Piercy to Represent State's Charter Schools
By Emily Berg, Staff Writer
APPLE VALLEY - Rick Piercy, founder of the Academy for Academic Excellence charter school in Apple Valley, will represent the state's 471 charter schools on the board of directors of the California Charter Schools Association.
Piercy is the fourth charter-school operator the membership has appointed to the board, which includes a University of California president emeritus, a member of the California Board of Education and state business leaders.
"I really think (it's) because of the outstanding work our teachers and students have done here," said Piercy, also the chief executive officer of the Lewis Center for Educational Research.
The newly formed association grew out of the network of state charter schools, the California Network of Educational Charters. The new charter-school association will provide charter schools with the resources and tools they need to be high-quality schools. It also plans to protect charter schools from inappropriate or unnecessary legislation, Piercy said.
Piercy's innovation and creativity has provided unique educational opportunities for students in the High Desert, said Caprice Young, CEO of the association.
"As a member of the California Charter Schools Association's board of directors, Rick will ensure that high-quality charter schools of all educational models succeed," Young said.
Used with permission by Daily Press, Freedom Communication 2004