Charter panel gets new appointees

Deborah Coffman, Ann Clemmer and Sonja Wright-McMurray have been appointed to the state’s Charter Authorizing Panel by Arkansas Education Secretary Johnny Key.

Coffman, the state Division of Elementary and Secondary Education’s assistant commissioner for public school accountability, replaces Ivy Pfeffer as chairman of the panel. Pfeffer is deputy commissioner of the elementary and secondary education agency.

Clemmer, the state Division of Higher Education’s senior associate director for government relations/special projects, replaces Greg Rogers, who is assistant commissioner for fiscal and administrative services in the Elementary and Secondary Education Division.

Wright-McMurray, the Division of Career and Technical Education’s associate director for career readiness/ work-based learning, replaces Angela Kremers, director of the Division of Career and Technical Education.

The charter panel position vacated by Mike Wilson has not been filled.

Remaining members on the seven-member panel include former state Board of Education members Toyce Newton of Crossett and Naccaman Williams of Springdale, and banker Phil Baldwin.

The panel evaluates and acts on applications for new open-enrollment and conversion charter schools, as well as on amendments to the charter contracts and applications for charter renewals. Decisions by the panel are subject to review by the state Board of Education.