Jametrice Powell McAdams, a parent of a charter school student from Hueytown, Alabama, says, “Raising my voice for all charter schools starts with me raising my voice for my son’s charter school. Raising my voice means standing up for my son’s future. Raising my voice means being an active fighter against the school-to prison-pipeline statistics. Raising my voice means my son gets a fair shot at a quality education.”

Julia Rivera-Tapia, charter school parent and administrator from Las Cruces, New Mexico, says, “Advocating for charter schools has become one of the most important responsibilities I have. I believe that every family deserves the freedom to choose the best school for their children, and charter schools offer that option. As a parent myself, I have seen the transformative effect that charter schools can have on children’s academic and personal growth. My three children have been studying in charter schools since the beginning of their academic journey, and I have personally witnessed the positive impact it has had on their lives, enabling them to achieve great success in their studies while retaining their bilingualism and becoming amazing individuals.”

“Raising my voice for charter schools means making sure all families have a choice to send their students to a school that best represents them. When I raise my voice for charter schools, I am doing so for our community and our students, who deserve the opportunities we provide and the ability to navigate and make informed choices about their child’s future. More people need to be aware of the power of community and culturally grounded education,” says Zak Domingello, executive director at Ricardo Flores Magon Academy in Denver.

Former Washington State lawmaker Eric Pettigrew says, “As a member of our state House, I became an advocate for charter public schools — which I believe provide a great complement to traditional public schools, especially for students of color. This past legislative session, as our lawmakers considered what policies to advance, I continued to advocate for these unique public schools and urged my former colleagues to ensure that all students across Washington state have access to a public school that meets their needs.”

Cheryl Stahle, academic administrator at West Virginia Virtual Academy in Parkersburg, says, “My ‘why’ as an advocate for charter schools is deeply rooted in the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed and reach their full potential. Charter schools teach children that anything is possible when they embrace the unknown without fear. I am passionate about empowering young people to shape their own destinies and showing them the unlimited possibilities that are only constrained by their imagination. Through my work in charter schools, I strive to be a quiet disrupter and leave a legacy of transformative change in the lives of students and families.”

“Public charter schools such as the Hmong American Peace Academy are transformational,” says Dr. Chris Her-Xiong, founder and executive director of the Milwaukee school. “The scholars are transformed from at-risk to ambitious, independent thinkers and prepared to succeed in college and in life. The families are transformed through the children taking strides toward success, opting out of the cycle of poverty and lack of opportunity. The communities served by the schools are transformed through shared ambitions and experiences. The cities are transformed through the proof that turnarounds are possible and that education can deliver on its promise of prosperity. To transform a life is to transform our world, and that is why I advocate for charter schools.” 

Daniyal Hussain, a high school senior at Cottonwood Classical Preparatory Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico, says, “Something that makes me most excited about the future of public education is the aspect of student advocacy. I originally thought that because I was a high school student, no one would want to listen to what I had to say. That was far from the truth. In fact, I was able to attend recent legislative meetings where I could say what I truly thought was important. I am excited for the future where we will have more students speaking out and more people wanting to listen to students about what is truly needed for public education.”

When we raise our voices, more people hear us. That’s why we raise our voices to advocate for charter schools. We need everyone to hear us screaming from the rooftops: Every student deserves a high-quality public education.

I am not just advocating for one public charter school. When it comes down to it, it’s not just about my child, it’s about all kids. Everyone may not have the ability or the privilege to be able to come to D.C. and to advocate. Everyone doesn’t have that, but I do. I naturally have the desire to help and to fix and to be a part of the change that I want to see. I walked into these legislators’ offices hoping that they would hear me say our communities are crying for help. We need more quality schools, and we need to stop gun violence and address the mental health crisis in our schools. 

Across our group of parents and advocates at March 29’s Charter Family Hill Day, we met with the offices of 37 members of Congress. We talked with Democrats and Republicans, with senators and members of the House of Representatives, and shared our call to action. As a parent, I was grateful to be able to choose KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools for my child’s education. All kids and families deserve access to a high-quality public education. That means not only do we need to invest in mental health and keeping our students safe from gun violence; we also need to invest in public education and high-quality public charter schools like KIPP Philadelphia. We all went to Washington, D.C. to tell our families’ stories to Congress. We also got to hear each other’s stories and to learn from one another. 

My story began this fall, when we gladly accepted a founding kindergarten seat at the newest KIPP Philadelphia school. We were excited to put the last two years of home learning during COVID-19 behind us and start life in our new normal. Except, things didn’t feel normal. My 5-year-old didn’t act like other children her age. She’s what I affectionately coined my firecracker child, but a lot like a firecracker, things always explode. 

Our first few months at KIPP were not easy. She struggled with transitions, she couldn’t sit still and sometimes she got so overwhelmed the only place that she felt comfortable was under her desk. As a parent, I felt all types of failure. I felt like because I chose to keep the lights on and not spend more time by her side during those Zoom classes while she was learning at home, that I had set her up to fail. I felt that I had somehow dropped the ball on my biggest responsibility — my daughter.

It wasn’t until a few conversations with the school social worker, then with the dean of students, which led to more conversations with her pediatrician, that I started seeing things a lot differently. I was able to see that the behaviors that she was exhibiting weren’t a result of my failure, but instead, were signs that her brain works differently than some of the other students. 

I was able to work with the staff at KIPP Octavius Catto Elementary to get a referral to have my daughter receive an extensive evaluation, one that outlined exactly where she’s struggling and identified interventions and strategies that will allow her to thrive in any classroom. For the first time in a while, I was able to breathe. It gave me a feeling of joy that I was able to advocate for my daughter so that her needs would be in the conversations that led to her evaluations.. I advocate for mental health support for students because it is a top priority for me and families across the country, especially as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

During Charter Family Hill Day, I was also able to reinforce my top priorities as a parent: investing in student mental health and keeping our kids safe from gun violence. Our children deserve to feel safe at school. These children have seen more trauma in their short lives than some of us ever experienced. My daughter deserves to live her life. My daughter deserves to be able to walk into a building that she knows she’ll walk out of. She deserves to know that she can be safe, even when I’m not around. 

There is a fire in me that deserves to continue to grow, and with that growth, I’m not only advocating for my child, I’m advocating for thousands of other kids and families across the country. If two days in Washington D.C, is what it takes for me to light some stuff on fire, then give me the two days, let me do it.

Today, more than 35 years (yikes!) after I sat in her classroom, Mrs. Campbell continues to inspire me. I’ve dedicated my career to improving education policy. I wake up every day working to make public education better, not just for students and families, but for teachers like Mrs. Campbell who know that offering options helps all families.

I’m thrilled that National Charter Schools Week coincides with Teacher Appreciation Week this year, because charter schools are powered by teachers and other visionary educators who make a huge difference in the lives of more than 3.7 million students — two-thirds of whom are from low-income, Black, or Latino communities.

is the single biggest in-school factor in determining student success. There’s lots of fluffy talk about how important teachers are, but most of the time they are treated like identical cogs in a wheel. Charter schools do it differently.

Public charters offer an environment that encourages teachers to flourish, treats them like professionals and rewards their excellence through competitive pay and advancement opportunities. This allows them to chart their own course, whether it’s dedicating themselves to the classroom, moving into leadership roles or opening their own schools. Charter schools also rely on teachers’ judgment about what works for students and what doesn’t, providing the flexibility to adapt curriculum and instruction as needed.

One of the key reasons charter schools were created was to give educators the freedom to test new ways of teaching. It’s also one of the reasons the late Albert Shanker, leader of the American Federation of Teachers, supported charter schools. Even Randi Weingarten, president of the AFT, is a charter school founder. Today, the sector boasts more than 206,000 teachers — and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is especially proud that these educators reflect the diversity of the students they teach. The most recently available data (2020-21 school year) show that 69.3% of charter school students were children of color, compared with 53.4% of district students.

According to the , during that same time period, 32% of charter school teachers were people of color, versus 19% of district teachers. Similarly, 33% of charter principals were people of color, compared with 22% of district school leaders. And Black charter school students are to have a Black teacher than their peers in traditional public schools.

This matters because having at least can help students of color reach higher achievement levels than students who do not. Teachers who share a similar background to their students may be more likely than teachers who do not to make a personal connection, inspire them to love learning and help them realize that they might lead their own classroom in the future.

This year, during National Charter Schools Week, the National Alliance is proud to honor seven groundbreaking teachers with our for outstanding service to their schools and communities and for going above and beyond for their students:

Andrea Thomas is a passionate educator and community leader from the Diné tribe in New Mexico. Thomas teaches at and is vice president of the Navajo Nation Board of Education, empowering her to act on her core conviction that students of all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds deserve access to excellent teachers and high-quality instruction in their own communities.

Cielo Acosta is a third-year teacher at . Like many charter school graduates, she returned to teach at the charter school where she had been a student. A passionate athlete and student-sports enthusiast, Acosta incorporates sports strategies and themes into students’ curriculum. 

David Singer started his career in urban education 20 years ago as a high school math teacher, ultimately deciding he wanted to be a school leader and builder. He helped launch Denver’s , which has grown to a network of two public charter schools serving nearly 700 children, with a third campus recently approved.

Tiffany Ortego is the kindergarten lead teacher at One City Schools in Madison, Wisconsin. Beloved by all her students, she helped create the Preschool Garden Space and created the school’s 4K Volunteer Reading and Early Literacy program. 

Third-grade teacher Nathaniel Dunn returned to his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, because he wanted to become the teacher he wanted when he was in school. Outside of the regular school day at i3 Academy, he is an EdFarm Teacher Fellow. This program enhances the learning experience of teachers and equips them to be designers and facilitators of future-focused learning.

Dr. Alissa Russell is a master teacher, instructional coach and math department head at Life School Oak Cliff public charter school, near Dallas. She uses Socratic Seminar, peer partnerships and other innovative instructional practices in her classroom. 

Jermar Rountree is a health and physical education teacher at Center City Public Charter School,

Brightwood Campus. He teaches not only game activities and sports, but also social, emotional and mental growth. He has established in-school, after-school and weekend partnerships with organizations to help kids grow in all facets of life. He was a 2023 National Teacher of the Year finalist.

These teacher changemakers offer just a few examples of how educators can leverage charter schools to advance their passion for helping students, liberate their creativity, inspire their community and expand their impact. We are honored to celebrate their contributions, and those of their 206,000 colleagues across America, this National Charter Schools Week.

This year’s National Charter Schools Week theme is Charter Schools Rising, and the evidence for their rise is everywhere. Demand for charter schools , and support is strong in all quarters. It’s true that charter schools have faced significant challenges on the federal policy front — from threatened funding cuts to proposed Charter Schools Program rules that would limit educational opportunities — but each challenge offers the opportunity to show how formidable and united the movement is. We have fended off funding cuts and organized a massive campaign to protect the rule changes.

Last week, a added their voices to the chorus calling on the U.S. Department of Education to back off its proposed changes to the Charter School Program. The department has also heard from governors, state school chiefs, educators and parents who know firsthand that charter schools are vital to educational opportunity and equity. Today’s rally will keep that momentum going.

This week also offers the opportunity to honor and thank the 2022 Charter School Changemakers — some of the most inspiring advocates and community leaders in the movement — and the 2022 Champions for Charter Schools, federal and state policymakers who are blazing a path of opportunity for students across America.

are unsung heroes and heroines whose exceptional efforts have touched the lives of people in their school community, brought innovation and creativity to tricky problems and consistently amplified voices around them. The honorees have proven their ability to go the extra mile to support their community’s unique needs. They come from 10 states, their and roles vary from classroom teacher to parent advocate.

Changemakers include people like Eric Tucker, a co-founder of Brooklyn Laboratory Charter Schools in New York, whose personal experience with undiagnosed learning disabilities inspired him to create the website, featuring resources on teaching students with learning disabilities.

Another changemaker is Raquel Crader, a fifth-year teacher at Dolores T. Aaron Academy in New Orleans, who built an interactive reading and created virtual lessons for parents and students to continue their love of reading when pandemic disruptions were limiting access to books and class time.

Tonya Kelly is a changemaker and an Ohio mom who took action after her children experienced bullying in school. Tonya founded the , which provides mentoring, social and emotional support, health and wellness education, anti-bullying reporting and community education for students ages 5 to 17. For the past three years, she has shared her story and used her experience as a fourth-grade teacher to help design education and prevention programs for families. 

In addition to these grassroots activists, the charter school movement is honored by the support of — lawmakers from both parties who have listened to parents and students and responded to the increased demand for public charter schools across America. Without them, charter schools would not exist. Champions at the federal level are reliable advocates for better funding and equitable treatment for charter schools. At the state level, charter champions fight for legislation to make more charter schools available to students and ensure they have the funding, autonomy and accountability to fulfill their missions.

Thanks to this year’s charter champions, students in Kentucky will finally have access to charter schools after the state legislature approved a permanent funding mechanism. In New Mexico, a new revolving loan fund and a more equitable facilities funding formula will allow charter schools to spend more per-pupil dollars in classrooms than on school buildings. More communities in Ohio will have access to charter schools now that geographic restrictions on their creation have been removed. And Iowa and Wyoming charter school founders will be able to seek approval from statewide authorizers, bringing more clarity and accountability to the chartering process.

From Capitol Hill to statehouses to communities across the country, there is tremendous momentum behind charter schools, which have done so much to improve educational equity by increasing access to a high-quality public school for students from all backgrounds, neighborhoods and income levels. As the nation strives to overcome the educational challenges of the past few years and break down barriers to lifelong success for students, policymakers and parents know that charter schools are a key part of the equation. As charter schools continue to rise, more and more students are reaping the benefits.

Nina Rees is the president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the first charter school law. Since then, a fledgling idea to create a new type of public school grew into a powerful movement that has touched millions of students and forever changed the trajectories of their lives. At moments like this, it is natural to take stock, remember the pioneers and reflect on how much has been accomplished. It’s also important to look ahead and consider the future.

The future of the charter school movement is our young leaders. That’s why, as part of , an annual celebration of more than 200,000 dedicated teachers, 3.3 million students and 7,500 public charter schools across the United States, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is honoring 30 exceptional young changemakers. They are a diverse group. Some are still in elementary or secondary school. Others are a bit older, and several are solidly established in their careers. But they all have a passion and commitment to using their ideas, talents and platforms to make the world better. 

Among these inspiring leaders is charter school senior Darnella Fraizer. She is the Minnesota teen who bravely witnessed and recorded on her cell phone the unjust death of George Floyd in police custody last summer. Her actions spawned an international  reckoning, followed by intense discussions about race, equity and police brutality. 

NFL star Jalen Ramsey is an all-star hometown hero from Nashville who puts kids first. He has dedicated his time and energy in the off-season to improving and creating access to quality education in Nashville’s community. Notably, he donated $1 million during the pandemic to , a local charter school that is in the top 5 percent in the state for academics. 

Just 14 years old, Najah Aqeel made history this year by leading a nationwide rule change to ensure high school volleyball athletes can wear religious headwear without seeking permission. Najah, a Muslim student and athlete at Valor Collegiate Prep High School  in Nashville, was forbidden from participating in a freshman volleyball game in 2020. Because of her advocacy, athletes can now wear hijabs or other religious head coverings freely in the sport of volleyball. Her work will also impact sports beyond volleyball in the future.

Gitanjali Rao, of Lone Tree, Colorado, is a real-live superhero. This young scientist was featured in an episode of Marvel’s Hero Project, , which followed her work developing an app that detects lead in drinking water. Her work was inspired by a trip with her family to India and the Flint water crisis. This app developer and anti-cyber-bullying advocate is also . She attends STEM School Highlands Ranch in Littleton, Colorado.

Natalie Wojcik, from Douglassville, Pennsylvania, is a former student at 21st Century Cyber Charter School. She is now a junior at the University of Michigan and a leader on the school’s gymnastics team. Natalie has several titles under her belt, including  on balance beam in 2019, 2019 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and now the 2021 NCAA team national championship title. Her accomplishments include perfect 10.0 performances on both the vault and balance beam. But more than medals motivate this MVP — she has been a generous volunteer with the Special Olympics for 13 straight years.

The full roster of 30 Under 30 Changemakers is listed below, and even more information about their inspiring stories can be found on our . as the National Alliance hosts the 30 Under 30 Virtual Awards Ceremony, featuring interviews with several of the honorees, Wednesday, May 12, at 4 p.m. Eastern Time. 

Arts, writing, sports

• London Carter Williams, 12, Waterbury, Connecticut. Activist, author and Brass City Charter School student
• Najah Aqeel, 14, Nashville. Student athlete and activist for religious freedom and girls’ rights
• Nia Sioux, 19, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh. Dancer, actress, author and podcast host
• Natalie Wojcik, 21, Douglassville, Pennsylvania. Alumna of 21st Century Cyber Charter School, college gymnast and Special Olympics volunteer
• Ayden Jent, 28, Indianapolis. Member of U.S. Paralympic Team in 2016. Three-time national team member of USA Track and Field
• Katrina Brown-Aliffi, 29, New York City. Dancer, educator, researcher

Education and politics

• Lauryn Renford, 19, Washington, D.C. Anti-gun violence advocate and co-founder of
• Kyle Denman, 26, Los Angeles. Educator and “Political scientist with a passion for fashion,” named 2018 Young Fashion Designer of the Year
• Jalen Ramsey, 26, Los Angeles and Nashville, NFL star and philanthropist
• Roquel Crutcher, 26, Memphis. Policy entrepreneur at
• Phillip Nguyen, 29, Toms River, New Jersey. Founder and executive director of

Leadership

• Kalan Rogers, 27, Calhoun Falls, South Carolina. alum who returned as principal of his alma mater
• Gavin Schiffres, 27, St. Louis. Co-founder and CEO of , a K-12 public charter school in St. Louis
• Samantha Aponte, 28, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Interim principal at , former teacher and assistant principal who helped build literacy to better support diverse learners
• Audrey Hagopian, 29, Phoenix. Regional director for primary schools for BASIS.ed
• Davian Morgan, 29, Washington, D.C. vice principal of literacy at Ingenuity Prep Public Charter School and founder of
• Darren Ramalho, 29, Marion, Alabama. Founder of the first charter school in rural Perry County, Alabama,
• Amira Thomas, 29, Cleveland. Director of a dropout recovery school in Cleveland

Science

• Mari Copeny, 13, Flint, Michigan. Student activist and advocate for clean water
• Gitanjali Rao, 15, Lone Tree, Colorado. Scientist, inventor, anti-cyber bullying activist, mentor
• Nathan Ream, 16, Jacksonville, Florida. Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor and volunteer for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society
• Anna Grace Tiede Hottinger, 18, Shoreview, Minnesota. Advocate and with Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
• Artemisio Romero y Carver, 18, Santa Fe. Climate activist, co-founder and policy director of (YUCCA)
• Adriana Mancini, 22, Palm City, Florida. Founder of Team Green Martin, a recycling program that pairs students with disabilities with peer mentors. Leader of

Social justice

• Darnella Frazier, 18, Minneapolis. Student activist, video journalist, advocate for racial and economic justice
• Alessandro Iaia Hernandez, 18, Wilmington, Delaware. Student activist for marginalized people
• Kwastlmut Sadie Olsen, 19, Bellingham, Washington. Advocate for Indigenous rights and an active participant in community healin
• Jess Stone, 24, Flat Rock, Michigan. Math teacher and advocate for LGBTQ+ students and staff
• Noelani Gabriel, 26, Boston. Activist for social justice, civil rights and active anti-racism
• Brianna Noble, 26, Oakland, California. Equestrian and Black Lives Matter advocate. Alumna of Oakland School of the Arts and founder

Debbie Veney is senior vice president for communications and marketing at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.