Jamie Garwood

Jamie Garwood

2021 NACSA Leader

Director of Charter Schools, Ball State University

Dr. Jamie Garwood currently serves as the Director of Ball State University’s Office of Charter Schools (OCS). Prior to coming to Ball State, she helped develop and open a social justice charter school. Jamie also served as a founding board member of the Indiana Charter School Board, an authorizing body. Additionally, Ms. Garwood has more than 15 years of experience working in the non-profit sector, with accomplishments that include launching a community-wide literacy initiative to close the 3rd grade reading gap and developing one of the largest Real Men Read mentoring projects in the country. Jamie is an experienced evaluator of both schools and non-profit programs, including serving as an evaluator for federally funded 21st Century Learning Center (CCLS) after school programs. Dr. Garwood earned a Doctorate in Education Leadership by conducting a study of Indiana’s K-12 voucher program. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs, both focusing on education and social welfare research and policy.


Most Recent Posts
NACSA’s Charter Renewal Term Length Project
Charter renewal is one of the most consequential tools authorizers have. It is the formal moment when an authorizer evaluates whether a school has earned the right to continue operating and under what...
NACSA Transition Updates
Karega Rausch, NACSA’s President & CEO, has accepted an exciting new role as the Executive Director of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation (IPEC). We are grateful for Karega’s contributions and strong leadership.  We are also...
NACSACon 2026: Learning in Community
Good authorizing doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s built through shared knowledge and, honest conversations. It’s buoyed by a professional field that holds itself to high standards. NACSACon brings that community...