Charter Renewal Unfiltered: Lessons from the Front Lines
Renewal is one of the most consequential processes a charter school faces, and no two renewals look alike. This session's candid panel brings together two charter school attorneys and four charter leaders from across California, representing a large multi-school operator in three regions, a countywide network, an LAUSD network, and a San Diego operator running both classroom- and nonclassroom-based schools. There has never been a session quite like it. Together, they will tackle the issues that matter most right now: building and maintaining authorizer relationships before and during renewal; understanding oversight and accountability trends and what they signal for your petition; navigating renewal data, including how to make a compelling case when first-glance numbers look tough; legal updates on petition drafting; pushing back when the appeal standard feels hopeless; and the hard conversation no one wants to have—when closing or merging a school is the right call, and how to make that decision. Panelists will discuss how renewal requirements and challenges can differ across contexts while highlighting approaches that have helped their organizations achieve positive outcomes. Participants will leave with real strategies for every stage of the renewal process. Bring questions, from building community support to getting on the same page with authorizers, and expect an honest conversation that includes not only success stories, but also cautionary tales and “what we wish we had known” moments that can help schools avoid costly pitfalls and strengthen their path to renewal.
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Presented by
Andrew Crowe Deputy Director Scholarship Prep
Andrew Crowe is the Superintendent of Schools at Scholarship Prep, where he leads a network of trauma-informed, culturally responsive public charter schools serving students with the greatest needs, including those experiencing homelessness. Throughout his career, Andrew has advanced equitable educational practices in Philadelphia, Hawaiʻi, and Southern California. He is a Commissioner on the California Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS), serves on the Orange County Continuum of Care Board, a cross-sector body working to prevent and end homelessness, and previously served as Chair of the Native American Alumni Board at the University of Notre Dame.
Greta Proctor Partner Procopio
Greta Proctor is the leader of Procopio’s Education practice. Greta advises on a wide range of operational, governance, and ever-changing regulatory issues for classroom and non-classroom based charter schools. Greta has worked extensively on charter renewals, including appeals. She also counsels schools through special proceedings ranging from OCR complaints to FCMAT extraordinary audits. Greta provides frequent trainings on topics such as teacher credentialing, Board governance, the Brown Act, Public Records Act, avoiding conflicts of interest under the Political Reform Act and Government Code section 1090, and new legislation impacting her clients.
Nadia Shaiq ISANA
Nadia Shaiq is the Chief Executive Officer of ISANA, a non-profit charter management organization that runs a network of public charter schools in Los Angeles. As CEO, she advocates for transformative education in traditionally underserved areas, focusing on empowering students to reach their highest potential by valuing and making space for their backgrounds, cultures, and languages as assets to learning. Under her leadership, ISANA has emphasized a “whole child, whole family” approach, receiving awards both for being California Distinguished Schools and for educational equity. Nadia began her career as a first-grade teacher and advanced through various roles, including Curriculum Specialist, Principal and Chief Academic Officer. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Cognitive Science, graduating Summa Cum Laude from the University of California, San Diego, and a Master’s degree in Education. She continues to champion educational equity, striving to create learning environments where every student is seen, supported, belongs, and is empowered to make the world a better place. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and four kids, who are the lights of her life. She and her husband are also foster parents and are heavily involved in their community.
Dan Soleimani General Counsel Aspire Public Schools
Dan joined Aspire as Chief of Staff in November 2019. In that capacity, he oversaw strategic planning, progress monitoring, board governance, and supported critical organizational strategies, including quarterbacking Aspire’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to joining Aspire, Dan built and led the School Management Office for Success Academy Charter Schools in New York. In that role, he led a team to scale student supports (e.g., special education, SEL, and mental health) during the organization’s rapid growth and supported superintendents and school teams with data analytics, enrollment, policy, crisis management, and conflict resolution. Prior to heading up its School Management Office, Dan served as Assistant General Counsel and Chief of Staff to Success Academy's Chief Legal Officer for ~6 years. Prior to entering the charter school space, Dan worked in the Juvenile Rights Practice for the Legal Aid Society, representing youth in juvenile justice and child protection matters.
Merrick Wadsworth Partner Procopio
Merrick has worked for charter schools for more than a decade. He advises on a variety of operational issues, including charter renewals and material revisions, authorizer relations, student discipline, board policies and governance, contracts, facility issues, entity formation, government funding requirements, and many others. Merrick regularly provides trainings on Title IX, Brown Act, Public Records Act, avoiding conflicts under the Political Reform Act and Government Code section 1090, board governance, and new legislation impacting charter schools. Prior to law school, Merrick worked as a substitute teacher in all grade levels at the Kings County, California, Office of Education.
Handouts
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