2023 Charter School Champion - Senator Julia Coleman

“The Minnesota Association of Charter Schools is proud to recognize the leadership of Senator Julia Coleman in authoring and shepherding legislation on transparency and accountability for Education Management Organizations and Charter Management Organizations during the 2023 session.

Senator Coleman, a strong proponent of high quality innovative education and choice for public school students, has been an ongoing champion of charter school issues and legislation. During her tenure in the Minnesota Senate she has always had a keen interest in issues that impact chartered public school students in her district and across the state.

As a member of the Senate Education Policy Committee, she has had an open door and willingness to listen to the solutions that the chartered public school community has put forth to address the challenges and issues faced by chartered public schools. She has also been a significant advocate to ensure that chartered public school students are considered when issues of school quality, safety, accountability, and transparency come up.

In addition to her significant CMO / EMO charter school bill, she has authored or co-authored important bills concerning relevant issues for chartered public schools such as on evidence-based literacy instruction, bringing high-quality teachers into schools from all backgrounds, non-exclusionary discipline and appropriate school support, innovations to the substitute teaching licensing process, and tax-holidays for school supply purchases for parents. So on behalf of the members of the Minnesota Association of Charter Schools, it is an honor and privilege to call you, Senator Julia Coleman, a “Charter School Champion.”