Ken is a native of Mississippi who has lived in Louisiana for the past 10 years, a respected education leader in Baton Rouge, and a national expert on quality charter school policy.
Ken brings decades of experience creating exceptional education opportunities for children to his position at IDEA. Most recently, Ken was the President of Black Alliance for Educational Options, Inc. (BAEO). BAEO is one of the leading education reform advocacy organizations in the nation. Under Ken’s leadership BAEO created, protected, and advocated for high-quality school options in some of America’s most underserved communities. Ken’s proven commitment to children – all children – makes him a perfect fit for IDEA Public Schools.
Prior to BAEO, Ken worked as the Director of Charter Schools for the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE). Ken is responsible for creating many of the systems, policies and best practices that created a high-quality charter sector in Louisiana. His experience and expertise as a former authorizer is widely recognized and highly coveted. Ken routinely advises the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and the National Association of Charter School Authorizers on standards, practices, and policies.
Ken’s work in Baton Rouge has already begun as he will manage all of IDEA’s efforts to open our Southern Louisiana region successfully and on time in 2018. Ken’s work will include securing a charter, identifying school sites, raising the funds necessary to build and sustain a new region, and recruit, hire, and train an exceptional local team to staff our schools. Most importantly, Ken will use his deep personal and professional experience in Southern Louisiana to develop community relationships and partnerships that will allow us to serve students well.
