Nanette Lehman-Merrill
Nanette Lehman-Merrill is the Executive Director of the Idaho Charter School Association, where she provides strategic leadership, advocacy, and operational support for public charter schools across the state. She began her career as a classroom teacher in traditional public schools and progressed into school administration, gaining extensive experience leading academic programs, staff development, and school culture initiatives that supported student success. She later transitioned into the charter school sector, and in July 2025, she assumed her current role as Executive Director. She holds an Education Specialist degree in School Administration and Leadership and a Master’s degree in Mathematics Curriculum and Instruction from Walden University, reflecting her strong foundation in both instructional excellence and educational leadership.
Throughout her career, Nanette has demonstrated a deep commitment to expanding educational opportunities for students through school choice and high-quality programming. She previously served as a charter school leader at a college-preparatory charter school and has since gained a broader perspective of the diverse educational pathways available to students, including programs supporting pregnant and parenting teens, American classical education models, and career and technical education programs that help students earn industry licenses and certifications. She is passionate about ensuring that school choice options provide both strong academic outcomes and meaningful preparation for purposeful postsecondary and career success. In her current role, she works with charter schools statewide, focusing on advocacy, policy development, and building strategic partnerships that strengthen the charter sector.
In addition to her leadership responsibilities, Nanette is highly active in community and legislative engagement efforts. She attends school events, legislative and business networking functions, and community gatherings to build relationships that support charter schools and highlight the impact of students and educators. She is deeply committed to advancing educational equity, innovation, and access to high-quality learning environments. Her professional mission centers on supporting families in finding the educational pathways that best meet their children’s needs while helping ensure that charter schools continue to provide excellent academic experiences and opportunities for students to build successful, meaningful lives after high school.
• Oregon Teacher of the Year
• Boise State University - BEd, Elementary Education and Teaching
• Walden University - M.Ed.
• Walden University - Ed.S.
• Published in a book
• 2013 Oregon Teacher of the Year
• Supporting Idaho public charter schools through evening events and school showcases
• Attending legislative dinners
• Supporting Idaho Leaders in Ag auction
What do you attribute your success to?
I honestly think it's what we've been talking about. I attribute much of my success to strong servant leadership mindset. I have a genuine desire to serve and support others, which really motivates me to be a problem solver and pursue high standards in my work. I also think I have a pretty high level of emotional intelligence, and I bring that to my leadership, which really allows me to navigate challenges thoughtfully and really remain resilient when setbacks occur. Back to that grit, right? And so, rather than being discouraged by obstacles, I stay focused on solutions, and I continue working toward meaningful results. I think it all ties together with that servant leadership mindset and my emotional intelligence, that I'm not gonna quit. I have a lot of grit. I'm not gonna let barriers get in my way. That's what women just naturally have, and that's that servant leadership mindset.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
The advice I would give to young women entering education, or any industry, is to exercise grit when times get tough. You know, nothing worthwhile is ever easy, for sure, and if you truly believe in something, pursue it with determination, and make it happen. When I'm working with newer teachers, I see they have a harder time digging really deep, and if they embrace that growth mindset, that it will help them navigate those setbacks and see them as opportunities to learn, improve, and move forward with confidence. We just want them to be confident and really have grit when things get tough. Don't quit. Use grit and resilience, and keep your path strong. Things don't get easier, they get harder, and we have to develop that grit to be able to do hard things.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
School of Choice is really prominent right now and represents a huge opportunity in our country today. Parents now have choices that we didn't have when I was raising my children - they went to the local school. But now parents have choices, and as executive directors like myself, we're trying to make sure that those choices that parents are selecting from not only meet their child's individual needs, but they're of a high quality. We're making sure that they're providing academic success, as well as preparing students to have this purposeful life after high school. There's a lot of choice out there, so how can we make sure that those choices are healthy and safe and strong for our children? That's the work that we're trying to do in the charter sector. We love the opportunities that are available in School of Choice, but we just want to make sure that they're of high quality, because our children deserve it. Our children deserve a high-quality education. The jobs that are available today are not going to be available in 10 years, so we need to focus on critical thinking and helping students be problem solvers and developing grit.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Family is paramount to me. I have 10 grandchildren, and really just spending time with family is really important to me. What I have really, really tried in this latest role is finding that balance between personal and professional. When you're in education, it's not something that you leave at the door of your office - you take it home. My husband and I know that it never shuts off unless we shut it off, and so we try really, really hard to really devote time to each other when we're outside of our offices. I'm working really hard to find that balance and really devoting personal time to my family, to my children, my grandchildren, and specifically my spouse. I love my state of Idaho, and whatever I can do to elevate it, that's what I'm going to spend my time on. I really focus on the state that I'm working in and representing.
Locations
Idaho Charter School Association
Merridian, ID 83642