When did you become interested in Charter Schools?
I first learned about charter schools in 2007 while taking a Designing a charter school course at Teachers College, Columbia University. I had the great privilege of learning about the movement—its growth, impact, and operations—from some of the most prominent and influential charter school leaders at the forefront of the movement in New York City and beyond.
Over my career, I have served as a charter school principal and accumulated over 20 years of experience teaching and leading in public, charter, and independent schools. This has given me a deep understanding of best practices in education and school operations. In addition to my experience as a charter school principal, I have developed a strong expertise in the business side of education. I have served as the Executive Director for district-managed charters at Miami-Dade County Public Schools and as the Director of Finance and Human Resources for a network of seven schools in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Through these roles, I have provided start-up, educational, operational, and financial support services to diverse portfolios of charter schools while honoring each school’s independence, autonomy, and unique mission.
How would you best describe your current role at FCI?
Currently, I bring my expertise to FCI providing technical assistance, professional development, and a menu of services to charter schools throughout Florida, with a specific focus on financial management and oversight ensuring schools are effectively utilizing resources to best serve their students.
What motivates you most in your work with charter schools, and what keeps you passionate about this field?
Although I was enrolled in a private school leadership program at Columbia University, my passion for charter schools grew. The model—privately run but publicly funded—stood out to me as a powerful way to expand educational opportunities for all students, regardless of income or zip code.
Furthermore, the autonomy granted to charter schools has allowed me to witness tremendously innovative educational models firsthand—including gifted and talented programs, collegiate-style learning, project-based learning, classical education, bilingual education, and specialized programs for students with disabilities. Charter schools are a quintessential part of the school choice conversation, providing diverse learning environments tailored to meet the individual needs of students.
In your opinion, what is the most critical challenge facing charter schools today, and how can leaders effectively address it?
I’m admittedly biased because I’m hyper-focused on school finances. Balancing the budget while offering robust programming is always a challenge, especially with the sunset of ESSER funding. Despite these financial hurdles, there are real opportunities for creativity and innovation to ensure schools operate in a responsible and sustainable manner.
My advice to schools: You are not alone. Don’t hesitate to connect with other school leaders to learn about best practices in procurement, as well as creative staffing and compensation models. Many schools are successfully running fiscally sound, sustainable programs while retaining great teachers and staff under the current funding structures. There is much to learn from their approaches.
Can you share an experience or initiative from your career that you are particularly proud of, and what impact did it have on students or schools?
Some of my most rewarding experiences have been supporting schools during their launch year or periods of growth. The behind-the-scenes work of opening a school is incredibly challenging—complex, exhausting, and demanding—but the moment that first day arrives, all the hard work becomes deeply gratifying. Watching a school thrive over the years is nothing short of incredible.
This year, I have the privilege of celebrating Downtown Doral Charter Schools’ 10-year anniversary—a milestone that is especially meaningful to me. When I first began working with them, my daughter was just 16 months old, and I was thrilled to later enroll her there for sixth grade.