Meet some of the parents and charter school supporters who helped launch Parents for Public Charter Schools:
Joanna McSpadden, John Rex Charter School parent
"I believe in the public school system and have always wanted to send my kids to public school. Unfortunately, all the traditional public schools our kids would have attended are “F’ schools. We were getting ready to send our kids to private school as an alternative, which was expensive and lacked the kind of diversity that I think is valuable for education. Then we heard about John Rex, a public charter school in downtown Oklahoma City. "
”John Rex has been a God-send to my family. Our kids receive a great education and get all the benefits of being part of the public school system. I support Parents for Public Charters because I want every parent to have the same kind of options and great experiences that my family has benefited from.”
-Joanna McSpadden
Paul Campbell, CEO of Bison Energy Services and founder of The Academy of Seminole
“I love rural Oklahoma and I want to see the families and businesses here thrive. For that to happen, I realized we would need to improve and transform our school systems. That’s why I founded a nonprofit, Advance Rural Education, focused on providing rural America with the best public education possible. Our first endeavor has been a new public charter school, the Academy of Seminole. Those students now have access to a great school that ranked first in Math in the state with respect to growth and have one of the largest waiting lists in the region. We prepare our students for life and professional success. My goal is to see more options like this for students in every part of the state.”
– Paul Campbell
Erin Barnes, principal at Epic Charter Schools and parent of Epic students
"As an Epic parent and career educator, I am very confident of two things. First, Epic attracts and retains some of the most dedicated, talented and passionate teachers in the state of Oklahoma. I am so proud of the Epic staff and what they are accomplishing. Second, for many students – including my two children – Epic is providing an alternative education model that is better suited for their needs than traditional public school. I believe in empowering students and parents with more options for getting a great education, and that’s why I support Parents for Public Charters.”
– Erin Barnes