AGENDA
2023 Charter Advocacy Summit
8:30 AM to 3:30 PM
February 22, 2023
Leverage the power of public policy to protect all charters!
SESSIONS & SPEAKERS
8:30 AM: Breakfast
9:15 AM: Welcome
- Lindalyn Kakadelis, Executive Director, North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools
9:30 AM: Opening Remarks
Hear from one of the state’s most powerful lawmakers—who is also a charter school parent—about North Carolina’s current charter landscape and the impact of advocacy. Representative Saine serves as Senior Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
9:45 AM: State Education Budget Preview (Panel)
Panel Moderator: Harry Kaplan, Partner, McGuire Woods, and member of the Coalition’s Government Relations Team
Learn what to expect in the state education budget, from the perspective of two veteran leaders in the General Assembly. Senator Lee serves as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Education/Higher Education Committee. Representative Elmore is Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and Vice Chairman of the Appropriations-Education Committee.
10:15 AM: An Inside Look at School Evaluations (Panel)
- Ashley Baquero, Director, Office of Charter Schools, N.C. DPI
- Dave Machado, former Director, Office of Charter Schools, and N.C. State Superintendent for Charter Schools USA
Panel Moderator: Bruce Friend, Head of School, Pine Springs Preparatory Academy, and Vice Chair, Charter Schools Advisory Board
Understand how the N.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI) evaluates charter schools and their boards, leveraging the insights of both current and former DPI insiders.
10:45 AM: Break
11:00 AM: Strategies for Impressing Lenders
- Scott Rolfs, Managing Director/Head of Charter School Facilities Finance for Ziegler
Hear from a long-time education finance expert about how lenders evaluate charter schools for facilities financing. Learn how to position your school for favorable interest rates and terms on your next building loan. Ziegler has been providing financing to charter and private K-12 schools since 1913.
11:15 AM: Maximizing Local Funding (Panel)
- Aaron Beaulieu, Partner, School Operations Specialists
- Matthew Tilley, Coalition Counsel and Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
Panel Moderator: Shannon Stein, Superintendent, Lake Norman Charter School, and member of the Coalition’s Board of Directors
Learn how to maximize your local funding, with input from charter industry leaders—offering expertise in charter school operations and education law.
11:45 AM: Lunch
12:30 PM: Superintendent Truitt Talks Charters & Choice
Learn what’s top of mind for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2023. She’ll share her perspectives on charters, choice, and innovation in North Carolina’s public schools—and stay for a Q&A session to take your questions and offer her input.
1:00 PM: Diversifying Enrollment through Hispanic Outreach (Panel)
- Jeffrey Baldwin, Strategic Director, LIBRE Initiative for North Carolina
- Charles Lopez, former Board President, SIATech Charter High School at Homestead Job Corps, and Human Resources Manager
- Jamey Falkenbury, Director of Government Affairs, Office of the North Carolina State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Panel Moderator: Jonathan Bryant, Chief Administrator, Lincoln Charter School, and Chair, Coalition’s Board of Directors
Access critical insights about how to attract more Hispanic students to your charter school, hearing from some of the state’s top experts in Hispanic, grassroots, and community outreach.
1:30 PM: Funding Students Instead of Systems
Hear from one of the General Assembly’s top budget leaders about innovative policies to fund students rather than systems. Representative Torbett is Chairman of the House Education-K-12 Committee and the Appropriations-Education Committee.
1:45 PM: A Review of Court Cases Impacting Charter Schools
Learn about the latest legal developments in ongoing court cases with impacts for North Carolina charter schools. Attorney Matthew Tilley serves as the Coalition’s Counsel and has successfully represented more than 30 charter schools in local funding lawsuits, in addition to representing the General Assembly in the long-running Leandro lawsuit.
2:00 PM: Break
2:15 PM: Grassroots Advocacy & the 2023 Legislative Agenda
- Coalition Government Relations Team
Find out which issues the Coalition is advocating for at the state legislature to benefit all of North Carolina’s charter schools. Understand the most important goals regarding fair funding and charter autonomy in the Coalition’s 2023 Legislative Agenda.
3:00 PM: Closing Remarks
Understand the challenges charter schools face in the Democratic Caucus of the N.C. House of Representatives—and how charter advocates can address these challenges. Representative Brockman serves as Vice Chairman of the House Education-K-12 Committee.
- Lindalyn Kakadelis
Hear what’s next in 2023 for North Carolina’s charter school movement.
3:30 PM: Summit Concludes
For more information about the Coalition’s 2023 Charter Advocacy Summit, please contact:
Lindalyn Kakadelis, Executive Director, NC Coalition for Charter Schools
Phone: 704.231.9767 | Email: lkakadelis@nc.chartercoalition.org
