About Caissa K12

We built this firm forone client: public schools.

Specialists in public school enrollment - with a team that does the work, a method proven across the country, and a conviction that started this whole thing.

One side. One mission.

We work for publicschools. Only publicschools.

We don't work for the charters, the private schools, or theprograms competing for your students. We never have. That'snot a marketing position - it's who we are, and it's why a districtcan trust that our entire team is pulling in the same direction astheirs.

A teacher working one-to-one with a student

Public schoolsare in acompetition they neverasked for.

Charters, private schools, and voucher programs market aggressively for students. They have recruiters, budgets, and a head start. Public schools, meanwhile, are asked to do more with less while the families they depend on are courted from every direction. When a student leaves, the funding leaves - and the mission of educating every child only gets harder.

Our history

Onequestionchangedthetrajectoryofthecompany.

2009
Founded Caissa Public Strategy. Campaigns, crisis, complex communications.
It started in politics.
Caissa Public Strategy began as a political and crisis communications firm, building a foundation of grassroots campaigning expertise through years of work on regional projects. We learned how to reach people directly, earn their trust, and move them to act - one conversation at a time.
2012
First public school clients. Communications, issue campaigns, crisis management.
2016
Published Only Morons Say No Comment.
2017
First student recruitment campaigns.
A public school asked us one question.
A public school reached out with a single question that changed everything: could we connect with parents and families and build trust the same way we do with voters? With enrollment decline becoming a more prevalent issue - and with our strong belief that public schools are a public good - our team set out on a new mission.
2018
Launched Caissa K12 to represent public schools exclusively. First district campaigns along the East Coast.
2019
Launched the first performance-based enrollment campaigns in the nation.
2021
Expanded into the Southwest.
2022
Added No-Show Recovery campaigns. Published The Customer Is Not Always Right, customer service guide for public schools.
2023
Launched Chronic Absenteeism campaigns. Expanded into the Northeast.
2024
Launched the podcast Unfiltered Education.
2025
Expanded into Florida. 45,000+ students recruited and $500M+ returned to public school budgets. Published A Level Playing Field, Strategies to ensure public schools' success.
2026
Added performance-based Chronic Absenteeism and Community Recruitment campaigns for smaller districts.

Today

55,000+students recruited

$750M+returned to public school budgets

7 of the 10largest school districts in the nation served

Leadership

Thepeopledoingthework.

A cross-disciplinary team built from the worlds of education, law, campaigns, and operations.

Brian Stephens

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

A background spanning the Army, law, psychology, and education. Brian founded Caissa K12 on the conviction that public schools can compete - and win - when someone fights for their enrollment the right way.

Adrian Bond

Co-Founder, Caissa K12 President

Leads firm strategy and district partnerships, translating Caissa K12's model into results on the ground for public schools across the country.

Paige Walkup

Co-Founder, Caissa PS President

Leads Caissa Public Strategy, the political and crisis communications firm Caissa K12 grew out of.

EmaDella Conners

Chief Operations Officer

Owns the operational engine behind the firm - the systems, delivery, and standards that let Caissa K12 scale district by district without losing its edge.