The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (National Alliance) announced today its 2017 inductees to its Hall of Fame: Friends of Choice in Urban Schools (FOCUS) founder Malcolm Peabody, National Association of Charter School Authorizers CEO Greg Richmond and Magnolia Public Schools CEO Caprice Young.
The Charter School Hall of Fame recognizes individuals and organizations for their innovation, long-term commitment, and pioneering efforts in the growth of charter schools. The three 2017 honorees will join 32 esteemed inductees who have been celebrated since the Hall of Fame's inception in 2007.
"We are proud to honor these outstanding leaders in the charter public school community because of their significant contributions to the movement and unyielding commitment to ensuring all students have access to an excellent education," said Nina Rees, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. "We thank Mike, Greg and Caprice for their unwavering dedication and their continued leadership in service of the more than 3 million students served by charter public schools everyday."
Our Hall of Fame will be honored next month at our National Charter Schools Conference happening June 11-14 in Washington, DC.
About the Honorees
Malcolm "Mike" Peabody: Mike Peabody has been a pioneer in Washington, D.C.s school reform landscape for more than 3 decades. Among his most notable contributions was founding Friends of Choice in Urban Schools (FOCUS) in 1996. FOCUS quickly became one of the most visible and aggressive voices in the city's burgeoning charter school movement in the District, advocating for equal funding and fair access to city-owned buildings.Today, DC is one of the largest urban charter sectors with nearly fifty percent of public school students attending a charter public school.
Caprice Young, Ed.D.: In 1999, Dr. Young left her job as an IBM Information Technology Strategist to serve on the Los Angeles school board, serving as president of the board 2001 through 2003, and stewarding the massive expansion of the nascent charter school movement. Since then, she has dedicated her life to growing high quality charters and expanding the use of instructional technology to ensure that every student has access to a great public school education. As the founding CEO of the California Charter Schools Association, Dr. Young believes that achieving this goal requires not only more charters, but also a robust ecosystem of support and collaboration. Since 2008, Dr. Young has been called upon to intervene when schools and educational non-profits face challenges. Currently, she leads a system of 10 high performing science-focused K-12 charter public schools serving 3,700 students. Over 25 years, she has led education philanthropy, business, governmental and community-based organizations engaged in transformational work. She earned her doctorate in education from the University of California at Los Angeles, her M.P.A. from the University of Southern California and her B.A. from Yale University.
It has been a blessing to participate in this movement of idealistic, can-do visionaries. I get to work with and for people I love who always put kids first. We have tens of thousands of leaders who have run the charter gauntlet: Caring powerfully for students, dreaming of an innovative education, writing a charter petition, convincing teachers and parents to sign on, advocating in front of (often hostile) public authorizing bodies, and keeping their promises every day, said Dr. Young. I am honored to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Greg Richmond: Greg Richmond is President and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, an independent voice for effective charter school policy and thoughtful charter authorizing practices that lead to more great public schools. NACSA works directly with school districts, state departments of education agencies and other agencies to improve quality outcomes among charter schools. Before joining NACSA, Richmond spent 11 years at the Chicago Public Schools in a variety of roles, including Chief Officer for New School Development. He has served as the Chair of the Illinois State Charter School Commission and as member of the Aspen Institutes Commission on No Child Left Behind. Richmond has also consulted with the governments of the United Kingdom, Chile, and Abu Dhabi on the development of charter-like schools in those countries.
Our nation's charter schools are providing countless families with the opportunity to enroll their child in a school that best meets his or her needs. They also provide educators with the opportunity to innovate and excel in ways that many school districts do not, said Greg Richmond. I am honored to be a partner with the many thousands of educators and community organizations who are giving millions of children a chance at a brighter future.
About the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the public charter school movement. Our mission is to lead public education to unprecedented levels of academic achievement by fostering a strong charter sector. For more information, please visit www.publiccharters.org.