National Ed Reform Leader to Idaho Charter School Network

BOISE, Idaho, July 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the nation's most respected voices in education reform will be taking the lead of the Idaho Charter School Network this fall.

The Idaho Charter School Network (ICSN) announced today that Terry Ryan, formerly vice president for Ohio Programs and Policy at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, will become the organization's new president this fall.

As President of the ICSN, Ryan will focus on improving quality, expanding choices, strengthening accountability and accelerating innovation and smart growth within Idaho's charter sector. Ryan will also lead the ICSN's broader efforts to improve the academic achievement of all Idaho students to ensure they graduate from high school fully prepared for college or their chosen career path.

"Idaho is on the move when it comes to improving education, and the charter school sector is a key driver of the improvements," said Ryan. "It is a privilege and an honor to lead the Idaho Charter School Network during this exciting time of school improvement efforts, and I look forward to working with the state's charter school leaders, educators, supporters, families and students in making Idaho an acknowledged school reform leader in the nation."

Ryan comes to the Idaho Charter School Network with extensive experience in education reform. As vice president for Ohio Programs and Policy at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, Ryan was responsible for all Fordham operations in Ohio, including leading state research and policy efforts in the state capital, raising and overseeing grant dollars and overseeing Fordham's charter school authorizer efforts resulting in the establishment of 11 charter schools serving about 2,700 student. In addition, Ryan has helped launch and lead a number of school reform initiatives and organizations including the Ohio Common Core Coalition, the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools and the Ohio Authorizer Collaborative.

"Terry is a tireless advocate for making sure every family has the opportunity to send their children to high-quality public schools and I'm sure his leadership of the charter school community in Idaho will mean great things for schoolchildren and charter schools alike," said Nina Rees, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

"I am thrilled to have the educational policy experience and knowledge that Terry Ryan will bring to Idaho's charter schools," said Don Keller, a member of the ICSN Board of Directors and the principal of Sage International School in Boise. "I am looking forward to working with him on behalf of all of Idaho's students."  

Ryan began his career in education as a teacher in Poland and worked with the Polish Ministry of Education and the Foundation for Education for Democracy in the mid-1990s. He was awarded the Paterson International Fellowship from the University of Denver in 1994 and was a research director for the UK-based 21^st Century Learning Initiative. Ryan was a 2008 New Schools Venture Fund/Aspen Institute Fellow and is a research fellow with the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Ryan holds a bachelor's degree in history from Eastern Illinois University and a master's degree in political economy from the University of Denver's Graduate School of International Studies.

About the Idaho Charter School Network

The Idaho Charter School Network is the state's only charter support organization, comprised of public charter schools, charter authorizers, business leaders, community leaders, foundations and individual citizens. The Idaho Charter School Network supports member charter schools through performance audits, technical assistance, leadership training, legislative outreach and advocacy. The Network supports efforts to grow the number of high quality schools, improve student performance and growth, and ensure comprehensive accountability for all Idaho public schools, including charters.

Currently, there are more than 40 tuition-free, public charter schools in Idaho, serving nearly 18,000 students and their families. For more information, please visit http://www.idahocharterschoolnetwork.com.

SOURCE Idaho Charter School Network