ABOUT

US

We believe in Alabama’s children. All of them. Every child has a fundamental right to a quality school.

Our mission is to support the growth of excellent public charter schools in Alabama to ensure that every child has access to a quality public education.

At New Schools for Alabama, we believe every child has a fundamental right to attend a quality school offering a safe, supportive, and academically-challenging environment. Unfortunately, abundant evidence shows that far too many students in Alabama today do not have access to such a school, especially students of color and students in low socioeconomic communities.

New Schools for Alabama was established to rectify this injustice. We will do so in an inclusive, collaborative manner, by recruiting high-caliber leaders to establish new schools in underserved communities and by fostering a policy environment that supports the growth of excellent charter schools in high-need areas throughout the state. We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit, public charity organization created to serve kids in Alabama.

WHAT WE DO

We support the growth of excellent charter schools in Alabama

by working within 4 Strategic Pillars.

New school development.

We recruit high-quality charter school operators and develop homegrown leaders to build great schools throughout Alabama.

Technical assistance.

We provide applicants and operators with expert guidance on technical needs such as developing an application, finding a facility, managing the back-office, and more.

Community Engagement.

We ensure that parents and communities have access to clear information about school quality and the benefits that other options may present.

Policy Advancement.

We work with policymakers and administrative agencies to ensure that the regulatory landscape is supportive of high-quality charter schools.

OUR STRATEGY

OUR TEAM

ShaElla Askew

COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATE

As founder of the communications firm, Hashtag Consulting, ShaElla has extensive experience managing social media platforms for entrepreneurs and organizations. She loves communicating with target audiences and, more specifically, has a passion for social media.

Tyler Barnett

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Tyler started his career in the classroom, and after earning his law degree, he worked for two state departments of education. He previously served as Charter School Director for the Arkansas Public School Resource Center, and prior to founding New Schools for Alabama, he served as State Policy Director for KnowledgeWorks.

Jackie Bretl

DIRECTOR OF LEADER DEVELOPMENT

Jackie is a former teacher and school leader, serving in various elementary, middle and high school communities around the country. She is most passionate about building and leading systems at the program, school and district level that use data in innovative ways to improve equitable learning experiences for all children.

Mike Brown

CHIEF SCHOOLS OFFICER

Mike is a school leader at heart, having been a school leader with KIPP, a principal at the Tennessee Achievement School District, and Chief Schools Officer with Freedom Preparatory Academy in Memphis. He also served as Executive Director of the Freedom Fellows Institute.

Melanie Haynes

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT

Having spent three years in a private school system and seven years in various roles within a newly formed Alabama public school system, Melanie brings a strong understanding of what it takes to start a school and how to support school leaders. She has a passion for education and uses that by providing financial and accounting expertise to school leadership.

Michelle Locke

FINANCE MANAGER

Michelle brings 19 years of experience in school finance to the NSFA team. Michelle's varied roles as the Coordinator of Finance & Operations with Alabama Association of School Boards for 8 years and her work in school finance bring expertise to the NSFA team. In addition, Michelle holds several certifications through the Alabama Association of School Business Officials (AASBO).

Candie A. Mitchell-Price

CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

In addition to founding her own national magazine, Candie has led communications and PR strategy for numerous organizations. She is also a former high school and middle school teacher for Birmingham City Schools.

Russell Raney

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Russell brings extensive experience to the financial services at New Schools for Alabama, having served as Chief School Financial Officer with multiple school districts in Alabama. He has also holds numerous relevant certifications and has served as finance director for the Alabama Association of School Boards.

Chris Reynolds

SENIOR ADVISOR

Chris is a former CPA with an extensive background in charter school leadership, nonprofit management, and philanthropy. He has founded multiple high-performing charter school networks and supported the development of a national facilities funding strategy.

Natalie Tucker

CHIEF OF STAFF

Natalie's experience as part of a school founder team (as a teacher, school administrator and district administrator) led her to find her niche in organizational strategy and growth. Natalie has worked with both young learners and adult learners throughout her career as a classroom teacher and as a professional learning designer and facilitator.