Today, NACSA and the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) released a report titled Untapped Expertise: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as Charter School Authorizers, calling on policymakers to increase pathways for HBCUs and their alumni to get involved in charter school authorizing, including pathways for capable HBCUs to become authorizers. Quality authorizing is a catalyst for expanding access to quality educational opportunities for students and families, especially in lower income communities and communities of color. 

HBCUs and their alumni getting involved in authorizing is a means to a critical end and one HBCUs have been doing since their inception: better educational opportunities for all students.

“Excellent schools built from the aspirations of families remains the north star and high-quality authorizing is key in achieving that end,” said NACSA president and CEO, Dr. Karega Rausch. “Authorizing well is hard work and we look forward to working with policymakers to create thoughtful pathways for willing HBCUs to be outstanding authorizers.” 

Report authors—Dr. Rausch and Curtis Valentine, Co-Director of PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools Project—argue that HBCUs are natural partners for charter schools due to their long history in education reform and pre-existing relationships. To speed up the pace of school improvement and modernization, America needs quality charter school authorizers. Since the states with the most HBCUs do not currently allow for higher education authorizers, the report’s authors call on policymakers to create pathways for capable HBCUs to become strong charter school authorizers. The report also describes other ways HBCUs and their alumni can get involved in authorizing through serving on authorizing boards, becoming authorizing staff members and more. 

Join us on Thursday, February 22 at 1:00 pm ET for a webinar on the report and the impact HBCUs will have on the future of innovation in K-12 education. Dr. Rausch and Valentine will be joined by Dr. Nina Gilbert, Director of the Center for Excellence in Education at Morehouse College and Dr. Evelyn Edney, Head of Schools, Early College School at Delaware State University. Register for the virtual event here. 

Download Untapped Expertise: HBCUs as Charter School Authorizers here.