By Jeremy Duda | Arizona Mirror
Arizona Charter Schools Association President and CEO Eileen Sigmund is leaving the organization after more than 11 years at its helm.
Sigmund told the Arizona Mirror that, after more than a decade as the association’s head, it was time for a change in leadership. She said that she and Jay Heiler, the chairman of the association’s board, have been discussing her potential departure for more than a year.
Sigmund’s last day with the association will be Nov. 30.
In a letter on Wednesday sent to the association’s mailing list, Heiler praised Sigmund’s work with the organization. When she first joined the Arizona Charter Schools Association, it was still in its infancy, he wrote. Since then, he continued, charter school enrollment has tripled in Arizona, and the association has its own headquarters, is in a strong financial position, provides operating expertise for charter schools, and “has developed data capabilities which have advanced the educational discussion for our entire state.”
“Eileen’s relentless energy, her passionate leadership and her heart for children have contributed immeasurably to Arizona’s educational landscape, and she has made a gift of these things to countless thousands of students she will never meet,” Heiler wrote.
