Welcome to the FACSA website!
FACSA was established in 2003 by a small group of Florida authorizers who realized the importance of establishing a network of local authorizer experts who could help guide their colleagues through the early years of charter school authorizing in Florida. Since then, FACSA has grown and now has 65 members who represent 30 of the 47 districts who currently serve charter school students.
Our members meet monthly to provide informative and timely information sessions as well as an opportunity to discuss pressing issues. In doing so, FACSA members collaborate to ensure that only strong charter school applicants are approved; that charter schools are of high quality and able to serve all students; and that these public schools are governed and operated appropriately to honor students’ needs as well as the public interest. For dates and location of upcoming FACSA meetings see the Event Calendar.
We hope you will take some time to explore our website. You can review the large and growing bank of free authorizer resources provided by FACSA members. Florida authorizers will find many examples of work that they can readily adapt for their own use. You can also read about our latest work and consider joining upcoming events. This site is continually adding new resources, news items and information, so please visit regularly.
FACSA is the co-recipient of a federal grant that supports the work of FACSA and partner organizations in California and Colorado. This grant supports FACSA’s work and allows local authorizers to work with partners across the nation. You can read more about this important grant here.
Marianne Blair
Executive Director
Marianne Blairmarianne.blair@flauthorizers.org
Marianne was an active member and former director on the board of FACSA. During her 15 years with Volusia County Schools, she was a high school business teacher and district administrator supporting various roles designated by the superintendent. While in the district office, Marianne was a specialist for Career & Technical Education overseeing the industry certification process and later curriculum development for career programs. As the School Choice Specialist, Marianne was responsible for the variance (school choice) process, home education, DJJ programs, charter school authorizing, and other district compliance supervision.
She is currently a Professor of Accounting at Stetson University.
Vanessa Glenn
Project Coordinator
Vanessa Glennvanessa.glenn@flauthorizers.org
Vanessa Glenn has been supporting FACSA since July 2021 while also serving as the Project Coordinator for the Colorado Association of Charter School Authorizers (CACSA). In these dual roles, she provides administrative support to state executive directors and professional staff. Her work includes offering technical assistance and developing model materials to assist charter school authorizers.
In addition, Vanessa supports the Executive Director of the National Network for District Authorizing (NN4DA), contributing to web design, content updates, and event planning.
Vanessa’s involvement in public education began in 2013 with Polk County Public Schools in Bartow, Florida. There, she coordinated critical charter school functions, including high-stakes five-year reviews, contract renewals, and the application process—from applicant training through review team interviews. She also monitored compliance and academic performance for over 30 charter schools in the district.
Beyond charter oversight, Vanessa served as a Staffing Specialist, managing a wide array of human resources functions. Her responsibilities included processing ePAFs, conducting audits, assigning codes, reviewing school enrollments and staffing allocations, assessing organizational structures, and managing annual staff reappointments and position records.
From 2019 to 2021, she served as Board Treasurer for FACSA. Since 2018, she has been an active member of the Polk County Sheriff’s Advisory Council, contributing to community discussions on local issues. She also volunteered as President of the Winter Haven High School Band Boosters from 2021 to 2023, leading fundraising efforts and coordinating events to support student musicians.
Vanessa earned her Associate of Science in Business Administration from Polk State College in Winter Haven, Florida. Prior to her career in education, she worked in Virginia as an Implementation Coordinator in Information Technology at Ferguson Enterprises in Newport News, where she supported operations for over 1,500 branch locations and distribution centers.
Originally from Virginia Beach, Vanessa now lives in Clayton, North Carolina with her husband, Steve. She is the proud mother of two sons, one of whom is currently attending the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.