The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) is pleased to announce the appointment of seven distinguished professionals to its National Advisory Board. The 23- member board is comprised of leaders from some of the nation’s most respected foundations and institutions dedicated to improving public education. It provides strategic advice to NACSA in advancing the organization’s mission to increase the number of high-quality charter schools and expand excellence in the sector.

The new advisory board members include: Kaleem Caire, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Madison; Matt Candler, founder and CEO of 4.0 Schools; Jaime Guzmán, chief advisor to the Board of Trustees of City Colleges of Chicago and member of the Illinois State Charter School Commission; Robin Lake, director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington; Terence Patterson, education program officer with the Hyde Family Foundations; Scott Pearson, executive director of the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board; and Joe Siedlecki, program and policy officer, US education, at the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. A complete listing of members of NACSA’s National Advisory Board is available on its website.

“We are at a critical point in the evolution of charter schools,” said Greg Richmond, president and CEO of NACSA. “To make a meaningful difference in public education and increase opportunities for kids across the country, charter schools cannot be anything less than exceptional. NACSA welcomes the newest members of its National Advisory Board to help us make this goal a reality.”