Andrew Broy Named President of Illinois Network of Charter Schools

CHICAGO, Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The Illinois Network of Charter Schools' Board of Directors today announced the appointment of Andrew W. Broy as its new President. Prior to his appointment, Andrew Broy served as the Associate State Superintendent of Schools with the Georgia Department of Education where he was in charge of charter school authorization for the State and worked directly with the state legislature on education policy. During his tenure, the number of charter schools in Georgia increased from 34 to 122 and the State was awarded several charter policy awards by national organizations, including the National Association of Charter School Authorizers. Today the 64,949 students served by Georgia's charter sector outpace traditional public school students on state academic performance indicators while serving a population that is more likely to be economically disadvantaged.

Chairman of the INCS Board David Weinberg described Broy as a leader who understands the transformative role charter schools can play in supporting academic excellence. "We're very excited about the expertise that Andrew will bring to INCS," said David. "The search for new leadership has given us time to reflect on our past victories and coming challenges. From the approval of the Charter School Reform Act of 2009 to the recent vote to open a charter school in Peoria, INCS took important steps over the last twelve months. We eagerly look forward to the vigor that hiring Andrew represents for us, and we're confident that we found someone equal to the tasks ahead. We will continue to support and advocate for charter schools as always, and we're excited for the new ideas and vision Andrew brings from his extensive experience."

"I am honored by the appointment and excited about the possibilities for enhanced public charter school options in Illinois," said Broy, who will officially join INCS in March. "I look forward to working with charter schools and educational leaders across Illinois to position charter schools as part of the State's overall school improvement efforts and to provide high quality educational opportunities for students," added Broy. "The fact that I will be able to continue this important work in my home State of Illinois is an added benefit."

In his most recent position, Broy worked directly with state leadership and was instrumental in creating the Georgia Charter Schools Commission, a single-purpose alternative authorizer dedicated to authorizing charter schools and ensuring that students enrolled in such schools are fully funded. Just this month, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools ranked Georgia #4 in the nation for the strength and accountability of its charter law. Under his leadership, Georgia was awarded more than $17 million in 2007 to expand its charter sector.

From 2002 to 2006, Broy was an attorney in the Education, Civil Rights and Government practice in the Atlanta office of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, a national law firm. While in private practice, Broy represented clients in a wide variety of litigation matters in state and federal courts, specializing in school finance disputes, desegregation cases, and charter school law. He has also authored several amici briefs in the United States Supreme Court focusing on the limits of congressional power and has provided pro bono legal representation to the Lawyers' Committee on Civil Rights Under Law, among other organizations. Broy is a graduate of Miami University and received his J.D. with high honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law. Broy began his career as a high school English teacher and a member of Teach for America.

Founded in the fall of 2003 by and for charter schools, INCS is a statewide membership organization with 39 member schools serving 32,000 students in 81 campuses across Illinois. INCS strives to fulfill its mission to serve as the collective voice of the Illinois charter movement and to promote high-performing charter public schools by directly supporting members and by building bridges with public education stakeholders and decision-makers.

Broy comes to INCS at a critical time in the charter movement. Charters have a proven track record of success serving high need populations in Illinois. As of October of 2009, 82% of Illinois' charter school students came from low-income families, 63% of Illinois charter school students were African American, and 32% were Latino. Chicago charter students outperform on standardized tests, as well -- in 2009, 91% of K-8 charter school students posted high combined scores on statewide tests of reading, math and science, while 88% of charter high school students scored better on the Prairie State Achievement tests than students in neighboring traditional schools. The fact that Chicago charter high school students have a 5% greater chance to graduate, and that 32% more charter students attend selective college after graduation, is evidence of the need to continue providing high-quality charter school options to Illinois students.

Broy will be responsible for building on this growing momentum and ushering in an era of high-quality support for the Illinois charter sector. As an organization, INCS is uniquely poised to partner strategically and collaboratively with its members and other organizations to increase charter school growth and performance and advance student achievement in Illinois more generally. Broy also plans to continue his legal advocacy work on behalf of charter schools nationwide.

"This is a very exciting opportunity," said Broy. "I cannot wait to be part of the organization that has already done so much for educational reform in Illinois, and I relish the opportunity to ensure that the children of Illinois will be able to attend high quality, high performing charter schools."

The Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) is dedicated to improving the quality of public education by promoting and invigorating the charter school concept. The voice of the state's charter schools, INCS advocates for legislation to strengthen charter schools, educates the public about the value of charter schools, and supports the dissemination of best practices throughout the system.

INCS Logo: http://www.ereleases.com/pr/INCS.jpg

This release was issued through eReleases(TM).  For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE The Illinois Network of Charter Schools

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