We have an exciting roster of speakers and sessions planned for our upcoming 2025 Charter Advocacy Summit! We share our updated agenda below.
As a reminder, the event launches with an evening reception honoring state lawmakers on Wednesday, February 5, at the Merrimon-Wynne House in Raleigh.
The day-long Advocacy Summit begins at 8 A.M. on Thursday, February 6, at the Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley. Our theme this year is “Excellence in Education and Advocacy.”
Here’s our agenda for the day:
8:00 AM: Breakfast Opens
8:30 AM: Welcome
- Lindalyn Kakadelis, Executive Director, North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools
- Dave Machado, Incoming Executive Director, North Carolina Coalition for Charter Schools
The color guard team from Paul R. Brown Leadership Academy performs. Student members of the Lyra Vocal Ensemble at Longleaf School of the Arts sing the Star Spangled Banner.
8:45 AM: Opening Remarks
- House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Caldwell)
Hear from one of the state’s most powerful leaders. The new House Speaker shares his perspectives on K-12 education and public charter schools.
9:15 AM: Just the Facts on Funding—State & Local
- Aaron Beaulieu, Partner, School Operations Specialists
What’s working right now with charter funding? What needs to change to achieve accurate funding? One of North Carolina’s leading public school finance experts answers these and other pressing questions.
9:45 AM: Break
9:55 AM: Straight Talk on Student Information Systems (SIS)
- Sarah Crain-McCracken, Owner, Polaris Information Management Services (formerly Acadia North Star)
- Erica Nielsen, SIS Director, Charter One
- Matthew Mayo, Director of Digital Teaching & Learning and School Connectivity, N.C. Department of Public Instruction
- Rory Spicer, Section Chief, SIS Professional Learning, N.C. Department of Public Instruction
Shifting to a new Student Information System (SIS) is never easy. Hear from student data experts about lessons learned—the good and the bad—and what’s next for North Carolina schools.
10:30 AM: Public Perceptions of Charter Schools
- Donald Bryson, CEO, John Locke Foundation; Publisher, Carolina Journal
Back by popular demand, this session will share the view from the field: What do recent polls show about North Carolinians’ support for charter schools? What have we learned since last year?
11:00 AM: Legislative Leadership and Charters
- Rep. Hugh Blackwell (R-Burke)
- Senator Brad Overcash (R-Gaston)
Influential lawmakers who co-chair key legislative committees on education policy and funding share their perspectives on what to expect on education issues during the 2025 Legislative Session.
11:30 AM: Reflections on Excellence: Lunch with a Longtime Leader
- Cheryl Turner, Superintendent, Sugar Creek Charter School
Hear insights about charter innovation and excellence from a transformative leader and 30-year veteran of North Carolina’s charter school movement.
Lunch will be followed by a dessert reception.
1:00 PM: Facility Funding Forecast
- Madeline Hannigan, Executive Director, Great Schools NC
- Matthew Nielsen, Founder and Board Chair, Educational Freedom Institute
- Lee Teague, Chief Advocate, Teague Advocacy Group
Learn about new survey findings from the state’s charter operators, assessing views on facility financing. Understand why charters don’t receive lottery funds. Hear what other states are doing to fund facilities through public-private loan programs—and what that could mean for charter schools here.
1:45 PM: Attaining Excellence: The Charter Schools Review Board Weighs In
- Bruce Friend, Chair, Charter Schools Review Board (CSRB)
- John Eldridge, Vice Chair, CSRB
- Ashley Baquero, Director, Office of Charter Schools, N.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI)
What do veteran charter leaders involved in state oversight know about charter school excellence and best practices? Learn what these experts have to say about recent charter school trends and ways to optimize success.
2:30 PM: Grassroots Advocacy, the Federal Landscape, and the 2025 Legislative Agenda
- Ben Arcuri, Director, Government Relations, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
- Coalition Government Relations Team (Harry Kaplan & Amanda Falkenbury of McGuireWoods Consulting; Dylan Reel of Kilpatrick Townsend)
- Matthew Tilley, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson, and Coalition Counsel
Coalition lobbyists outline the Coalition’s legislative goals for 2025 and share how to become an excellent advocate for charters. Coalition Counsel Matthew Tilley will provide the legal update for charter schools as well as the legislative outlook, while Ben Arcuri will share the federal update.
3:00 PM: Unity Amid Difference: Bipartisanship in the Charter Movement
- Rep. James Roberson (D-Wake)
A Democrat from Knightdale in Wake County, Rep. Roberson will close out the Summit by sharing his reflections on school choice and the state’s charter school movement.
3:15 PM: Final Remarks—Moving Forward
- Dave Machado
The Coalition’s new leader shares his vision for advocacy in 2025 and beyond.
Learn more about the Summit here. See our official Summit invite here.
Our hotel group rate has expired. We suggest contacting these or other area hotels for potential reservations:
- Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley Hotel
- Hilton Garden Inn Raleigh/Crabtree Valley
- Hampton Inn & Suites Raleigh/Crabtree Valley
For more information about the Summit, please contact:
Lindalyn Kakadelis, Executive Director, NC Coalition for Charter Schools
Phone: 704.231.9767 | Email: lkakadelis@nc.chartercoalition.org
*This post has been updated since initial publication.
