NACSA Blog

NACSA Blog

Press Releases


National Association of Charter School Authorizers Strongly Supports Public Charter School Program Reauthorization

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) endorses the efforts of Chairman John Kline (R-MN) and Senior Democrat Bobby Scott (D-VA) to reauthorize NCLB (No Child Left Behind) and strongly supports …


Press Statement on 1/21 US Senate HELP Committee Hearing ESEA Testing and Accountability

In response to the U.S. Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) Committee hearing on testing and accountability, (scheduled for 9:30 am, Wednesday, January 21, 2015), Greg Richmond, President and CEO of …


Massachusetts Audit Obscures Successful Charter School Outcomes

The audit released today by the Massachusetts State Auditor of the administration of the charter school program by the Board of and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE and DESE) misses …


NACSA Launches New Communications Effort

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers is pleased to announce that Jobi Cates has joined the organization as Vice President of Communications. Cates comes to NACSA from Human Rights Watch, where …


NACSA Applauds Focus on Student Outcomes and Serving At-Risk Students

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) welcomed today’s release of the National Alliance for Public Charter School’s (the Alliance) new national report on charter school performance. “The Alliance report offers …


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 …


How to Start Updating Your New School Application to Reduce the Paper Burden

Most authorizers will need some time to make NACSA’s suggested improvements to their new school application process. Here are some ideas on where to start.  1. Focus on the vision for your …