Katie Poulos

Katie Poulos

2016 NACSA Leader

Director of Options for Parents, New Mexico Public Education Department

Katie Poulos joined the New Mexico Public Education Department in April 2015 as the Director of Options for Parents. Previously, she was the Director of Accountability at the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools (ASBCS). She began her charter school authorizing work at ASBCS through the NACSA Fellows program.

Prior to entering the charter school authorizing world, Katie taught 8th grade math in the Mississippi Delta with Teach For America. Before that, Katie was a corporate litigator with Irell and Manella LLP in Los Angeles.

Katie received her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her J.D. from Vanderbilt University.


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...