Top left to right: Jonathan Gaines, Jr., son of Christa Thomas; Noah Mayo, son of Rahn Mayo. Bottom left to right: Zain and Zöe Turlington, children of Alicia Turlington; and Jackson Mercado, nephew of Shabaaka Smalls.
This year, three Georgia Charter Schools Association team members joined thousands of families across Georgia in choosing public charter schools for their children. After advocating for and supporting charter schools throughout the state, they experienced the enrollment process themselves, from submitting applications to navigating charter school waitlists. Like families across Georgia, they waited eagerly to learn whether their children would receive a place at the schools they hoped to attend.
Ultimately, their children made it off at least one charter school waitlist and into the classrooms they hoped to join. Their experiences highlight the strong demand for charter school seats and demonstrate once again that charter schools welcome all students and do not pick and choose who enrolls.
GCSA staff members whose children are attending charter schools for the first time this fall include Rahn Mayo, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy; Christa Thomas, Vice President of New School Development; and Alicia Turlington, Director of Membership and Events. Rahn Mayo’s son is a first grader at Drew Charter School. Christa Thomas’ son is attending kindergarten at Resurgence Hall Charter School. Alicia Turlington has a first-grade son and a second-grade daughter enrolled at Amana Academy West.
In addition, GCSA Manager of Digital Strategy Shabaaka Smalls has a nephew attending Academy for Innovation in Medicine.
These GCSA team members are excited to be part of the growing community of families who have chosen public charter schools for their children.