Debra Odom

Debra Odom

2017 NACSA Leader

Debra Odom serves as the Manager of the Charter Office for Fresno Unified School District, the 4th largest district in the state of California. Prior to promotion to her current role in 2007, Debra served as a teacher, site administrator, and department manager.

Debra is an avid believer in volunteering and service to the community. She is a longstanding member of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), and Fresno Consolidated Charter, ACSA; where she has served as President of both the Regional and local charters. Additionally, she has served as President of the Valley Alliance of African American Educator, a local branch of the National Association of Black School Educators (NABSE).

Debra’s belief is that every child deserves access to a quality education, no matter what their socioeconomic status. In her free time, Debra loves to explore other cultures through traveling and reading.


Most Recent Posts
No Shortcuts to Student Success: The Case for Statewide Annual Assessments
When I think about why I’ve dedicated my career to advancing and strengthening the ideas and practices of authorizing, I think about the students I’ve met over the years—bright, curious...
Raising the Bar: NACSA’s Updated State Policy Recommendations
NACSA believes that strong laws enable strong authorizing. In turn, strong authorizing leads to strong public education outcomes for students, families, and communities. That’s why we regularly update our state...
A New Path Forward: NACSA’s Bold New School Application Guidance
I’ll never forget a foundational principle I learned nearly two decades ago, while authorizing in Indianapolis: It should be hard to gain approval to start a new charter school. But...