What Authorizers Expect (or Should) of Charter School Governing Boards
Behind most charter school revocations, nonrenewals, voluntary closures, and other serious school problems are failures of governance. Behind many failures of charter school governance are inadequate attention to and engagement with governing boards by their authorizers. Responsible authorizer engagement with governing boards can help protect the school, improve school-authorizer relationships and build trust, and lead to improved school performance—without compromising the school’s autonomy.
This session hosted by the CDE-supported Charter Authorizer Support Initiative (CASI) will review the basic legal requirements for a charter school’s governing board and the authorizer’s related oversight responsibilities. Beyond legal requirements, the session will explain other reasonable expectations and suggestions that authorizers may have of school governance and of the authorizer’s engagement with the governing board—in the self-interest of the school and governing board, mutual trust in authorizer relations, and school performance for students.
In small groups and then reporting out, participants will hear about one another’s current practices and ideas for charter school governance and authorizer relations and explore additional ideas. Participants should come away with a checklist of things about the governing board and its relations with its authorizer to take home and look into and consider.
Presented by
Angela Fernandez
Coordinator III
Los Angeles County Office of Education
Angela Fernandez serves as Program Coordinator III at the Los Angeles County Office of Education, where she oversees charter school compliance, renewal, and performance across LA County. With a career spanning both corporate and educational sectors, she brings deep expertise in strategic oversight, stakeholder engagement, and program implementation. Angela began in global training with firms like Mattel and Herbalife before transitioning into education, where she led Migrant Education efforts and spearheaded initiatives in parent engagement, mental health, and cultural proficiency. She holds a B.S. in Business Management, an M.A. in Education, and multiple teaching and administrative credentials. A systems thinker with a passion for equity, she is dedicated to supporting school leaders and ensuring high-quality educational options for all students.
Darryl Brown
LACOE
Indra Ciccarelli
Director II
CASI and LACOE
Indra Ciccarelli is an accomplished educator with 25 years of experience in education, with a focus on special education and at-promise youth. He has worked within a wide range of educational settings, including large public school districts, large and small conversion and start-ups, and dependent and independent charter schools. He currently works as the director for the Charter School Office for the Los Angeles County Office of Education
