Message from our Board President

Beth Jones

On behalf of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter School’s (PCPCS) Board of Trustees, I welcome you to the PCPCS website. On the site, you’ll find loads of resources to help support charter schools and parental public school choices in Pennsylvania. I am honored to serve as this school year’s President of the Board, continuing the service to PCPCS I began in 2015 on our Advisory Council.

The PCPCS Board is an esteemed group of currently 13 accomplished folks, many of whom are educators, representing charter schools and charter-supporting organizations from across the Commonwealth. Our Board is called to protect public school choice in Pennsylvania and to advocate for enhancements to the current charter school law that will benefit the over 170,000 Pennsylvania charter school students, their families, and the charter schools in PA.

It is a fascinating time to be in a leadership role with PCPCS! Charter school enrollment has grown tremendously over the past few years, with many families making a charter school their choice in public education for the first time during the pandemic and remaining with their selected charter school. Why did they stay? The reasons are as varied as the families across our state, but one commonality that binds them is that charter schools meet their children’s and their families’ needs. As PCPCS charts our post-pandemic course, we are working with the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools to develop a strategic plan focusing on parent advocacy and a path forward for engaging with members and legislators. The Board, as am I, looks forward to sharing our new initiatives with our charter school community while continuing to protect and improve charter school opportunities in Pennsylvania.

Kind regards,

Beth Jones

PCPCS President

Board of Directors

Officers:

President: Beth Jones, COO, Insight PA Cyber Charter and Founder/Former COO Collegium Charter School
Vice President: Ashley DeMauro Mullins, Northeast Regional Director, Foundation for Excellence in Education
Secretary: Stephen Catanzarite, founding Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center
Treasurer: Dr. Reese Flurie, CEO, The Flurie Solutions Group, LLC

Members:

Bob Lysek, CEO, Executive Education Academy Charter School
Brian Hayden, CEO, Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School
Dave Rossi, CEO, Esperanza Academy Charter Schools
Donna Lee Archer, CFO, Avon Grove Charter School
Guy Ciarrocchi, President, and CEO, Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry
David Hardy, founder, and former CEO, of Boys Latin Charter School
Dr. Andrea Coleman-Hill, CEO of Laboratory Charter School
Jim Smith, Founder, and CEO, Bear Creek Community Charter School
Dr. Naomi Johnson-Booker, Founder and CEO, Global Leadership Academy

Advisory Council:

Dr. Dara Ware Allen, Principal, and CEO, City Charter High School – Western Region
Dr. Doug Allen, CEO, Tidioute Charter School – Western Region
Jennifer Arevalo, CEO, and Director, Souderton Charter School Collaborative – Philadelphia Region
Yemele Ayala, Senior Director of Student Support Services, Aspira, Inc. – School Governance
Dr. Gina Guarino Buli, CEO, Renaissance Academy Charter School – Eastern Region
Dr. Kelly Davenport, Founder, and CEO, Freire Charter School Network – Philadelphia Region
Aubrey Favors, CEO, Erie Rise Leadership Academy Charter School – Western Region
Dr. Marie George, CEO, Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligence Charter School – Eastern Region
Dr. Renee Gordon, CAO, Charter School of Excellence – Western Region
Nicolle Hutchinson, Executive Director, and Instructional Coach, Gillingham Charter School – Eastern Region
Dr. Wayne Jones, CEO, Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship – Western Region
Adam Kenz, Board President, Vision Academy Charter School – School Governance
Dr. Malynda Maurer, CEO, Central Pennsylvania Digital Learning Charter School – Cyber West
Susan Mauser, CEO, Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter School – Philadelphia Region
Ashley McGrath, Founding COO, Deep Roots Charter School – Philadelphia Region
Dr. Faye Pleso, CEO, and Principal, Gettysburg Montessori Charter School – Central Region
Doug Wessels, Chief Public Affairs & Accountability Officer, PA Virtual Cyber Charter School – Cyber East