SUNY BOT Appoints Jonas S. Chartock as Executive Director of the SUNY Charter Schools Institute

Albany – The State University of New York Board of Trustees voted today to appoint Jonas S. Chartock as Executive Director of the SUNY Charter Schools Institute.  Mr. Chartock previously served as the Founding President and Chief Executive Officer of the Charter School Policy Institute (CSPI) in Austin, Texas, a position he has held since 2005.

"Jonas Chartock is a highly regarded leader in the national charter school community,” said Chairman Carl T. Hayden. “We are delighted that he will be bringing his expertise to the Charter Schools Institute—itself broadly recognized for high quality authorizing practices—to build on the Institute’s successes and move this important organization to the next level.” 

“Jonas Chartock has an energy and enthusiasm for high quality public education that is inspiring,” said Board of Trustees Vice Chairman Randy A. Daniels, who also chairs the Trustees’ Committee on Charter Schools.  “We are excited to be bringing someone of his caliber to the Institute where he will provide leadership in the vitally important work of giving children—particularly those in urban areas—the opportunity for a better public education."

In his capacity as Founding President and Chief Executive Officer of CSPI, Mr. Chartock provided overall strategic and tactical leadership to the organization, managing all daily operations and executing the policies of the CSPI board of directors.  He served as a liaison to constituents, funders, other charter organizations, and the general public regarding the issue of public school choice and developed and directed programs providing high quality, web-based policy and research including hosting public forums and publishing series of reports and policy briefs. 

"I am incredibly excited by the opportunity to join the Charter Schools Institute and to work in support of high quality public education across New York State,” said Mr. Chartock. “SUNY is highly regarded as a charter authorizer, and I look forward to working with Institute staff, the State University Trustees, and the SUNY community to build on existing strengths and explore new opportunities, particularly in the areas of research and collaboration.” Mr. Chartock will be based in Albany.

Prior to joining CSPI, Mr. Chartock served as Executive Director of Teach For America in Houston, Texas, where he was responsible for maximizing the organization's impact on the educational equity in Houston; managing both a regional staff and board of directors dedicated to ensuring the effectiveness of over 500 first- and second-year teachers.  Mr. Chartock also played a key role in the nationwide development of Teach For America.  Mr. Chartock began his professional career as a teacher in the Compton Unified School District in Compton, California. 

Mr. Chartock is an Ed.D. candidate at the University of Texas at Austin, with an anticipated degree date spring of 2009. He holds an Ed.M. in School Leadership from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education; an M.A. in Education: Curriculum and Instruction from Chapman University; and a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.  He holds the Massachusetts Principal Certification, a California Professional Clear Multiple Subject Teaching Credential (K-6), and anticipates his Texas Superintendent Certification in June of this year.  Mr. Chartock will receive a salary of $185,000 and will have use of a vehicle.

Mr. Chartock replaces Mr. James D. Merriman, who served the Institute from 1999 - 2006, and who currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence.  “We are indebted to Dr. Jennifer G. Sneed who, as the Institute’s Senior Vice President, did a terrific job in leading the Institute throughout the exhaustive national search,” said Daniels.

About the Charter School Institute

The New York Charter Schools Act of 1998 granted the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York the power to authorize 100 charters, for the purpose of organizing and operating independent and autonomous public charter schools offering instruction in Kindergarten through 12th grade. There are currently 43 SUNY authorized charter schools operating across New York State, serving just over 14,000 students. 

The Charter Schools Institute was created by the Board of Trustees in February 1999 to assist it in carrying out its responsibilities under the Act. Guided by the rigorous standards set by the Board of Trustees, the Institute’s oversight of SUNY authorized charter schools is comprehensive, including: evaluating initial applications for the opening of charter schools; providing technical assistance and guidance to schools where necessary; requiring schools to take remedial action or placing schools on probation; conducting a comprehensive evaluation when a school applies to renew its charter; and reporting to the school and the public on each school’s performance and progress.

The State University Trustees and the Charter Schools Institute were featured in a recent United States Department of Education guide on high quality charter authorizing, Supporting Charter School Excellence Through Quality Authorizing.  SUNY was nominated and selected after a rigorous review process—chosen from over 800 charter authorizers nationally—and is one of only eight charter authorizers profiled.

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