Florida – October 2021 — Two new appointees, Ashley Barber and Dr. Rafael Arza, were recently appointed to the Charter School Appeal Commission. Established to assist the Commissioner of Education and the State Board of Education with a fair and impartial review of appeals by applicants whose charter school applications have been denied, whose charter contracts have not been reviewed, or whose charter contracts have been terminated by their authorizer.
With close to twenty years of experience working in Florida’s public education system – from educator to Palm Beach County Charter Schools Office staffer – Ashley Barber brings a unique perspective to the Commission. Ashley received a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and a Master’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Florida, a Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. With eight years of successful teaching experience, Ashley transitioned out of the classroom to become an Instructional Specialist with the Department of Afterschool Programming where she trained teachers and camp counselors on Project-based Learning, developed lessons plans, and provided oversight and guidance to site leaders at 25 grant-funded 21st Community Learning Centers. Ashley then had a unique opportunity to transfer to Palm Beach County Public Schools’ Department of Charter Schools to support and monitor more than fifty charter school operators. In this role, she learned the ins and outs of charter school operations and built relationships with many charter school leaders and teachers, all working together to provide the best education to all students. A resident of West Palm Beach, she is currently a consultant, assisting schools to improve teaching, learning, and raising accountability.
Raphael Arza is currently finishing his PhD in Theology at the John Paul II Institute at the Catholic University of America. His Thesis centers around the thought of George Parkin Grant and the Destiny of North America. A firm believer in education as man’s highest calling, Mr. Arza is also a former American History and Literature teacher at True North Classical Academy in Miami, FL. Since 2012, he has been a strong advocate for charter schools as a member of Mountain Moving Strategies, a consulting firm based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. In that same period, he also served as a consultant and government relations liaison for charter schools across the state of Florida.
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