Book room by October 5, 2026 for the special rate.
Get ready to tune into an unforgettable conference experience! Whether you’re just learning to read the music of authorizing or are a seasoned performer, NACSACon 2026 meets you exactly where you are.
Connect with hundreds of fellow charter school authorizers, school leaders, and public education professionals as you gain actionable insights and practical tools to amplify your work.
Shaka Mitchell is a Nashville-based lawyer, facilitator, and national leader in education reform policy.
He is a Senior Fellow at the American Federation for Children. Prior to joining AFC Shaka was the Tennessee Regional Director for Rocketship Public Schools.
Shaka is a member of the Civil Society Fellowship (a project of the Aspen Institute) and American Mensa. He is the creator and host of the Come Together Music Project and podcast which uses the medium of music to find common ground between people from divergent political, ideological, and socio-economic backgrounds. He also serves as a co-host of the “Quality Matters” podcast.
His work has been featured in print, TV, radio, academic and online outlets and he is a multi-time TEDx Nashville speaker. He is the past-chair of the federally appointed Tennessee State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
He is an alumnus of Belmont University where he teaches American Government and Constitutional Law as an adjunct faculty member. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the Wake Forest University School of Law where he sits on the Board of Advisors for the Journal of Law and Policy. Shaka’s most important role is parenting three school-aged daughters with his wife Stephanie.
NACSACon 2026 invites attendees to explore how agency, accountability, and autonomy take shape in local public education contexts. Participants will share bold ideas about how excellence is created through deliberate choices, shared responsibility, and coordination across the broader ecosystem.
We welcome a broad range of topics, with particular interest in three priority content areas:
The submission deadline is June 1, 2026.
Designed for those new to authorizing, this interactive workshop helps participants make sense of complex responsibilities and how critical decisions fit together in practice. Through realistic scenarios and peer discussion, participants will explore different perspectives and build confidence navigating high-stakes decisions.
