Emily Paul

Emily Paul

2019 NACSA Leader

Chief Program Officer, South Carolina Public Charter School District

Emily joined the SC Public Charter School District in 2015 as a coordinator of special education. Since then, she has advanced to the Director of Special Education, the Executive Director of School Operations, and now serves as the Chief Program Officer. In her current role, Emily is responsible for the implementation and oversight of all state and federal programs as well as the district’s access and equity initiatives.

Emily and her team walk the line between supporting schools as their LEA and engaging in accountability activities as their authorizer. Emily entered the charter world in one of SCPCSD’s charter schools, Lowcountry Montessori School. There, she developed the special education program in their opening year, started the school’s special education programs on a strong footing, and was recognized as the school’s teacher of the year. Prior to that, she worked as a special education teacher in South Carolina and in Ohio public schools.

Emily received her BS in special education from Miami University, in Oxford Ohio, and her Masters in Educational Administration from the University of South Carolina.


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...