MESA) Charter High School in Brooklyn. If you have been in the charter school movement long enough, you may know Arthur Samuels as a founding member of the rap group, Charta Squad. In 2009,
Today, we are honored to profile the extraordinary Dr. Benjamin Merrill, Executive Director and Principal of Meridian Medial Arts Charter High School in Meridian, Idaho. Dr. Benjamin Merrill spent most of his early professional career driven by the desire to prove that his upbringing did not define him. Today, he focuses on building the school
Today, we are honored to introduce you to the extraordinary Christina Yi-Perry, Founder of Kwenda Collegiate Girls in Brooklyn, NY. On August 31, the inaugural kindergarten class of girls skipped through the doors of Kwenda Collegiate Girls. When first graders joined them on September 2, the school welcomed 120 students in all, beginning the creation
Today, we are excited to share the story of the extraordinary artist and leader Dr. Allison Roberts, CEO and Superintendent of Arkansas Arts Academy A lifelong multimedia artist, Dr. Allison Roberts rarely limits herself to a single medium. She says painting, clay, fiber arts, mixed media, and textiles all find their way into her pieces.
We are thrilled to introduce you to the extraordinary Executive Director of BELIEVE Middle College Tanesia Simmons. On the wall of Tanesia Simmons’ office hangs an unusual collection of credentials. Alongside her bachelor’s degree from DePaul University and her master’s degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of Houston, she holds a cosmetology license. For Tanesia,
Today, we are honored to profile the extraordinary Vanessa Garza, Executive Director, Girls Athletic Leadership School Los Angeles. Before math class even begins at Girls Athletic Leadership School Los Angeles (GALS LA), students are already moving. Some stretch into yoga poses, while others run laps or join a Zumba session. The activity isn’t a break
Today, we are honored to profile Dr. Zachary McComsey, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The Legacy Institute in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Colorado League of Charter Schools recently honored Zach McComsey with a Lifetime Achievement Award, not just for founding a single high-performing school or launching a successful non-profit, but for more than two decades spent expanding opportunities for families.
Greetings, Charterfolk! We are proud to announce the 2026 Brian’s Voice Award winners! Please join us in congratulating this year’s honorees— three extraordinary individuals whose stories moved us, challenged us, and reminded us of what’s possible when we speak with courage and purpose. Dr. Fatih Bogrek, Superintendent of LISA Academy Adkeem Jackson, the Senior Director of
Today, we are proud to profile the extraordinary charter leader, Sean Stalling, Executive Director, DeLaSalle High School in Kansas City, MO. Sean Stalling says he is going to write a book about baseball. Not just about the game, which he loves, but also about the mechanics of baseball and how they mirror teaching. In the
Today, we are honored to profile Elimane Mbengue, the extraordinary Superintendent at Académie Lafayette Public Charter Schools in Kansas City, Missouri. No water. No electricity. Just more than 50 curious first-graders in a mud-hut classroom and a young teacher fulfilling his childhood dream. This is how Elimane Mbengue started his teaching career in a rural