Charlene Reid chose to be a public school educator, she said, because of her dual beliefs in “social justice” and “impact.”

But after teaching in public schools in Los Angeles and New York City, she realized that to achieve an impact on the scale she imagined, she would have to leave the classroom.

“I wanted to give more kids access to an opportunity — a high-quality education — and one class a year wasn’t enough,” she said. “I realized I could reach more students if I became a leader and worked with teachers and parents.”

In 2007, Reid took over the Bronx Charter School for Excellence as principal. Under her leadership, the school became the first Blue Ribbon school in the Bronx.

From the start, she said, she viewed it as a community school that valued family engagement and active community engagement. Today, she is the CEO of an emerging charter school network built around the same idea. Her network includes three schools — two in New York City and one in Connecticut — and her plan is to build a tri-state network in the coming years with schools in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey.

Reid was a member of the first cohort of charter management organization leaders to enter the Charter School Growth Fund’s Emerging CMO Fund, a fund specifically designed to support new leaders of color, which is supported by the Walton Family Foundation.

Reid said the Fund has helped her to build a national network of education leaders who are working hard to be catalysts for change. The opportunity has helped her tap into the Charter School Growth Fund’s expertise as she’s thought about expansion.

The deadline for 2016 applications to the Emerging CMO Fund is February 12. Potential applicants can learn more or apply online.