Closing bad charters isn’t the only challenge

Closing bad charters isn’t the only challenge

The Fordham Institute’s Adam Emerson emphasizes the critical role that new schools must play in the transformation of one million lives.

The One Million Lives Campaign launched in the fall by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers has captured popular (and media) attention, mostly for its call to shutter the worst-performing charter schools. But that’s only half of its purpose. The point of “One Million Lives,” as its name suggests, is to create the conditions that allow a million kids a seat in at least 3,000 high-performing schools.


Most Recent Posts
Research on School Closure Messaging: What Works
Five years ago, I was the COO at a charter school, and something was becoming increasingly obvious: we consistently did not have enough students enrolling to fill all our seats....
Better Together: Reflections from the DCSC Convening
I attended the Diverse Charter Schools Coalition (DCSC) convening earlier this month, and I’ve been reflecting on what stayed with me most. This year’s theme was “Better Together.” DCSC even...
2026 NACSA Leaders Program Cohort
Meet the newest members of NACSA’s Leaders Program. These leaders are committed to building systems that are transparent, equitable, and grounded in quality. Bridgett Abston Bridgett Abston is the Director...