Director of Student Services Matt Patterson Appointed to the California Practitioners Advisory Group

On February 9th, Director of Student Services Matt Patterson was officially sworn into the California Practitioners Advisory Group. This group is overseen by the State Board of Education and selects representatives from all areas of education – Administrators, teachers, parents, school board members and more – to provide input to the SBE in order to make informed decisions regarding policy implementation.

The open position with CPAG was initially proposed by Chief Academic Officer Dr. Micah Studer in the 2022-23 school year. After a statewide search, Matt was one of only four people selected and will represent charter schools as a charter school leader and Administrator.

“Director Patterson’s selection reflects a recognition of his unwavering commitment to excellence and his ability to inspire positive change. With a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the challenges facing our education system, this appointment underscores his leadership prowess and dedication to shaping a brighter future for education,” says Dr. Studer.

Now, Matt has the important job of receiving the information that’s coming down from different programs, organizations and legislators and soliciting feedback from Visions stakeholders to then bring back to the SBE in order to inform their decision-making.

“I’m coming into the CPAG position with the unique lens of our school and our needs as they relate to student outcomes,” says Matt. “I now have the ability to connect with all of our folks, be a listening ear, and bring the voice of Visions and the interests of our students and families to the State Board of Education and the California Department of Education.”

Looking Ahead

Matt will be serving a 3-year term with CPAG and in his position, has committed to doing the on-the-ground work in order to provide feedback on things such as the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), the California School Dashboard, federal programs and more.

He attended his first official meeting on February 9th (see the recording here – Director Patterson is sworn in at 03:45) and is looking forward to representing Visions and our students during his term.

“One of the things I’m most proud to represent is our foster student population,” says Matt. “I was a foster kid myself, and I firmly believe that where we start doesn’t determine where we end. I am honored to serve in this role to support the continuous improvement of equitable education services for all students.”