Today, we are thrilled to profile the extraordinary Teren Shaffer, President and CEO of the Orange County School of the Arts.
Teren Shaffer always imagined himself standing at the front of an orchestra with a baton in his hand. A musician from a young age, Teren was raised by a father who had been a professional musician. He went on to study music in college and graduate school with the dream of becoming an orchestral conductor.
A career in education was never part of the plan until a friend called him while he was between gigs to share that the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) was looking to hire someone to conduct one of their ensembles.
Conducting Futures
The role was supposed to be a temporary way to fill time between professional gigs. Teren wasn’t convinced until his friend sent a video.
Teren watched OCSA’s symphony orchestra performing at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The level of musicianship stunned him. These weren’t just students casually participating in music class— they were performing with precision and intensity.
“My jaw hit the floor, and I was like, what the hell is this place?” he said. “Like, how are these kids? And by the way, how did I not know that it had existed, having grown up in Southern California?”
Intrigued and inspired, Teren accepted the part-time role as Music Director and Conductor of the internationally acclaimed Frederick Fennell Wind Ensemble. He quickly discovered he had not only a knack for teaching but a genuine love for it.
He led the ensemble to become a finalist in the American Prize for the Wind Ensemble.
Striking a Chord
Teaching struck a chord with him. At OCSA, Teren was attracted to the dual mission of rigorous college-prep academics and pre-professional arts training. OCSA offers its students a rare environment: Arts isn’t treated just as enrichment, and academics aren’t sacrificed.
“It’s a rigorous college preparatory academic program that’s partnered with pre-professional arts training,” said Teren. “It’s truly a dual mission. It’s not one or the other, it’s both.”
One role led to another; Teren was promoted to Director of Instrumental Music Conservatory, then to Dean of Arts, and later served as Executive Vice President of the OCSA Foundation.
Along the way, he received the Kennedy Center’s Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award, the Arts Schools Network Dr. Denise Davis-Cotton Emerging Leader Award, Stanford University’s Exceptional Teaching Award, and the Orange County Department of Education’s Outstanding Arts Educator.
In 2021, after a decade in multiple roles at the school, Teren became the President and CEO of OCSA and the President of the California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley Foundation (CSArts-SGV).
Today, OCSA and CSArts-SGV are both nationally recognized public charter schools, known for their rigorous academic education and pre-professional arts training for 3,500 students in grades 7-12.
Leading with Artists in Mnd
One of Teren’s core beliefs is the importance of working professionals in the classroom.
“There is a difference between somebody who works as a professional ceramicist or a professional violinist and can bring that work into the classroom than somebody who is teaching exclusively,” he said. “That lived professional experience matters.”
That philosophy extends beyond the arts.
“Hiring highly qualified teachers makes a tremendous difference,” Teren said. “People who understand the brain of an artist, the motivations of an artist, I think enables them to embrace and support students who come to learning perhaps differently. It enables our students to be in an environment where they can truly thrive academically, too.”
Culture of Belonging
Ask Teren what truly sets OCSA apart, he points to three defining elements.
First, the school’s unwavering commitment to its dual mission of rigorous academics and pre-professional arts training. OCSA is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s top schools for both arts and academics.
Second is culture. For many students, OCSA is the first place they have been fully seen and supported. Walk the campus for just a few minutes, Teren says, and it becomes clear that this is a community that brings together students who may not have felt at home elsewhere.
“Above all else, this is a safe and nurturing environment,” he says. “Students are encouraged to take risks, follow their passion, and show up authentically as themselves.”
The third defining element is value. What OCSA offers would typically be accessible only through a costly private education. As a public charter school, OCSA provides that level of conservatory program through public funding, supplemented by philanthropy, ensuring access for students from all backgrounds.
“That accessibility is core to the charter model,” said Teren. “Families have choice, and students with passion for the arts have opportunity.”
Teren is excited about expanding professional pathways for students, particularly through internships and mentorships with working artists across disciplines. He envisions a future where students not only learn from professionals but also actively participate in the industry, gaining real-world experience that opens multiple postsecondary options, whether that means college, conservatory, or direct entry into creative fields.
Lessons Learned
Teren’s leadership faced its greatest test during a prolonged and highly public legal battle between OCSA and its former authorizer, the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) over special education funding.
The dispute originated in 2019, when SAUSD abruptly demanded nearly $20 million from OCSA for alleged special education service costs dating back over 20 years, despite the school’s charter clearly outlining how services and costs were to be shared.
OCSA maintained that SAUSD had provided minimal services while retaining more than $11 million in funding over two decades, and that the sudden $19.5 million invoice, delivered with just 30 days’ notice, would have rendered the school financially insolvent.
After nearly six years of litigation and multiple failed mediation attempts, the parties reached an $8.55 million settlement resolving the dispute.
From this experience, Teren learned big lessons. Charter schools must stay visible, engaged, and present. Relationships matter.
“Relationships matter, and it is incumbent upon a charter school and charter school leaders to continue to be in the consciousness and visibility of the community and those key decision makers,” said Teren. “And stewarding relationships with their authorizer. That’s crucial.”
Leading through Relationships
“I learned that the power of community matters when you’re in your hardest day,” said Teren. “Never to underestimate how much people care about a school and that you can and should rely on the support of your community.”
He also learned the importance of stewarding relationships, especially with authorizers and elected officials. OCSA is now a member of the California Charter Schools Association.
In 2025, CCSA recognized OCSA teacher Nancy Alcalá as Regional Teacher of the Year – Southern California.
“A laissez-faire approach with an authorizer might feel desirable when you don’t continue to work, to stay in their consciousness, to be meeting with them, to be spending time with them, to be building relationships with your elected officials and things like that,” he said. “I think sometimes it can come back to bite you.”
Looking Forward
With the legal dispute behind them, Teren is focused on guiding OCSA into its next chapter, and despite the demands of leadership, Teren remains a conductor at heart. A few times each year, he returns to the podium to conduct school performances and connect with his love of music.
Whether students go on to careers in the arts, science, or business, Teren believes that the habits developed through the arts of creativity, empathy, and resilience will serve them for life.
“We need creative, innovative thinkers,” he said. “That’s what the arts cultivate.”