OUR MISSION
The mission of the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association is to create and protect the conditions that will enable the charter public school sector to thrive, and advance the larger goal of ensuring all Massachusetts children and families have equitable access to high-quality schools.
To achieve our Mission, MCPSA:
Advocates for public policy that supports equitable educational opportunities and supports member schools across Massachusetts.
Provides best practice sharing and professional development for leaders, educators, and board members to support strong educational practices, governance, and advocacy engagement.
Amplifies the stories and voices of the charter public school community.
MCPSA’S equity vision
Since its inception, the K-12 public education system has been utilized as a tool to advance and protect systemic racism. From withholding education from enslaved peoples, to separate and unequal segregated schools, to the use of local property taxes and manipulated municipal boundaries as the basis for public education funding, systemic racism has and continues to impact children’s K-12 educational opportunities.
MCPSA will work to build a more just and equitable K-12 public education system in Massachusetts — in short, one in which every child receives a high-quality public education that enables them to thrive and to reach their full potential.
Equity VisionMEET OUR TEAM
Tim Nicolette
Executive Director
Tim provides strategic and operational leadership for all of MCPSA’s staff, programs, and advocacy work. Tim joined the Association having worked in both the charter and district public school sectors, with specific experience in education policy and management. Prior to joining MCPSA, Tim served as President of UP Education Network. He also served as Chief of Staff to former Superintendent of Boston Public Schools (BPS) Carol Johnson as well as Deputy Chief Financial Officer for BPS. Prior to working at BPS, he was an education advisor to former Boston Mayor Tom Menino. He began his career as a strategy consultant with L.E.K. Consulting where he was elected Executive Director of Inspire, Inc. Tim holds a B.A. from Columbia University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Erica Brown
Chief of Policy & School Supports
Erica bridges education policy and practice by advocating on behalf of the charter sector to drive state education policies while serving as the MCPSA’s programmatic leader. Prior to joining MCPSA, Erica served as a charter school teacher and leader of City on a Hill Charter Public Schools, and was a founding steering committee member of the Boston Compact. Erica holds a B.A. in English and American Literature and Language from Harvard University, and an M.A. in English Language Arts Education from Tufts University.
Danielle Pape
Chief of Public Affairs
Danielle is responsible for developing, integrating, and overseeing the execution of MCPSA’s advocacy and communications strategies, designed to cultivate strong public and political support for the charter public school sector. Before joining MCPSA as its first Director of Communications, Danielle spent over a decade at Boston Prep Charter Public School in a variety of roles, most recently as the Director of Grants and Communications. Danielle holds a B.S. and an M.A. in Education from Vanderbilt University.
Dionne Williams
Chief Operating & Financial Officer
Dionne joined the MCPSA in 2024 and provides financial, operational, and talent leadership for the organization. As the leader of the Operations team, Dionne is deeply committed to our mission of expanding educational opportunities for students. She has over a decade of experience in finance and operations, most recently serving as a senior leadership team member of a national nonprofit organization aimed at increasing access to computer science education for all K-12 students. Dionne holds a B.S. and B.B.A. from Brooklyn College and an Executive Masters in Public Administration from Syracuse University.
Robert Carpenter
Director of School Supports, Governance
Robert is responsible for expanding MCPSA’s existing board governance statewide programming, designing and implementing new programs to meet board members’ needs, and providing technical support to board members in order to build their capacity and ensure that charter public school governance is high quality. Before joining MCPSA, Robert supported board members and teams at Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) chapters across the nation with organizational compliance, board and volunteer recruitment, development, succession planning and operational support. He also serves as a board member for his local school district. Robert holds a B.A. from State University of New York at Albany and an M.A. from Crown College.
Meredith Coolidge
Political Director
Meredith is responsible for developing and executing strategies that grow political support for charter public schools and advance the advocacy agenda adopted by MCPSA member schools. Meredith began her career as a teacher with Teach for America and has served in roles supporting both policy and politics across multiple organizations, including the Texas Public Charter School Association and Democrats for Education Reform MA. Meredith holds a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross in classics and political science.
Derya Deane
Director of Operations
Derya works across the organization to provide operational support and manage projects for new and existing initiatives. Prior to joining the Association, Derya spent five years at Worcester Polytechnic Institute planning events, coordinating alumni and industry outreach efforts, and assisting with social media and communications campaigns.
Adkeem Jackson
Senior Director of Community Mobilization
Adkeem is responsible for designing and implementing programming to support engagement of our charter public school community members as part of our shared advocacy and communication efforts. Adkeem came to MCPSA from UP Education Network where he spent a decade leading family and community engagement at both the school and network level, as well as leading the development and execution of the network’s equity strategy. Adkeem holds a B.A. from Framingham State University.
Diana La Paz
Digital Advocacy & Communications Manager
Lina Musayev
Senior Director of School Supports
Lina is responsible for overseeing statewide school support initiatives. Prior to joining the Association, she served as the Associate Director of Strategy and Growth at Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy in Rhode Island where she led the opening of a high school and the replication of an elementary school. She also served as a Manager at Deloitte Consulting. Lina holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Communication from George Washington University, a Master in Public Administration from George Washington University, and a Master in Education Leadership from the Broad Center for the Management of School Systems.
Sara (Nelson) Lisak
Director of School Supports
Sara provides capacity building support for charter schools in Massachusetts by creating professional development trainings and managing key strategic initiatives of the MCPSA’s regional alliances. Before joining the Association, she served as the Director of Student Support at Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School and as a Special Educator in NYC and Newton public schools. Sara has a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Amherst College and a Masters of Science Education from Brooklyn College.
Madeleine Sims
Operations Manager
Madeleine provides cross-organizational support to ensure strong service for our member schools. A creative problem solver and detail oriented operations professional, Madeleine comes to MCPSA from David French Music Co, where she has provided operations and customer support that inspired growth and success.
MEET OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Rhonda "Nikki" Barnes
President
Nikki is the Executive Director at KIPP Massachusetts where she has served in school-based at KIPP Boston prior to taking on district wide leadership responsibilities. She holds a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. An avid supporter of MA Charter public schools and proud parent of Charter Public School scholars herself, Nikki joined the MCPSA Board of Directors in 2022.
Beth Anderson
Vice President
Beth is the Chief Executive Officer at Phoenix Charter Academy Network. Beth previously served on the transition team as Co-Chair of Governor Baker’s Education Advisory Committee, and currently serves on the advisory boards of Mass Development, the Rennie Center, and Greater Boston Teach For America Alumni. Beth holds a Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University and a Master’s of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Beth joined the MCPSA Board in 2010.
Greg Orpen
Treasurer
Greg is the Head of School at Innovation Academy where he was previously a math and science teacher and later the High School Principal. Greg earned his Bachelor of Science from Trinity College, his Master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and his Doctor of Education at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Greg joined the MCPSA Board in 2016.
Robert Beatty
Clerk
Robert Beatty has been the Executive Director of Atlantis Charter School since 2009. Prior to joining Atlantis Charter School, Robert spent seven years at Trailblazers Academy in Connecticut, first as a teacher and then as the Director. Robert holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Wesleyan University. Robert joined the MCPSA Board in 2020.
Farida Graham
Director
Farida is the Executive Director of the Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School. Farida began her career teaching English as a Second Language and Mathematics and later became the principal of KIPP Academy Lynn Middle School. Additionally, Farida is a recipient of the Sontag Prize in Urban Education, the UP Education Network Excellence in Teaching Award, and the Teach For America Alumni Excellence in Teaching Award. In October 2013, Farida was one of two Teach Plus Policy Fellows to meet with President Obama about standardized testing in classrooms. Farida earned her B.A. from the University of Connecticut, and her M.Ed from Boston University. A proud supporter of MA charter public schools, Farida joined the MCPSA Board of Directors in 2023.
Barish Icin
Director
Barish joined PCSS in 2010 as the Executive Director and now serves as the Chief Executive Officer. In 2011, Barish was named as a Lynch Leadership Academy Fellow. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Koc University, a Master of Arts from Princeton University, and Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from Boston College. Barish joined the MCPSA Board in 2016.
Nicole Mack
Director
Nicole is the Executive Director at the Conservatory Lab Charter School in Dorchester. She holds a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from the University of Massachusetts, and a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education from Boston University. Nicole is also currently Co-Chair of Boston Compact, which connects district, charter, and Catholic schools to facilitate engagement and change in the Boston education sector. Nicole joined the MCPSA Board of Directors in 2024.
Modesto Montero-Forman
Director
Modesto is the Founder and Executive Director at Libertas Academy Charter School in Springfield. He holds a Master of Education in Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UMass Amherst. An engaged community advocate, Modesto joined the MCPSA Board of Directors in 2023.
Jenna Ogundipe
Director
Jenna is the Executive Director at the Boston Collegiate Charter School in Boston. She holds a Master of Education from the University of Massachusetts Boston, and a Bachelor of Arts in History with an Education Concentration from Dickinson College. Jenna joined Boston Collegiate in 2002 and has extensive experience as an administrator and academic leader. Jenna joined the MCPSA Board of Directors in 2024.
Bill Spirer
Director
Bill is the Founder & Executive Director of Springfield Prep Charter School in Springfield. He holds a Juris Doctorate from the Brooklyn Law School, a Master in the Science of Teaching from Pace University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Bates College. A passionate educator dedicated to improving outcomes for all students to have a lifetime of learning and opportunity, Bill joined the MCPSA Board of Directors in 2024.
Heather Zolnowski
Director
Heather has been the Executive Director of the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter School since 2018, and has been with the school since 2007. She has worked in education for the past 20 years in a variety of capacities. Heather is currently working on her EdD from Northeastern University, and holds an MA from The College of William and Mary and a BA from Western New England College. Heather joined the MCPSA Board in 2021.
START A CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOL
Interested in founding a charter public school in Massachusetts? We have you covered. All of the necessary information, including a schedule for key deadlines, is available on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website.
To learn more, please reach out to Erica Brown, MCPSA’s Chief of Policy & School Supports.
Join Our Team
Director of Government Affairs
Reporting to the Chief of Public Affairs, the Director of Government Affairs will play an integral role within MCPSA’...
