Concordia Charter School is the dream of founders Margaret Roush-Meier and Dale Kvittem-Barr. It is but one component of a community development program that will partner with local social service agencies and faith-based organizations to extend the choice of a high-quality educational opportunity for neighborhood children in an urban setting.

Margaret Roush-Meier, M.Ed.

Margaret Roush-Meier graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. She is recognized locally and nationally for her expertise in charter school management and leadership.

As one of the founders of Northland Preparatory Academy in Flagstaff, which opened in 1996, Ms. Roush-Meier also opened two charter schools in Columbus, Ohio, and worked with the largest charter school authorizer in Ohio as a consultant to their sponsored schools in the area of regulatory compliance and technical assistance.

Ms. Roush-Meier has been involved with the charter school industry in Arizona since 1994, working on the original enabling legislation, policy implementation, advocacy, and school governance. She is best known as the former Executive Director of the Arizona Charter Schools Association, where she worked on behalf of all charters in the state as well as nationally as a founding board member of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. She has worked with the U.S. Department of Education on grant reviews and special education policy, and presented at numerous state and national conferences and workshops.

A longtime community activist, Ms. Roush-Meier was a member of numerous community redevelopment efforts, ran for the state legislature, worked with international Olympic athletes and the High Altitude Training center, has traveled to Romania to work with orphans, helped rebuild houses in Slidell, Louisiana, after Hurricane Katrina, and volunteers regularly in serving the needs of the homeless and disenfranchised.

Mission

The mission of Concordia Charter School is to provide families a choice for a high quality education for their child(ren) in a safe, caring and harmonious environment.

Vision

In order to carry out its mission Concordia Charter School will:

• Educate children, regardless of ethnic, cultural or social-economic class, to become fully literate, productive citizens of our society.
• Offer children opportunities to excel beyond the guidelines outlined in the Arizona State Educational Standards.
• Create and nurturing environment for learning.
• Create and nurture meaningful relationships with parents so they can be a partner in their child's education.

• We believe all children can learn.
• We believe children learn in unique ways and at different rates.
• We believe all children can excel if given the opportunity.
• We believe parents have an important role to play in the education of their children.
• We believe quality education need not cost more if done correctly.
• We believe all children, regardless of their ethnic, cultural or social-economic class, deserve an education that prepares them to be literate members of our society.
• We believe all children deserve and opportunity to choose a school that best serves their educational needs within a value set that honors their cultural identity.
• We believe all children deserve to be loved and cared for.

• Equality - We affirm the worth and spiritual freedom of each person and treat all people with respect, integrity and dignity.
• Compassion - We embrace the whole person and respond to emotional, ethical and spiritual concerns, as well as educational needs in our commitment to unselfishly care for others.
• Excellence - We empower people to continually improve the outcomes of our service, to advance quality and to increase innovation and openness to new ideas.
• Partnership - We collaborate as staff, teachers, volunteers and community leaders to utilize the talents and creativity of all persons.
• Stewardship - We are responsible and accountable for all we are, have and do.