Matt Rado

Matt Rado

2019 NACSA Leader

Executive Director, Charter Schools Cleveland Metropolitan School District

Matt Rado, Executive Director for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) Charter Schools Office, has worked in authorizing with the district since 2016. He is a passionate believer in school choice and ensuring charter schools provide opportunities for all students to succeed while meeting high standards of equity and public accountability.

He has extensive experience in government and politics, as both a grassroots organizer on numerous campaigns and a staffer for a member of congress. Before working in authorizing with CMSD, he served as State Outreach Director for StudentsFirst Ohio. He holds a BA in Government from Cornell University and an MPA from Cleveland State University.

When he’s not working with Cleveland’s charter schools, he is busy with his wife and two young daughters.


Most Recent Posts
Research on School Closure Messaging: What Works
Five years ago, I was the COO at a charter school, and something was becoming increasingly obvious: we consistently did not have enough students enrolling to fill all our seats....
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Better Together: Reflections from the DCSC Convening
I attended the Diverse Charter Schools Coalition (DCSC) convening earlier this month, and I’ve been reflecting on what stayed with me most. This year’s theme was “Better Together.” DCSC even...
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2026 NACSA Leaders Program Cohort
Meet the newest members of NACSA’s Leaders Program. These leaders are committed to building systems that are transparent, equitable, and grounded in quality. Bridgett Abston Bridgett Abston is the Director...
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