S2 E7 The Charter Wave Spreads

In this episode of Bold by Choice, co-hosts Vashaunta Harris, Jim Goenner, and Don Cooper continue tracing the spread of the charter school movement—this time turning to Arizona and North Carolina.

Two very different contexts, two very different laws—but both fueled by bold leadership and a shared belief that public schools could do better for families.

• In Arizona, Lisa Graham Keegan helped craft one of the most independent charter laws in the country, creating new authorizing structures outside of district control.

• In North Carolina, Speaker Harold Brubaker and Senator Fountain Odom championed charters as opportunities, not attacks—navigating bipartisan politics and caps on growth.

Together, these stories show how courage, context, and coalition-building shaped the next wave of chartering in America.

Key Themes

• Why the 1990s were ripe for rapid state adoption of charter laws.

• The bold design choices that made Arizona’s law stand out nationally.

• North Carolina’s unique balance of competition and opportunity.

• Leadership lessons from Lisa Graham Keegan and Harold Brubaker.

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Show Notes & Resources

• Founders Library – Oral histories, legislative documents, and original resources.

• Zero Chance of Passage by Ember Reichgott Junge – Get the book

• Arizona & NC Oral Histories – Explore interviews with Lisa Graham Keegan and Harold Brubaker.