Board of Directors 2024
Voting
Currently, one seat is open for voting. VOTING IS NOW CLOSED. Only League Members may vote, and the Head of School or Board Chair (or their designee) may vote. School leaders will cast one vote per CDE school code (network leaders vote for all the schools in their network).
Click through the three candidates below. The ballot is at the bottom of this page.
Casey McComsey, Chief of Strategy
Atlas Preparatory School
What personal and/or professional strengths would the nominee bring to the League's board?
I have experience as a charter school parent, teacher, principal, network leader, current league board member and current league board treasurer. School choice is at the core of my educational philosophy. I believe that students and families in every community should have access to high quality school options.
My work in education began in 2004 as an AVID tutor at a local middle school. I continued supporting young people as basketball coach and volunteer mentor and then staff member with Young Life in St. Louis. Our focus was building community and school partnerships in support of all students and families, whether they lived in the city or county.
Many of the kids and families I worked with were either stretching their budgets to live in areas with “good schools” or participating in the desegregation program which meant getting on a bus very early in the morning to travel to those “good schools” and returning very late at night.
These should not be the options that families face. My family faced the same choices when my father ended his 20+ year military career. My brother and I had the privilege to attend high performing schools, with very talented teachers, in very diverse communities during our time with military schools in the U.S. and abroad. When we returned to the states the choices were clear…the “good schools” exist in “these neighborhoods” with homes that have “those prices.” My family chose a suburban Denver community at great financial stress on our home, with my dad working a second job to make it all work. We eventually could no longer afford to live in that community and relocated out of state.
This story is all too common, and we were the lucky ones. We had options…they may not have been easy, but we had them. Too many families and kids do not have these options. There is one neighborhood school that may or may not be able to serve their child well.
My commitment to education as a math teacher, as a principal, and as a network leader is to fight every day to build capacity and options and choice for kids and families in our Southeast Colorado Springs community. That is what I will bring to this board. That is why I am asking for your vote.
How will the nominee help address the challenges charter schools are facing?
My experience as a charter school parent, teacher, principal, and network leader provides me with multiple perspectives on the challenges facing charter schools. These experiences include student growth/achievement, people recruitment and retention, district authorizer/school board relations, school finance and local school budgets, external relations, and student enrichment.
As league board member and now board treasurer, I have been part of a team that has navigated changing funding environments, league leadership transition, and legislative challenges to the charter school movement. Throughout I have provided steady and disciplined support and guidance while centering the students and families that we all serve.
How would your nominee help drive the League’s role in addressing charter school quality?
As a member of the league’s membership council and league board, I helped develop the league’s MQSS framework which provides support and resources for membership schools struggling to demonstrate student growth and achievement.
Under my school-based administrative leadership, Atlas’ school leaders have partnered with teachers, students, and families to propel academic growth and achievement. This has resulted in academic quality in our schools being awarded a Center of Excellence Award by the CDE (second year for Atlas High School and first year for Atlas Middle School). I have a focus on academic quality and also bringing in student enrichment, post-secondary advising, and summer programs at Atlas.
Don Knapp, Executive Director
Pikes Peak School of Expeditionary Learning
My name is Don Knapp and am a 30-year veteran educator and a strong advocate within the charter school movement. I have spent the last 22 years as Executive Director of Pikes Peak School of Expeditionary Learning (PPSEL) in Colorado Springs. I also spent six years on the school board of Lotus School for Excellence in Aurora.
Over the course of the last three decades, I have dedicated myself to the pursuit of academic excellence, innovative curricula and instructional practices, and strong school culture. Serving as the Executive Director of PPSEL has provided me with invaluable insights into the complexities and nuances of charter school operations. Over my time at the school, I have been able to lead the school through a remarkable transformation in academic performance, community engagement, and educational quality. The school has become a beacon of success within the community with a waitlist that is larger than our current capacity. Our story is a testament to the power of collaborative leadership, strategic planning, and the fostering of strong community partnerships, particular with school families as we became one of EL Education’s credentialed and mentor schools.
My time as board member at Lotus School for Excellence provided me with a broader view of charter school leadership. I was able to gain insight into the intricacies of educational governance from the school board perspective rather than the school leader side. I worked closely with the board and school leadership in policy development, school finance, strategic planning, and other essential components in ensuring the school’s success.
In addition to my time working with charter schools, I have also worked as a representative on the League’s Member Council beginning in 2021. I spent six years as a member of the Principal’s Leadership Team for School District 49 and three years as a member of the Citizen Review Panel for El Paso County. I have worked with EL Education and the League to conduct site reviews of schools, giving my insight to the unique challenging facing different schools across the state, and have done independent consulting with several schools to support specific obstacles within the schools.
I am confident that my extensive background in charter education, coupled with my passion for fostering innovation and promoting student success, makes me a great candidate for the Colorado League of Charter Schools Board of Directors. Throughout my career, I have demonstrated a commitment to partnering with families to collaboratively advance educational opportunities and to champion high quality, engaging curriculum. I bring experience in both the urban and rural school settings and have been working with charter schools to have gained the tools to overcome most obstacles that may arise within a school.
Robert Daugherty, CEO
James Irwin Charter Schools
I am writing to express my interest in serving on the board of the Colorado League of Charter Schools, an organization whose mission resonates deeply with my professional journey and personal values. As the CEO of James Irwin Charter Schools for the past four years, and the founding principal of Power Technical, a James Irwin Charter School focused on skilled trades and engineering, I have dedicated my career to advancing the cause of high-quality education and school choice.
My journey in education began in the classroom as a high school math teacher, where I first developed my passion for empowering students through knowledge and critical thinking. This passion propelled me through various leadership roles, including Dean of Students and Director of Operations, culminating in the opening of James Irwin's second elementary in 2013 and Power Technical in 2016. Currently, I am leading the initiative to open our network's third elementary school in the fall of 2024, further expanding our impact on providing exceptional educational opportunities.
My commitment to education extends beyond operational leadership; it is rooted in the belief that every child deserves a great education, one that not only meets their academic needs but also nurtures their individual talents and interests. This belief aligns perfectly with the mission of the Colorado League of Charter Schools, which strives to improve student achievement by supporting charter schools, reshaping the public school landscape, and advancing opportunities for innovation and expanded high-quality public school choice.
Serving on the board of the Colorado League of Charter Schools would provide an invaluable platform to advocate for the principles I hold dear: school choice, educational excellence, and the transformative power of innovative educational models. I am eager to contribute my experiences and insights gained from leading a dynamic charter school network to the broader charter school community in Colorado. Together, we can positively impact the educational landscape, ensuring that every child in our state has access to a high quality, choice-driven education.
I am excited about the opportunity to work with the league, not only to further my cause for school choice and great education but also to learn from and contribute to the wealth of positive developments happening in Colorado's educational sector. I am confident that my background, skills, and passion for education will make a meaningful contribution to the board and the mission of the Colorado League of Charter Schools.
Thank you for considering my candidacy. I look forward to the possibility of working together to advance the quality and reach of charter education in Colorado.
The ballot is now closed. Results will be posted by March 29, 2024