Started From the Bottom: Overcoming Low-Performing Status at Renewal
We understand the knot in your belly when you realize your charter school will be deemed “low-performing” during its renewal year. Our panelists have successfully secured renewal for low-performing charter schools, and they are sharing battle-tested lessons from the field. The Charter Schools Act allows for the renewal of low-performing schools, and we will help you craft a playbook for a winning strategy if you encounter this situation. Attendees will learn about various academic and political challenges and leave with a solid plan for approval.
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Presented by
Chief of Staff
Green Dot Public Schools
Annabelle is Chief of Staff at Green Dot. Previously, she served as Director of Policy and Public Affairs, leading national, state, and local advocacy and building relationships with elected officials, authorizers, and advocacy groups. Before Green Dot, she worked at the NYC Department of Education, creating multi-year strategic roadmaps impacting nearly 2 million students. Her projects included charter school placement in high-need areas, borough-wide Universal Pre-K expansion, and other system-wide initiatives. Annabelle holds master’s degrees from NYU Wagner (MPA) and the Broad Residency (Ed Leadership), and undergraduate degrees in political science and Middle Eastern studies from the University of Michigan.
Superintendent/CEO
Leadership Public Schools
Dr. Daniels is the Superintendent and CEO of Leadership Public Schools, a Bay Area charter network that serves diverse communities through its campuses in Hayward, Oakland, and Richmond. He brings three decades of experience in public education and is committed to equity, innovation, and student success, following the motto, “Forward is the pace, no matter what.”
He holds three degrees from UC Berkeley: a B.A. in Physical Education, an M.A., and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. He successfully guided LPS Oakland R&D and LPS Richmond through their charter renewal processes during the 2025–2026 school year.
Partner/Attorney at Law
Young, Minney & Corr, LLP
Janelle Ruley has been an ardent charter rights advocate and has assisted in the establishment and renewal of hundreds of charter schools. Janelle’s primary focus is on charter development, renewal, and revocation defense. She has represented charter schools in numerous venues, including before administrative agencies, the courts, school districts, county BOE, and the State BOE. Janelle regularly counsels clients regarding charter development, negotiations with granting agencies, compliance with public transparency laws and related policy development, as well as Local Control Funding Formula/LCAP issues, student admissions, lottery requirements, and a wide range of school safety issues.
Board Member
Shara Hegde is CEO of Alpha Public Schools, a K-12 charter network in East San José, CA. Alpha prepares first-generation students for college and careers. Hegde leads the organization's strategic direction and advocates for educational equity. She previously served as Alpha's Chief Schools Officer and founded Cornerstone Academy, a high-performing K-8 school now part of the Alpha network. Cornerstone was recognized as a California Distinguished School and a School to Watch. Hegde holds degrees from Brown, Stanford, and the Reach Institute. She was named California Charter School Leader of the Year in 2023.Ms. Hegde serves as Chief Executive Officer for Alpha Public Schools, a TK-12 network of charter schools in San Jose, CA, focused on preparing students for college and career. In this role, she provides leadership, vision, and strategic direction for the organization. Before assuming the role of CEO, she served as Alpha’s Chief Schools Officer, directing the academic program vision and providing coaching and management to several key senior leaders.