NACSA Blog

NACSA Blog

Press Releases


Nevada Passes Legislation Creating State-Run District to Tackle Consistently Low-Performing Schools

Chicago, Ill. – Over the weekend, the Nevada legislature passed AB448, a significant piece of school reform legislation that will allow the state to transition its lowest-performing public schools to charter schools …


NACSA Says American Enterprise Institute Report on Charter School Application Process Goes too Far, Calls for Focus on Balanced Authorizing Practices

Chicago, Ill. – The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) released the following statement in response to the recommendations in a report on authorizer accountability released today by the American Enterprise …


Greater Collaboration between Charter Authorizers and Lenders Can Ease School Facility Financing Burden, Report Concludes

Chicago, Ill. – Today the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) released a joint report aimed at increasing conversation and understanding between lenders and …


Oklahoma Passes Comprehensive Charter School Reform

Unique combination of business groups, traditional schools and charter school advocates come together in the best interests for Oklahoma’s children Chicago, Ill. – Today the Oklahoma Legislature passed SB 782 , major …


National Association of Charter School Authorizers Voices Support for the Senate HELP Committee’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Reauthorization Bill

Chicago, Ill. – Today, members of the U.S. Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) Committee reported out a bipartisan Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization bill to the full Senate. …


NACSA Supports Federal Bills to Strengthen Charter School Facilities and Oversight

NACSA is pleased to support H.R. 7086, the Equitable Access to School Facilities Act, and H.R. 7082, the Fostering Learning and Excellence in Charter Schools (FLEX) Act, two bills that strengthen the …


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. In the …


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 commissioned a …


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 of Authorizing …


The National & Federal Policy Landscape: What NACSA Is Watching in 2026

At NACSA, we focus not just on what’s happening in Washington and in your communities, but what it means for authorizers, schools, students, and communities. Below is a snapshot of the key …


No Shortcuts to Student Success: The Case for Statewide Annual Assessments

When I think about why I’ve dedicated my career to advancing and strengthening the ideas and practices of authorizing, I think about the students I’ve met over the years—bright, curious young people …


Raising the Bar: NACSA’s Updated State Policy Recommendations

NACSA believes that strong laws enable strong authorizing. In turn, strong authorizing leads to strong public education outcomes for students, families, and communities. That’s why we regularly update our state policy recommendations …


A New Path Forward: NACSA’s Bold New School Application Guidance

I’ll never forget a foundational principle I learned nearly two decades ago, while authorizing in Indianapolis: It should be hard to gain approval to start a new charter school. But it needs …