The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) announced today that Greg Richmond, its President and CEO, resigned and departed the organization, and M. Karega Rausch, NACSA’s current Vice President of Research and Evaluation, will serve as acting President and CEO while the organization’s Board of Directors conducts a nationwide search for a new leader.
“After much reflection, I have come to the conclusion that the time has come for me to pass the reins of NACSA over to the next generation of leadership,” said Richmond. ”As I reflect on my 20 years with NACSA, including the last 15 years as CEO, I am proud of the work we have done and look forward to seeing great things from NACSA in the future.”
Under Richmond’s leadership, NACSA has become a leading national voice for quality charter schools and the importance of authorizing, smart oversight, and accountability. In 2012, the organization issued a five-year challenge to authorizers to proactively close failing schools and open great ones, ultimately leading to more than one million students attending better schools across the country.
“Greg Richmond has provided strong leadership for NACSA over the past 20 years,” said Scott Pearson, NACSA Board Chair and Executive Director of the DC Public Charter School Board. “As a NACSA founder, he served the organization as the founding board chair and later as its full-time CEO, helping establish NACSA as the nation’s authoritative voice for quality charter school authorizing. Throughout his nearly 20-year tenure at NACSA, he has been a powerful advocate for public charter schools. He always believed that charter school authorizing, when practiced well, can improve the education and life outcomes of millions of children. We are enormously grateful for his service.
“While we are saddened to see Greg leave, we know that Greg has built a strong and cohesive team who will carry on our mission with energy, intelligence, and integrity,” Pearson added.
NACSA’s Board of Directors will formally launch a nationwide search for a new CEO in the coming weeks. Rausch, a former authorizer with extensive education research, policy, community engagement, and strategic advocacy experience will lead the organization in the interim. Rausch has served as NACSA’s Vice President of Research and Evaluation for the last five years, as NACSA has produced numerous first-of-their-kind publications to inform and improve the work of authorizing.
“NACSA is an organization with invaluable assets and relationships,” said Rausch. “It has a strong, highly engaged Board of Directors and incredibly talented staff fully committed and able to advance our ambitious plans. NACSA, and the many authorizers and partners we work with, will continue transforming authorizing so that every child receives a high-quality education at a school that meets their unique needs.”
WHY AUTHORIZING MATTERS
Charter schools don’t just pop up in a community. Behind every charter school is an authorizer. An authorizer’s core responsibilities—approving new schools, monitoring performance, and closing failing schools—determine the overall quality of charter schools in a community. When done well, authorizing is a catalyst for charter school quality and growth. Unfortunately, the quality of charter laws and authorizing institutions varies across the country, which has led to uneven charter school quality and availability. Find out more about how good authorizing leads to great charter schools at www.authorizingmatters.org.
ABOUT NACSA
The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) is an independent voice for effective charter school policy and thoughtful charter authorizing practices that lead to more great public schools. Our research, policy, and consultation work advances excellence and accountability in the sector. With authorizers and other partners, we have built the gold standard for authorizing. Through smart charter school growth, these authorizers give hundreds of thousands of children an opportunity for a better education each year.
