This week, we are excited to profile the extraordinary Chamomile Nusz, charter school program consultant for the Wisconsin Resource Center for Charter Schools (WRCCS) and owner and educational consultant for Circle Education LLC.
Living in a small rural community in central Wisconsin, Chamomile Nusz began her journey into charter schools because she was looking for a school for her children. There were traditional public schools, parochial schools, and very few alternatives.
With two young, neurodiverse children, Chamomile formed a local moms group to explore alternatives. She knew homeschooling wasn’t for her, but didn’t know what other options there were. This grassroots approach quickly evolved into action. Chamomile dove into research, visiting schools, and engaging with the Wisconsin Department of Instruction.
From Mom to School Founder
Before pivoting into education, Chamomile was the executive director of a renewable energy cooperative.
“I kind of already had it in me, like, all right, I know I can do hard things,” said Chamomile. “I can figure out this thing that I haven’t done before.”
Chamomile’s undergraduate studies were in women’s studies and dance, not education, but she dove in headfirst, exploring models from one-room schoolhouses and larger charter schools. Chamomile attended a Waldorf school in the 1980s started by her parents and other community members. She wrote her first grant, securing a planning year that laid the foundation for Tomorrow River Community Charter Schools.
Founded in 2012, the school became the first charter school in the Tomorrow River School District and Wisconsin’s first public Waldorf charter school. The Waldorf methodology is based on Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy that learning should nurture the whole child through a balance of academics, arts and practical activities.
Building Innovative Schools
Chamomile’s work expanded. She served as the founder, design team member, planning grant coordinator, school coordinator and executive director of Tomorrow River Community Charter Schools.
Under her direction, the elementary, middle and virtual schools have received multiple certifications and grants, including the prestigious U.S. Department of Education’s National Green Ribbon Schools Award. As executive director, she helped to grow the school from just under 50 students in its first year to over 260 students in its ninth year.
“Being a public Waldorf school, we were drawing people from all over the United States and some even from overseas,” said Chamomile. “To be able to access that type of education for free is a pretty desirable thing for families.”
Alongside opening schools, Chamomile pursued higher education, earning her master’s degree in education, and is now working toward a doctorate in education and education sustainability. Chamomile emphasizes the need for choice in rural education.
After leaving the role as executive director of TRCCS, Chamomile supported the launch of two new charter schools, co-founding Central Sands Community High School and consulting for Fremont STEM Academy.
“Every child doesn’t learn the same,” said Chamomile. “So how can we create educational options for students so they can be successful in their learning?”
Redefining Leadership
Chamomile’s approach to leadership is as innovative as her schools. From the beginning, she rejected the traditional top-down model in favor of a leadership philosophy centered on collaboration.
“We wanted to figure out what was a collaborative leadership style where everyone had an opportunity for their voice to be heard,” she said.
To teach her school community leadership, she brought in Quakers to teach consensus decision-making, creating a culture where everyone participates meaningfully.
“When people feel like their voice is heard, their investment in a school is incredibly different than if you’re just a teacher in a traditional public school,” she said.
Chamomile’s research now explores distributed leadership. This philosophy has produced tangible results: everyone carries responsibility in a small, rural school where staffing is lean. For her, the answer lies in collaboration, commitment, and a shared vision.
In a small school, she asks, “How do we distribute those responsibilities, so all the weight doesn’t land on one person as our own school district?”
Chamomile notes that strong professional development and shared responsibility drive retention. The school has created a teacher training program on-site and, by investing in staff, has seen teachers stay year after year.
“You’re creating a community for the students, a community for the faculty, a community for the parents,” she said. “People like that. People want community. And when you can create those spaces, you don’t want to leave.”
Supporting the Charter Environment
Chamomile’s impact extends beyond her schools. She has worked with the Alliance for Public Waldorf Education and the Wisconsin Resource Center for Charter Schools (WRCCS), supporting the development of high-performing charter schools throughout Wisconsin and creating free and downloadable resources like membership processes, governance, and school management resources. In 2021, Chamomile received the Oscar Neale Fellowship from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
She also advocates for independent chartering in Wisconsin, serving on the board for the Wisconsin Independent Charter School Advocates.
“Until just a few years ago, the only way you could charter was through a school district,” said Chamomile. “It’s impossible to actually be a charter school or have autonomy within the confines of having to be chartered through a school district.”
Even with new options, she notes that the challenge for rural schools are the quantity of not only students, but also people. Small rural schools face low population densities, and rigid grant or funding requirements make creating and sustaining schools with fewer students challenging.
“We need to keep changing so we can continue to meet students where they’re at. Flexibility and flexible thinking are critical,” she said. “As soon as we get into rigidity, we no longer are in a space of innovation. You come into a room with an idea, be open to everyone else’s ideas, and hope that a new, unique idea that no one came in with is the winner—something you could never have thought of on your own.”
Through vision, persistence, and collaboration, Chamomile continues to redefine what rural charter school education can look like. Her work demonstrates that innovative schools can flourish even in small, underserved communities and open possibilities for every child.