Aracely Chastain

Aracely Chastain

2018 NACSA Leader

Coordinator, Orange County Department of Education

Aracely Chastain serves as the Coordinator for the Charter Schools Unit of the Orange County Department of Education in California, where she is responsible for continuous oversight, regulatory guidance and new charter school approval. In this role, she serves as the primary liaison for a portfolio of charter schools while focusing on collaboration to strengthen compliance and equity. Aracely began her career with the OCDE in 2001, as a supervisor overseeing case management for the alternative payment childcare program and then as a project manager conducting oversight for district and school legislative compliance. Prior to her current role, she served as communications specialist for the department. She began her career in education as a bilingual instructional aid after graduating high school and later as a substitute teacher in secondary education, both in the same school district in which she attended public school. Aracely holds an M.A. in Organizational Leadership and a Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management from Chapman University, and a B.A. in Psychology.


Most Recent Posts
NACSA’s Statement on the FY24 Budget Signed by President Biden
Statement from NACSA president and CEO, Dr. Karega Rausch on the FY24 budget signed by President Biden: “We appreciate that Congress and President Biden continue to recognize the important role...
NACSA Celebrates Guerschmide Saint-Ange as Pahara Fellow
Guerschmide Saint-Ange, NACSA’s Chief Operating and Talent Officer, was recently named as a Pahara Institute fellow. This highly selective cohort-based program, “identifies exceptional leaders in the educational excellence and equity...
NACSA’s Statement on President Biden’s FY2025 Budget Proposal
Dr. Karega Rausch, NACSA president and CEO, issued the following statement on President Biden’s FY2025 budget proposal. NACSA remains committed to ensuring access to high-quality public schools for all students....