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Our Mission

Choice, Quality and Accountability in Public Education 

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools is the statewide voice for charter schools with the stated goals of helping every charter school to become a high-performing public school, making charters synonymous with educational quality, and being recognized as a national leader in driving quality and accountability in public education

What we do

To support our mission, PCPCS:

• Advocates for reform-minded charter school laws;
• Promotes the public charter school movement;
• Fosters communication among its members to ensure that best practices and up-to-date information is shared among our schools and their staffs;
• Supports and assists its members in the development of their professional managerial skills and in the advancement of public charter schools;
• Establishes working relationships with other education reform organizations, professional organizations and government agencies seeking to improve the quantity and quality of educational choices for parents.

Staff

Executive Director:  Robert Fayfich

Education Director:  Jennifer Donohue

Office and Business Manager:  Christine Roth

Director of Legislation and Policy:  Dennis Giorno

Director of Public Relations:  Ken Kilpatrick (MEDIA ONLY CELL CONTACT: 215-817-3095)

Counsel:  Kevin McKenna, Esq.

Board of Directors

Our Board is charged with ensuring the long-term success of PCPCS and the charter school movement in Pennsylvania.

Officers

President: Lawrence F. Jones, M.Ed.
CEO, Richard Allen Preparatory School

Vice President: Dr. Linda Clautti
Chief Executive Officer, Urban Pathways Charter School

Treasurer: Wendy Ormsby
Founder & Officer, Souderton Charter School

Secretary: Joanne Barnett
Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School

Members
Darlene Callands Curry
President & CEO, Philadelphia BAEO 

Karen DelGuercio
Founder, MaST Charter School

Ashley DeMauro
Pennsylvania State Director, Students First

Dr. James Hanak
CEO, Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School

Dr. Katherine Merseth
Senior Lecturer on Education and Director of the Teacher Education Program, Harvard University Graduate School of Education

Walter Palmer, Ph.D., Esq.
Leadership Learning Partners Charter School

Hon. Jeffrey Piccola, Esq.
Partner, Boswell, Tintner, Piccola 

Leaders Council

Our Leaders Council is comprised of charter school leaders who work to ensure that PCPCS  provides the best possible support for our members; promotes networking and information-sharing among its members; and advocates for legislation to promote effective, high-quality charter schools.
The following are the current Leaders Council members: