top of page

About Us

The Heart of the School

At The Carley School, we practice liberation and possibility through creativity, truth, and community. We challenge systems of oppression with courage and artistry, believing that justice lives in knowledge, movement, rhythm, and voice. We honor young people as experts of their own experiences, creating spaces where they can feel, express, and lead freely. We center imagination and play as pathways to new realities, embracing joy, rage, reflection, and wonder as tools for transformation. Guided by nature’s wisdom and grounded in collective care, we commit to honesty, integrity, and compassion as we learn, create, and grow toward freedom — together.

Students Playing Instruments

Our Mission

At the Carley School, knowledge drives us, radical truth defines us, and fearless expression unites us.

Our Vision

Our vision is to center liberation in the arts, using knowledge as a tool and freedom as the goal.

The Founding Collective

Clarice Bailey
Clarice Bailey

Council Steward

Nikki Blake
Nikki Blake

Archivist

Aaron SJ Greenberg
Aaron SJ Greenberg

Member

Michele Hoang
Michele Hoang

Financial Mobilizer

Ashton Patton
Ashton Patton

Technology

Our Founders

Clarice Bailey and Nikki Blake are the proud visionaries behind The Carley School, a public charter school coming to East Multnomah County, Oregon. Their mission is founded on the belief that every child deserves an education that speaks to their soul as much as their intellect. The Carley School will serve students in grades 4–8 through a rigorous, arts-centered curriculum.

Clarice Bailey
Clarice Bailey
Nikki Blake
Nikki Blake
bottom of page