Kristen McCaw, the incoming Board Chair of CharterFolk and Co-Founder of Seminar, shares her commitment to advocacy in the charter school movement. Drawing from her extensive leadership experience, she emphasizes the importance of community and innovation amidst challenges. McCaw invites contributions to strengthen the sector and enhance collaboration among leaders.
Emilio Pack, CEO of STEM Prep Schools and outgoing Board Chair of CharterFolk, reflects on his impactful journey within the organization. He emphasizes the importance of educational equity and the resilient community formed through shared values. Celebrating achievements and collaborative spirit, he expresses gratitude and optimism for the future under incoming leadership.
Joe Nathan’s column honors Eugene Piccolo, a key figure in Minnesota’s charter school movement, who passed away in February. Piccolo’s advocacy for students, legislative successes, and emphasis on accountability, innovation, and diversity profoundly impacted education in Minnesota. His legacy includes improved educational opportunities and fostering leadership among others in the field.
Raj Thakkar, Founder & CEO of Charter School Business Management, emphasizes the critical need for financial education in charter schools. His book, fiscally seCURE, provides strategies to combat financial mismanagement, offering 10 CUREs and 50 Remedies. It aims to empower stakeholders with essential financial management knowledge to enhance charter school operations.
Mike McGregor, COO of the Equitable Facilities Fund (EFF), highlights the challenges of charter school facilities and presents EFF’s model, inspired by the EPA’s funding approach, which has allocated over $1.2 billion in financing to support schools. The newly launched Nevada Facilities Fund exemplifies successful collaboration for enhancing public education through affordable facilities.
Naomi Rubin DeVeaux and Dr. Jim Goenner emphasize the importance of balancing innovation, flexibility, and accountability in charter school authorizing. They highlight the challenges faced by authorizers in making significant decisions affecting schools and advocate for a community-driven approach known as A-GAME, focused on improving educational outcomes through meaningful accountability rather than traditional metrics alone.
Alan Washington, President of Charter Schools Development Corporation, emphasizes the urgent need for improved funding for charter school facilities to support underserved communities. He calls for collective advocacy at federal, state, and local levels, championing actions that can secure equitable access and ownership of real estate, essential for long-term sustainability of charter schools.
Subira Gordon, CEO of the Nashville Charter Collaborative, reflects on her journey from Jamaica to advocating for charter schools. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on excellence, supporting school leaders, increasing visibility of charter schools, and mastering regulatory processes. Gordon stresses that political challenges shouldn’t hinder progress in education advocacy.
Sebastian Cognetta, CEO of Allegiance STEAM Academy, emphasizes the importance of balancing expertise and innovation in education. With a commitment to fostering collaboration and recognizing staff contributions, the Academy boasts a high teacher retention rate. They continue to advocate for school choice while facing challenges from competitive salaries and anti-charter sentiments.
William Hill, Executive Director of Rocketship Tennessee, shares insights on educational equity and leadership in Nashville. He recounts former Mayor Karl Dean’s efforts to integrate high-quality charter schools into Metro Nashville Public Schools, highlighting challenges faced by charter operators amid political tensions. Despite setbacks, Rocketship Nashville successfully appealed to continue operating, emphasizing the need for fair educational opportunities.