FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 20, 2015

MEDIA CONTACTS
Chrystal Wilson
(313) 942-6602 cell
cwilson2@eaaofmichigan.org

EAAs chancellor announces community-driven Charter Review Panel

Panelists include parents, teachers, and community leaders
DETROIT, Feb. 20, 2015 The Education Achievement Authority of Michigans (EAA) Chancellor
Veronica Conforme announced today the formation of an 11-member Charter Review Panel made up of
parents, teachers, community leaders, EAA staff members and educators. The Charter Review Panel is
tasked with reviewing responses to the EAAs charter school request for proposals, interviewing charter
applicants and providing feedback directly to Chancellor Conforme. Interviews will take place next week.
It is vital that the entire EAA community participate in the process of selecting who will educate our
students, Chancellor Conforme said. We need to continuously evaluate how our schools are performing
to ensure that our students receive the high-quality education they deserve. My top priority is
accelerating the pace of student achievement and this is one step in my broader plan to do just that.
The Charter Review Panel will conduct their evaluations using a rubric developed for the EAA by the
National Association of Charter School Authorizers, a nationally recognized organization committed to
advancing charter school excellence and accountability. The rubric measures the applicants academic
plan, past successes and their proposed school model.
The diverse group of panel members were selected to provide a thorough and community-driven review
of the potential charter operators to ensure that the EAA community has a strong voice in the decision
making process. Charter Review Panel members include:
Joyce Hayes Giles, Chairwoman EAA Board of Directors
Sharlonda M. Buckman, Executive Director of the Detroit Parent Network
Peggy Gordon, Parent of EAA students
Page 1 of 2

Cont Chancellor Announces Review Panel

Larvern Bey, Parent of EAA student

Dr. Malverne Winborne, Director of the Eastern Michigan University Charter Schools Office
Tanya Heidelberg-Yopp, CEO of Linked Learning Detroit
Lynette Simmons, Vice President of Mission Resources Detroit YMCA
Pamela Chapman, Principal of Brenda Scott Academy
Michael Gaal, Chief Operating Officer at EAA
Sean Deiters, Teacher at Nolan Elementary-Middle School
Alice Thompson, CEO Black Family Development
I am grateful for our panel members willingness to devote their time to this extremely important
process, and I look forward to receiving their feedback, Chancellor Conforme added.
After the Charter Review Panel reviews each application and conducts their interviews, the EAA will
make a decision on which charter operators to authorize. The final step in the process is matching
authorized charter operators with schools, should that be necessary. At this time, the EAA is not planning
to open any additional schools.
Background on the Education Achievement Authority of Michigan (EAA)
The Education Achievement Authority of Michigan is a reform district created as a result of a 2012
interlocal agreement between Detroit Public Schools and Eastern Michigan University. The EAA oversees
15 schools nine elementary/middle schools, of which three are charters, and six high schools.
###

300 River Place, Suite 3600 | Detroit, MI 48207 | (313) 263-9800 | www.icansoar.org