Aarti began her career as a teacher and a juvenile defender before serving as an executive director and a leader on political campaigns and leading key policy and charter school initiatives at both the Georgia Charter Schools Association and the Georgia Department of Education. Topic expertise: • K–12 education policy and legislation; impact on schools/districts • Georgia’s Quality Basic Education (QBE) funding • Impact of federal education policy shifts (especially on Georgia schools) • Charter school policy and accountability • School district flexibility and innovation • Charter school authorization