In Episode 65 of The Charter School Insider Podcast, host Daniel Casselli, President at BuyQ, sits down with Cynthia Leger, Senior Director of Operations Leadership Development, at Uncommon Schools, to explore one of the most critical challenges facing charter school executives today: how to intentionally develop people at scale.

Cynthia breaks down what it really means to use a competency-based framework for leadership development—moving beyond vague performance expectations into clear, teachable, and measurable skills. Instead of relying on intuition or personality-based leadership models, Cynthia explains how schools can build systems that help every team member grow with clarity, consistency, and purpose.

This episode is a must-listen for school leaders who want to:

Build stronger leadership pipelines

Reduce burnout and turnover

Create transparent growth pathways

Align talent development with organizational goals

Whether you're developing principals, operations leaders, or central office staff, this conversation delivers practical insights you can implement immediately.

Interested in becoming a guest?

Contact us at podcast@buyq.org

Learn more: buyq.org/podcast

Health insurance renewals are shaping up to be one of the biggest financial stressors charter schools will face heading into 2026. In this episode, Daniel sits down with Gary Clark, Senior VP at HUB International and head of HUB’s national charter school health practice, to break down why this renewal cycle is projected to be the most challenging in decades—and what school executives can do right now to protect their budgets.

Gary explains the macro forces driving unprecedented premium increases: delayed inflationary impact on provider contracts, rising hospital and pharmacy costs, and a surge in million-dollar claims nationwide. He also reveals surprising insights specific to charter schools, particularly high maternity costs and rising mental health utilization.

The conversation demystifies health plan structures (fully-insured, level-funded, self-funded, and captives) and shows why choosing the right structure can unlock control, flexibility, and meaningful cost savings. Gary also shares real-world examples of charter networks that reduced costs, built reserves, and improved employee benefits through strategic plan design.

Whether you’re a CEO, CFO, HR leader, or board member, this episode gives you actionable steps to prepare for 2026, avoid budget shocks, and approach health insurance as a strategic advantage, not a liability.

Interested in becoming a guest?

Contact us at podcast@buyq.org

Learn more buyq.org/podcast

Master scheduling isn’t just a logistical task—it’s a strategic lever that shapes student outcomes, staff experience, and long-term sustainability. In this episode, Daniel sits down with Matt Troha, former COO of Mastery Charter Schools and now Partnerships Manager at Timely, to unpack why the master schedule is often the most dreaded project of the year—and how AI, data-driven models, and smarter operational design are changing everything.

With 20 years of K–12 experience, Matt walks listeners through:

-How strategic priorities must inform the instructional model.

-Why accurate enrollment projections determine financial health.

-How adult-centric constraints can unintentionally weaken student schedules.

-What zero-based scheduling can do for efficiency.

-Why traditional tools (Excel, sticky notes, whiteboards) can’t keep up.

-And how AI-powered scheduling is saving schools weeks, not days.

Charter executives will walk away with a deeper understanding of how to align mission, budget, and instruction; using a schedule as a strategic asset rather than a burden.

Interested in becoming a guest?

Contact us at podcast@buyq.org

Learn more: buyq.org/podcast