Dana Peterson

Dana Peterson

2017 NACSA Leader

Dana Peterson is the Assistant Director of Charter School Authorizing at the University of St. Thomas, where she serves as primarily liaison for eight schools, manages new school processes, oversees network collaboration and support activities, and led the board’s recent strategic planning process. Dana is actively involved in the Minnesota Association of Charter School Authorizing as a member of the executive committee and chair of the strategic planning committee. She also serves as the board chair for the newly authorized middle school – Big Picture Twin Cities. Previously, she supported the establishment and growth of a preK-12 charter school system in California, where she served in a variety of capacities including managing the chartering process for two new schools and leading two schools through successful charter renewals. In her free time, Dana enjoys being outdoors, working out, cooking, photography, and walking her chocolate lab.


Most Recent Posts
2023 Performance Framework Guidance
Performance Frameworks are the accountability mechanism at the center of the charter school/authorizer relationship, and Performance Frameworks are the means by which authorizers establish performance expectations for schools that are...
Nexus at NACSA
Practice + People = Excellence For more than two decades, NACSA has been the leading source for authorizing best practice, backed by research and experience. And as schooling evolves, authorizing...
2023 Version of Principles and Standards
2023 version of Principles & Standards is here!  High-quality, innovative, and equitable educational opportunities that communities are rightly demanding have never been more important. Yet even as we emerge and seek to...