The charter movement has long needed a national voice, a gap the new Charter School Leadership Council is looking to fill. And now the new voice has an old hand to lead it: Nelson Smith. We can't think of a better choice. Nelson has worked with New American Schools for several years, has experience as a federal, state, and local policy maker, is a crack researcher, and a helluva nice guy. New president Smith and CSLC board chair Howard Fuller will need all their wits about them in the next few months as they seek to counter the continuing charter backlash being led by the unions and some quarters of the media. We wish them well.
"Charter School Leadership Council selects veteran policy expert Nelson Smith to lead organization," CSLC press release, October 13, 2004
"Policy expert hired for charter council," Education Week, October 13, 2004 (registration required)