Shaunté Smith, Manager of Member and Partner Engagement

Shaunté Reese Smith is a visionary and servant leader committed to fostering collaboration, unity, and purpose within organizations. She excels at helping teams build strong morale and engagement by empowering individuals to connect meaningfully with their work. In her current role with the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools, Shaunté is dedicated to advancing the mission of the coalition and serving its members and partners with integrity and excellence.

An accomplished educator, Shaunté has taught students from first through middle school and has served as a lead teacher and team leader at the middle school level. A passionate advocate for children, families, and school staff, she believes in cultivating communities that celebrate diversity, empathy, and inclusion. Shaunté is also a published author of three books and a strong proponent of supporting educators who are deeply committed to student success—believing that empowered teachers help shape the leaders of tomorrow.

Accomplishments and Affiliations:

  • Earned a Master’s Degree in Leadership and Management from Amridge University
  • Earned a Master’s Degree in Early Education from Grand Canyon University
  • Served five years at Lincoln Charter School in York, PA
  • Previously served as a long-term substitute teacher and lead instructor for grades 6–8 at Goode Elementary School in York, PA
  • Member of the Education Talent and Recruitment Committee of Pennsylvania Educators
  • Proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
  • Servant Leader of Grace Words Dance Ministry in York, PA
  • Featured at Lincoln Charter School for piloting the Keystones Oral History Project, introducing students to the rich history of York, Pennsylvania
  • Actively engaged with multiple nonprofit and community organizations dedicated to education, service, and empowerment

” Nothing can dim the light that shines from Within.”
– Maya Angelou

Sharmaine Granison, PACSP Grant Administrative Assistant

Sharmaine Granison is a career executive assistant who retired from Nationwide Investment Management Group, where her last position was Senior Executive Assistant, Principal Board Administrative Liaison, and Event Manager. She has worked for more than 30 years in finance and investment management. In her free time, she volunteered with The Perfect Fit organization and actively participated in event planning and fundraising committees for several years.

PCPCS Extended Team of Consultants

Jesse Bean is a Partner and Principal at Charter Choices, Inc., leading the firm’s strategy consulting practice, offering a range of professional services to clients, including long-range planning, school start-ups, executive coaching, and board training. He also serves as the Technical Assistance Lead for the Pennsylvania Charter Schools Program (PACSP) Grant. Before joining Charter Choices, he was the Head of School at the Russell Byers Charter School, a K-8 Expeditionary Learning school in Philadelphia, and was previously the Principal of Impact Academy of Arts and Technology, one of Envision Education’s network of San Francisco Bay Area high schools that were featured in a 2014 Stanford University case study on student-centered learning and school design. Jesse has led workshops on project-based learning, school redesign, school leadership, finance, and governance for educators, leaders, and board members in school systems worldwide. He graduated from Swarthmore College (B.A.) and Harvard University (Ed.M.) and is an Emeritus National Faculty Member with the Buck Institute for Education.

Pat brings over twenty years of experience to educational institutions and corporate America. Known for her ability to get to the heart of the matter quickly and thoroughly, clients praise her tremendous intellect and problem-solving skills. She anticipates problems and counsels her clients on how to avoid them before they happen.

Acknowledged as one of the top education lawyers in the country, Pat represents and advises schools from the application drafting process through startup and ongoing operations, including:

  • School code and administrative code compliance
  • Commercial and employment litigation
  • Special education matters
  • Student discipline
  • Operations (including drafting operational policies and policy manuals)
  • Contracts
  • Accreditation and licensure of administrative and teaching staff
  • Federal legal issues (ESSA/ESEA, IDEA, Section 504, USDOE regulations, Office of Civil Right investigations, anti-discrimination, and constitutional issues)
  • Training for school administrators, school boards, teachers, and staff
  • Routinely advise private school administrators on school code compliance, federal statues, school safety, and other matters.
  • Presenting at seminars for charter school-related organizations, private school associations, and continuing legal education providers

Pat is a charter schools advocate and activist, serving on the National Litigation Council for the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools and as a long-term member of the Alliance of Public Charter School Attorneys. As part of her private school and boarding school practice, she is a board member of the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools. On a state level, Pat is active in legislative affairs on issues related to Pennsylvania School Code, education reform, school choice, and other related legislative areas that impact schools.

Pat consults with life sciences startup companies on startup operations, business development, and regulatory compliance.

Earlier in her career, Pat served as assistant general counsel of Synthes (USA), an international manufacturer and distributor of orthopedic implant devices, where she was the primary attorney for Synthes Spine Company, L.P., overseeing the highly successful in-house claims process and defense of product liability lawsuits throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. She coordinated the company’s successful national defense of the In Re: Orthopedic Bone Screw Litigation – MDL 1014. The company’s success resulted from a two-pronged approach by ensuring the denial of the class certification and the systematic defeat of the resulting stand-alone claims by motions for summary judgment or defense verdict.

Pat serves as the co-chair of the firm’s education law group.

The Support Schools Need, All in One Place

Vertex Education provides integrated services tailored to your school’s unique journey, handling the details—so you can focus on what matters most: student success.

Lumen Impact GroupAt Lumen Impact Group, we support you — as individuals and as teams — in thinking strategically. We help you define your path while forging a cohesive, thriving culture. We arm you with processes and tools that address specific needs and prepare you to achieve groundbreaking impact.

Lobbyists

Dennis Giorno has nearly two decades of government relations experience in various capacities. His diverse experience has resulted in critical legislative victories for clients in many sectors, including education, healthcare, professional licensure, and energy. Recent legislative achievements include stopping several proposed funding cuts to public charter schools, significantly expanding the scope of practice for pharmacists in Pennsylvania, enacting two major criminal justice reforms, and executing a rare gubernatorial veto override.

Before joining Malady & Wooten in 2004, Dennis served for five years as the Executive Director of the REACH Alliance. During his tenure, REACH secured passage of the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program, which has been hailed as a national model for providing parents with choices in their children’s education and funding innovative programs in public schools.

Dennis began his public policy career on Governor Ridge’s reinventing government IMPACCT Commission staff. He then went on to serve on the staff of State Representative Colleen A. Sheehan and in the public affairs office of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Dennis was appointed to Governor Corbett’s Education Transition team in 2010 and is a former state Charter School Appeal Board member. In 2013, he was appointed to the Council of Trustees of Kutztown University, where he earned a degree in Public Administration as an undergraduate. He also serves as Vice Chairman of the Bridge Educational Foundation and a member of the board of the REACH Alliance. A native of Northeast Philadelphia, Dennis, a long-time Eagles season ticket holder and Phillies fan, currently resides in the Harrisburg area with his wife, Jill.