Aarti Sharma

2016 NACSA Leader

Director, Georgia State Department of Education

Aarti Sharma is the Director of the Charter Schools Division at the Georgia State Department of Education, where she works with about 115 charter schools. Prior to working with the Georgia Department of Education, she founded a project in Atlanta providing court-involved youth with special education and school disciplinary legal representation through an Equal Justice Works Fellowship. Aarti started her career in education as a teacher in Liberty City, Miami.

Aarti is an honors graduate of Emory University School of Law, where she worked on the International Law Review.

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....

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...

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...