Paola Paga

Director of Charter Schools, Colorado Department of Education

Paola Paga is an accomplished educational leader with over a decade of experience in the charter school sector, currently serving as the Director of the Charter School Office at the Colorado Department of Education (CDE). She leads a team focused on supporting over 260 charter schools across the state through the administration of a federal facilities grant, state waivers, legislative reports, and responding to public inquiries regarding charter schools. Paola has been with CDE for six years in various roles within the Schools of Choice Unit, which serves families and supports internal and external stakeholders in providing innovative, high-quality public school choice options that enhance opportunity, access, and inclusion for students in Colorado. Before joining CDE, Paola staffed several statewide and local campaigns and spent the 2017 legislative session working with the Colorado House Speaker’s office. Additionally, she was an elementary school teacher for five years in both Denver and Houston. In her free time, Paola enjoys yoga, hiking, mentoring youth, and gardening with her husband, Marc, and their children, Aaron and Olivia, as proud homeowners in Denver.