Amanda Fenton works to ensure federal policy and programs support quality authorizing and the growth of high-quality public charter schools. This includes engaging with Congressional representatives, the Department of Education, national partners, and authorizers to promote awareness of authorizing while advancing programs that provide financial support to improve authorizer quality at the state and national level. Much of her work relates to the federal Charter School Program and implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act.  

Amanda previously served as Director of State and Federal Policy at NACSA, where she led efforts to advance quality authorizing through smart state and federal policy. Before that, she worked as an education advocate in California, securing funding and legislative reform for community colleges, charter schools, and nonprofit organizations. She has a B.A. in public policy from Stanford University and is a proud graduate of Alameda Community Learning Center, an early California charter school.

Amanda’s commitment to charter school oversight comes from a desire to see all schools—especially charter schools—live up to their promises to their students and the public. She believes the right policy can empower extraordinary public schools and believes that impact can be achieved at every level of government. Smart, sustained advocacy helps push government to respond to evolving educational needs, and subsequently, pushes authorizers to continue striving to be better.

While Amanda lives in the Washington, D.C. area, she will always be a Californian at heart. That extends to her commitment to grilling tri-tip when there is snow on the ground, her death grip on her 510 area code, and her continued capacity to forget that she no longer has to stuff a sweater in her bag at all times for “when the fog comes in.”