Alisha Searcy on Center for Strong Public Schools

This week on The Learning Curve, co-hosts U-Arkansas Prof. Albert Cheng and Dr. Helen Baxendale of Great Hearts Academies interview longtime public education champion and Learning Curve co-host Alisha Searcy. Alisha joins the show as a guest to share her story and insights into K-12 public education reform. Herself a product of public-school choice, she discusses how those early experiences shaped her belief in accessible, high‑quality schooling for all students. Elected to the Georgia House at age 23, Alisha spent six terms crafting key education reform laws and policies, including the intradistrict transfer law and the charter school authorizer amendment, that sought to put students at the center of school reform efforts. She then transitioned into school leadership, serving as superintendent of a network of charter public schools in metro Atlanta, where she led dramatic academic improvement and operational turnaround. Drawing on both her legislative and schoolhouse experience, Alisha now leads an ambitious effort like Center for Strong Public Schools (CSPS) and CSPS Action, to support center-left state policymakers in navigating education challenges and designing student‑first public schools. In closing, she explains why the current moment presents unique opportunities to strengthen K-12 public education, especially in Southern states that are facing both pressing achievement needs and prospective school innovations.