In this month's Charter School Investor podcast, "What Charter School Leadership Looks Like'', Arkansas Military and First Responders Academy ("AMFRA") Superintendent Jason Smedley confides, "You never take the first 'No'!" - whether that means persevering to be admitted to Howard University from rural Arkansas or becoming a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps. Not to mention the "no's" encountered in leading AMFRA's introductory class to 2 years' growth in both reading and math during their first year. Interviewed by School Improvement Partnership President Alan Wohstetter, Lt. Col. Smedley highlights how leadership lessons from two decades in the Marines did not fully prepare him to lead a charter school start-up focused on providing students with a path to college or career. Support from his terrific principal, School Improvement Partnership and the Walton Foundation certainly helped.

SIP Website: ⁠www.schoolimprovementpartnership.net⁠

Arkansas Military and First Responders Academy⁠ (AMFRA) Website:

https://www.amfra9-12.org/

Arkansas Military and First Responders Academy⁠ (AMFRA) Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ArkansasMilitaryandFirstRespondersAcademy

Alan Wohlstetter on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-wohlstetter-279a00aa/⁠

LtCol. Jason Smedley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-christopher-smedley-a841b315/ SIP on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/school-improvement-partnership/