Developing a pipeline of exceptional talent is necessary to serve and strengthen the growing field of charter school authorizing. The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) is partnering with three of the nation’s largest authorizers to bring high-quality expertise to the sector through its Fellows Program. The program will provide a NACSA-trained young professional to work at each of the three authorizers for the coming year as they continue their efforts to transform public education.

The NACSA Fellows Program was created in 2012 to identify skilled young professionals who are seeking new opportunities to contribute to education reform through the power of charter school authorizing. NACSA Fellows share the same passion, creativity and drive of entrepreneurs, but instead drive change within the existing system.

This year NACSA placed its talented second cohort of “intrapreneurs” with three partners:

• District of Columbia Public Charter School Board with 102 schools in its portfolio;
• North Carolina Department of Public Instruction with 130 schools in its portfolio; and
• Arizona State Board for Charter Schools, the nation’s largest authorizer, with more than 500 schools in its portfolio.

Combined these authorizers oversee schools serving more than 200,000 children.

According to Jamey Roberts, NACSA’s vice president of Human Capital, “We know that the strength of authorizing is dependent on the quality of the professionals doing the work. We must continue to attract talent to this important work as the need expands. Through the Fellows Program NACSA can identify strong individuals, provide support and development, and work with them to become the sector’s future leaders.”

Roberts added that each of the NACSA Fellows enjoys an opportunity to build their skills while improving the quality of charter authorizing and charter schools. The fellowship combines a yearlong salaried placement in an authorizing office with ongoing personal and professional development provided by NACSA.

The program is designed with a stated goal of harnessing this young talent for the authorizing sector not just for the year, but beyond. NACSA is now working with the first cohort of NACSA Fellows as they complete their one-year placements to secure opportunities that contribute to authorizing in new permanent positions.