Carolinas Academic Leadership Network (CALN)

The Carolinas Academic Leadership Network was initially established as a joint project between the John Locke Foundation, the Palmetto Promise Institute, and the South Carolina Policy Council, three nonprofit public policy organizations that promote principles of liberty. In 2023, CALN was established as its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. ¹

Activities

The Carolinas Academic Leadership Network intends to promote academic excellence and support parental involvement in education through its professional development opportunities for school board members. CALN equips, trains, and empowers local school board members through its online and in-person events ² and provides a comprehensive list of opportunities through other organizations like the Noah Webster Educational Foundation, the Leadership Institute, the Heritage Foundation, the National School Board Leadership Council, the NC School Board Association, and Family Policy Alliance. ³

The Carolinas Academic Leadership Network states that it is focused on student achievement, prioritizing student outcomes over adult inputs. CALN bases this idea on the writings of education reform advocate A.J. Craybill, author of Great on Their Behalf. CALN is focused on K-12 education issues that include budgeting, governance, policy, and legal compliance. ⁴

Financials

As of July 2024, there are no publicly available tax returns for the Carolinas Academic Leadership Network. ⁵

People

Sam Aaron is a founding member of CALN and a policy analyst at the South Carolina Policy Council. ⁶

Wendy Damron is a founding member of CALN and the president and chief executive officer of the Palmetto Promise Institute. Damron formerly worked as a CPA at Ernst and Young and as state director at Citizens for Self-Governance. ⁷

Robert Luebke is a founding member of CALN and the director of the Center for Effective Education at the John Locke Foundation. Luebke formerly worked as director of policy at the Civitas Institute. ⁸

Board of Directors

Amy O. Cooke is a founding member of CALN and president of the board. Cooke formerly worked as the chief executive officer of the John Locke Foundation, publisher of the Carolina Journal, and executive vice president of the Independence Institute. Cooke was part of Donald Trump’s 2016 Environmental Protection Agency Transition Team. ⁹

Donald Bryson is a founding member of CALN and treasurer of the board. Bryson is the chief executive officer of the John Locke Foundation, publisher of the Carolina Journal, and a member of the American Enterprise Institute’s Leadership Network. Bryson formerly worked as the North Carolina State Director at Americans for Prosperity. ¹⁰

Bryce Fiedler is a founding member of CALN and secretary of the board. Fiedler is a senior policy analyst at the South Carolina Policy Council. ¹¹

Oran P. Smith is a founding member of CALN. Smith is a senior fellow, co-founder, and member of the board of the Palmetto Promise Institute, chair of the Academic Excellence and Student Experience Committee at Coastal Carolina University, and a commissioner on the state Commission on Higher Education. Smith formerly worked as the chief operating officer of the SC Business and Industry Political Education Committee. ¹²