Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools

What Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools does

Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools (PCPCS) is a Pennsylvania-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership coalition founded in 2005, headquartered at 222 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, PA. The organization operates as the unified statewide voice for Pennsylvania's public charter schools, representing both brick-and-mortar (~169 schools) and cyber (~14-15 schools) charter segments that collectively serve over 170,000 students. PCPCS delivers its mission through a portfolio of advocacy, training, and grant administration services rather than a unified software product.

The core service offerings include: a membership program providing legislative analysis, free professional training, education consulting, parent engagement resources, and networking events; Act 55 Board Training mandated for all Pennsylvania charter school trustees under Act 55 of 2017 (delivered in partnership with Vertex Education); administration of the $30 million federal Pennsylvania Charter Schools Program (PACSP) Grant over five years (2021-2025) supporting 18 high-quality charter schools; advocacy toolkits for families and schools; the PA Charter School Locator (interactive school finder); the 143K Rising grassroots advocacy campaign; and an annual conference (the 2025 edition marked the organization's 20th anniversary). PCPCS does not describe any proprietary technology platform; its technology footprint is limited to its website, email newsletter, social media, and the PA Charter School Locator tool.

PCPCS is funded through three revenue streams: (1) membership fees paid by Pennsylvania public charter schools (fees not publicly disclosed and vary by school), (2) donations accepted via the website through Anedot, and (3) federal grant pass-through administration under the PACSP Grant. The $30 million PACSP funding flows through to 18 sub-grantee schools across 2021-2025 and is not retained revenue. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors composed of charter school CEOs across Pennsylvania, with leadership currently provided by Interim CEO Daniel C. Camp III and an extended team of consultants including a lobbyist (Dennis Giorno / Malady & Wooten), PACSP Lead Technical Assistance Provider (Jesse Bean / Charter Choices, Inc.), PACSP Consulting Attorney (Patricia A. Hennessy), and PACSP Grant Administrative Assistant (Sharmaine Granison). Total staff headcount is approximately 5.

Name

Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools

Legal name

Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools

Website

https://pacharters.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools (PCPCS) is a Pennsylvania-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit coalition founded in 2005 that serves as the unified voice for the state's public charter schools, delivering advocacy, mandated Act 55 board training, and administration of the $30 million federal PACSP Grant to ~184 member charter schools serving 170,000+ students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Advocacy Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Authorizers & Oversight Boards (EDADABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Education (EDADALAD)

Keywords

• Charter school advocacy
• Public charter schools
• Education policy advocacy
• Board training programs
• Charter school grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Glenside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: PCPCS generates revenue through membership fees paid by Pennsylvania public charter schools. Membership fees vary among schools and members receive benefits including legislative analysis, free training, education consulting, parent engagement resources, networking events, and monthly meetings.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations through its website to support the public charter school movement in Pennsylvania.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

PCPCS is a nonprofit membership organization that serves as the statewide voice for Pennsylvania's public charter schools. It delivers legislative advocacy, professional development training (including mandatory Act 55 board training), grants administration (PACSP Grant), advocacy toolkits, and networking events to member charter schools, families, and advocates across Pennsylvania.

Product overview

Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools (PCPCS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization serving as the statewide voice for Pennsylvania charter schools. The organization does not offer a unified software product but rather provides a portfolio of advocacy, training, and grant administration services including: PCPCS Membership Program offering legislative analysis, training, and networking; ACT 55 Board Training required for charter school trustees; the PACSP Grant Program administering $30 million in federal funding; Advocacy Toolkits for families and schools; the PA Charter School Locator for finding schools; the 143K Rising grassroots campaign; Charter School Fundamentals training seminars; and an Annual Conference. These services support brick-and-mortar and cyber charter schools throughout Pennsylvania.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PCPCS Membership Program Annual membership program for Pennsylvania public charter schools providing legislative analysis, free professional training, education consulting, parent engagement resources, networking events, and monthly meetings. Membership fees vary among schools.
• ACT 55 Board Training Mandatory training program for school board directors and charter school trustees pursuant to Act 55 of 2017, covering academics, finances, charter school law, personnel, operations, governance, and ethics.
• PACSP Grant Program Pennsylvania Charter Schools Program grant providing $30 million over five years (2021-2025) to support development, expansion, and replication of 18 high-quality public charter schools across Pennsylvania.
• Advocacy Toolkits Resource toolkits for families and schools providing information on charter school accountability, special education, transportation needs, dual enrollment, and legislative advocacy.
• PA Charter School Locator Interactive map-based school finder tool allowing families to search for Pennsylvania charter schools by location with filtering by search radius up to 500 miles.
• 143K Rising Campaign Grassroots advocacy campaign designed to elevate voices of charter school families and influence policy decisions affecting Pennsylvania charter schools.
• Charter School Fundamentals Seminar In-person seminar providing guidance on starting a quality charter school with expert advice and information on the charter school application and approval process.
• Annual PCPCS Conference Annual conference bringing together educators, leaders, and changemakers for workshops, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities. The 2025 conference marked the organization's 20th anniversary.

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vertex EducationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVertex Education provides integrated services tailored to charter schools' unique journeys. They partner with PCPCS to deliver Act 55 board training programs as part of the coalition's professional development offerings for charter school governance.
• Lumen Impact GroupminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLumen Impact Group supports charter school leaders and teams in strategic thinking, defining paths forward, and forging cohesive thriving cultures. They provide leadership and team development services.
• Charter Choices, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJesse Bean, Partner and Principal at Charter Choices, Inc., serves as the PACSP Lead Technical Assistance Provider for PCPCS, offering strategy consulting including long-range planning, school start-ups, executive coaching, and board training.
• Patricia A. Hennessy (Education Law Attorney)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPat Hennessy serves as PACSP Consulting Attorney, providing legal counsel on charter school applications, startup, ongoing operations, special education, employment litigation, and federal legal issues (ESSA/ESEA, IDEA, Section 504).
• Malady & WootencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDennis Giorno serves as PCPCS lobbyist, providing government relations services including legislative advocacy before the Pennsylvania General Assembly, building relationships with legislators, and advancing favorable legislation for charter schools.
• National School Reform FacultyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPCPCS uses protocols developed by the National School Reform Faculty in Act 55 training programs to stimulate healthy and productive conversation among board members.
• Charter Board PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPCPCS draws upon Charter Board Partners' resources as reputable sources for board training content alongside Harvard Business Review and PCPCS' own extensive library.
• National Alliance of Public Charter SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPCPCS works in coordination with the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools on advocacy and policy initiatives. Pat Hennessy serves on the National Litigation Council for the National Alliance.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Illinois Network of Charter Schools: Illinois statewide charter school advocacy and support organization. Directly comparable as a state-level coalition providing legislative advocacy, training programs, and member services to charter operators.
• National Alliance for Public Charter Schools: The national advocacy and membership organization for public charter schools. PCPCS works in coordination with the National Alliance on advocacy and policy initiatives, including shared legal council membership. Directly comparable as the federal-level counterpart to PCPCS's statewide role.
• New York Charter Schools Association: State-level charter school membership and advocacy organization in New York. Directly comparable in structure: provides training, advocacy, and member services to a network of brick-and-mortar and cyber charter schools, with similar legislative engagement dynamics.
• Florida Charter School Alliance: Florida statewide charter school coalition providing advocacy, training, and member support. Directly comparable to PCPCS in operating model — a single-state 501(c)(3) coalition serving member charter schools with legislative representation and professional development.
• California Charter Schools Association: Statewide membership and advocacy coalition representing California's charter schools. Closely analogous to PCPCS in mission, member-based funding model, legislative advocacy focus, and statewide convening of charter operators.
• Texas Charter Schools Association: Statewide membership association for Texas charter schools providing advocacy, training, and grants administration support. Directly comparable to PCPCS in mission, scale, and the breadth of services offered to charter operators.
• National Charter Collaborative: A network of state charter school associations coordinating advocacy, training, and best-practice sharing across states. Directly comparable as a peer membership network focused on the same charter school advocacy space PCPCS operates in.
• Michigan Association of Public School Academies: Statewide association supporting Michigan's public charter schools (public school academies). Directly comparable in mission and structure — represents charter operators in legislative advocacy and provides training, networking, and member services.
• Ohio Coalition for Quality Education: Ohio-based coalition advocating for high-quality school choice options including charter schools. Comparable to PCPCS in operating as a state-level advocacy and member coalition serving Ohio's charter sector.

Regional players

• Education Voters of Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania-focused education advocacy organization, but with a broader public-education mandate rather than a charter-only focus. Relevant regional peer since it operates in the same Harrisburg policy arena and competes for advocacy mindshare, but is not a direct charter-focused competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pennsylvania-coalition-of-public-charter-schools

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools