Dan currently serves as General Counsel for Aspire Public Schools, the largest and oldest Charter Management Organization in California. Dan joined Aspire as Chief of Staff in November 2019. In that capacity, he oversaw strategic planning, board governance, and supported critical organizational strategies, including Aspire’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to joining Aspire, Dan served as Assistant General Counsel at Success Academy in NYC, where he also built and led a team to scale student services during the organization’s rapid growth, and support leaders with data analytics, enrollment, policy, crisis management, and conflict resolution.
Renewal is one of the most consequential processes a charter school faces, and no two renewals look …Renewal is one of the most consequential processes a charter school faces, and no two renewals look alike. This session's candid panel brings together two charter school attorneys and four charter leaders from across California, representing a large multi-school operator in three regions, a countywide network, an LAUSD network, and a San Diego operator running both classroom- and nonclassroom-based schools. There has never been a session quite like it. Together, they will tackle the issues that matter most right now: building and maintaining authorizer relationships before and during renewal; understanding oversight and accountability trends and what they signal for your petition; navigating renewal data, including how to make a compelling case when first-glance numbers look tough; legal updates on petition drafting; pushing back when the appeal standard feels hopeless; and the hard conversation no one wants to have—when closing or merging a school is the right call, and how to make that decision.
Panelists will discuss how renewal requirements and challenges can differ across contexts while highlighting approaches that have helped their organizations achieve positive outcomes. Participants will leave with real strategies for every stage of the renewal process. Bring questions, from building community support to getting on the same page with authorizers, and expect an honest conversation that includes not only success stories, but also cautionary tales and “what we wish we had known” moments that can help schools avoid costly pitfalls and strengthen their path to renewal.
