Coordinator, Orange County Department of Education

Aracely Chastain serves as the Coordinator for the Charter Schools Unit of the Orange County Department of Education in California, where she is responsible for continuous oversight, regulatory guidance and new charter school approval. In this role, she serves as the primary liaison for a portfolio of charter schools while focusing on collaboration to strengthen compliance and equity. Aracely began her career with the OCDE in 2001, as a supervisor overseeing case management for the alternative payment childcare program and then as a project manager conducting oversight for district and school legislative compliance. Prior to her current role, she served as communications specialist for the department. She began her career in education as a bilingual instructional aid after graduating high school and later as a substitute teacher in secondary education, both in the same school district in which she attended public school. Aracely holds an M.A. in Organizational Leadership and a Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management from Chapman University, and a B.A. in Psychology.