Laurie Gardner, Co-Director

Biographical Information

Laurie Gardner is the Co-Director of the Charter Schools Development Center (CSDC) in Sacramento, California. Gardner has been involved with the charter school movement since its passage into law in Massachusetts in 1993. Her areas of expertise include standards, curriculum, assessment, school governance and leadership, accountability for charter schools and sponsors, and an in-depth grasp of the practical details of charter school operation and charter school legislation. Gardner has written and published extensively on a variety of charter school-related topics and issues, including news articles, technical "how-to" materials for charter school developers, operators, and sponsors, and in-depth charter school policy analyses. She is a frequent presenter at state and national education conferences and charter school groups, advises local, state and national-level policymakers, and provides extensive consulting services to charter school developers and sponsors. Gardner serves on the board of CharterVoice, a grassroots charter school advocacy organization. She formerly served on the boards of the North Oakland Community Charter School in Oakland and Gateway Charter High School in San Francisco, the Harvard Graduate School of Education Alumni Board, and the Advisory Board of the California Network of Educational Charters (CANEC). She and CSDC were awarded the Hart Vision Award for outstanding service to the charter school movement in California.

Prior to joining CSDC, Gardner was a principal and teacher in two Pilot high schools in inner city Boston. Her work included developing extensive student performance standards, coaching Coalition of Essential Schools staff on student-centered learning and authentic assessment, coaching governing boards, and creating a consortium for urban high schools. She also consulted to charter school development groups and non-profit organizations. She received her B.A., Masters in Education, Teaching Certification, and Principal Certification from Harvard University.