National Alliance’s Starlee Coleman on Public Charter Schools

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Meredith Coolidge of DFER - MA interview President and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Starlee Coleman. Ms. Coleman discusses her role as CEO of the Texas Public Charter Schools Association, highlighting the growth of charter schools in Texas, as well as the broader efforts to expand school choice. She addresses the complexities of charter school politics, the right-left coalition, and the need to bridge political divisions. Coleman also explores the challenges of maintaining academic quality amid the rapid expansion of charter schools, the role of authorizers, and the impact of federal K-12 spending on education outcomes. She concludes by discussing the political dynamics within the Democratic Party and the future of charter schools in states with strong teachers' unions.