American Indian Model Schools
Under the leadership of Ben Chavis (Lumbee), a Native American professor, AIPCS students made considerable progress in academic scores from 2000 to 2007, and enrollment increased at the school. The first middle school, AIPCS, received national recognition in 2007. Some of Chavis's disciplinary methods and his treatment of students and teachers generated controversy, and he resigned as principal in 2007. But the board voted to maintain him in an influential executive role at the school and with the model school system. In 2012 Chavis ended his ties with the charter system (although his children remained as students) and returned to his home state of North Carolina.
NIST International School
NIST is currently operated by a non-profit organization, the NIST International School Foundation (NIST Foundation). Former chairs of the NIST Foundation include Mechai Viravaidya and Pridiyathorn Devakula, and the current chair is Sarath Ratanavadi. The NIST Foundation chooses a board of directors, elected from the parent body, which selects the Head of School and ensures parent oversight. The current Head of School, Brett Penny, worked at NIST from 2000 to 2003 before returning and serving as the Head of Elementary from 2011 to 2016.