A graduate of Loyola University in Chicago, Laurie Kimbrel holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction. She applies her training and experience to serve as head of school for Brookhaven Innovation Academy in Georgia. Outside of work, Laurie Kimbrel volunteers for StudentsFirst.
A nonprofit organization, StudentsFirst advocates for stronger schools across the country. The organization raises awareness through education and seeks to dispel a number of myths in the education field.
One myth is that charter schools are simply a mechanism for privatizing public education for profit. The truth is that charter schools are part of the public education system. Nonsectarian and publicly funded, charter schools cannot discriminate and must meet the same federal and state standards as other public schools.
Another myth is that charter schools hurt public schools by using public resources. While charter schools do operate with funding from local, state, and federal funds, many are underfunded compared to traditional public schools. Further, the competition that charter schools create can encourage school districts to improve their programming, leading to better outcomes for local students.
