Q&A with CSRB member and state leader Dr. Shelly L Shope

The former chief education officer (CEO) of Pinnacle Classical Academy in Shelby, NC, Shelly Shope is also a leader in North Carolina’s charter school movement. The North Carolina General Assembly appointed Dr. Shope to the state’s Charter Schools Review Board in 2021. She also serves as vice chair on the executive committee of the Coalition Board of Directors.

On August 31, Shope retired from her role as Pinnacle’s CEO. What’s next? Kristen Blair, the Coalition’s communications director, connected with Shope just before her official retirement to hear about her plans, her views on the efficacy of the charter model, the current charter landscape in North Carolina, and more.

 We include the full interview below.