Scott Pearson to serve as chair of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers’ Board of Directors
CHICAGO— The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) announced today that Scott Pearson will serve as the new chair of its Board of Directors.
A national leader in education policy and charter school oversight, Pearson is the Executive Director of the Washington, DC Public Charter School Board (DC PCSB). Since joining PCSB in 2012, Pearson has implemented significant reforms in charter school authorization and oversight, making it a national model for charter school authorizing. With his appointment, Pearson brings his outstanding leadership and commitment to ensuring all students have access to a quality public education.
“Scott is a leader in the charter school sector, and I am pleased he will serve as NACSA’s next Board Chair,” said Greg Richmond, president and CEO of NACSA. “He has a strong commitment to quality and accountability, a dedication to service, and a vision for transforming public education not only in DC, but nationally.”
“NACSA is a tremendous organization,” said Pearson. “I look forward to working with Greg and the NACSA team to sustain the progress in charter authorizing that has already been made.”
Under Pearson’s leadership, DC PCSB has focused on providing students and families with quality charter school options. He and DC PCSB have pioneered new strategies, tough and rigorous oversight and best practices that other authorizers around the nation are adopting. Washington, D.C. currently has 115 public charter schools serving more than 39,000 students.
Prior to joining DC PCSB, Pearson served in the Obama Administration as the Deputy of the Office of Innovation and Improvement for the U.S. Department of Education. His drive for education reform began during his time in civic affairs in San Francisco, including co-founding and serving as board chair of Leadership Public Schools, a charter management organization serving low-income communities with college-preparatory high schools.
Pearson replaces former NACSA Board Chair Lisa Graham Keegan, principal partner at the Keegan Company, who served on the board from 2011- 2015. He joins fellow board members Vice Chair Mashea Aston, chief executive officer of the Newark Charter School Fund; Secretary Alan Coverstone, executive director of innovation for Metro Nashville Public Schools; Treasurer Steve Canavero, Ph.D., interim state superintendent of public instruction for the Nevada Department of Education; José Cole-Gutiérrez, director of the charter schools division for Los Angeles Unified School District; Rick Hess, resident scholar and director of education policy studies for the American Enterprise Institute; James Merriman, chief executive officer of the New York City Charter School Center; Hanna Skandera, New Mexico Secretary of Education; and Robbyn Wahby, executive director of the Missouri Charter Public School Commission.
ABOUT NACSA
The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) is an independent voice for effective charter school policy and thoughtful charter authorizing practices that lead to more great public schools. Our research, policy, and consultation work advances excellence and accountability in the charter school sector. With authorizers and other partners, we have built the gold standard for charter school authorizing. Through smart charter school growth, these authorizers will give hundreds of thousands of children an opportunity for a better education each year. More at www.qualitycharters.org
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