NACSA Blog

NACSA Blog

Press Releases


National Association of Charter School Authorizers Appoints Education Leaders to National Advisory Board

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) is pleased to announce the appointment of seven distinguished professionals to its National Advisory Board. The 23- member board is comprised of leaders from …


National Survey Shows Charter School Closure Rates Dropped in 2010-2011 School Year

January 30, 2012 (Chicago, Ill.) – A report released today by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) indicates charter school closures have declined over the past three years. These findings …


NACSA Hails Congressional Action to Strengthen Charter School Authorizing

In adopting the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010, Congress recognizes for the first time the important role charter school authorizers play in determining charter school quality, winning it praise from the National …


NACSA Announces 2009 Awards for Excellence

The NACSA Awards for Excellence program celebrates individuals and organizations that advance the authorizing profession in three fields: • Advancing Knowledge, • Improving Policy, and • Improving Practice. NACSA announced the 2009 …


The Fund for Authorizing Excellence

NACSA established The Fund for Authorizing Excellence (The Fund) earlier this year to provide direct support to NACSA members who are working to create charter environments that foster schools with high student …


Guidance and Tools to Ensure Continuity of Learning in a Time of Transition for Charter School Authorizers

NACSA’s Continuity of Learning (COL) Resource School will look different this year, in every school and in every community. Given the likelihood that instruction will occur across multiple settings, schools must ensure …


Myth-Busting the Democratic National Party Platform: The Role of Charter School Authorizing

This week the Democratic Party is set to adopt its 2020 party platform at its virtual convention. NACSA commends the platform for its strong support of public education, with calls to increase Title I funding and …


NACSA’s Food Services Resource Calls for Ensuring Charter Access and Equity

There’s an urgent need to ensure that charter schools are accessible to all students and promote equity across school systems.  The USDA estimates that there are 13 million students in this country that live …


School Reopenings: One Authorizer Focuses on Student Safety in Reopening Plans

This is a guest blog post by Scott Pearson, former Executive Director of the DC Public Charter School Board and NACSA Board Member. Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic has required urgent and …


Moving Beyond “Accountability” in Monitoring a Virtual Learning Environment

This is a guest post by Laura Stabler, Director of Academic Performance and Accountability at CMU’s Governor John Engler Center for Charter Schools.  Do you ever feel like Alice from the literary classic Alice’s Adventures …


Missouri’s Charter School Authorizer Oversight: Not Pretty, But It’s Working

The headline of a recent story covering the Missouri State Board of Education could, on first read, be seen as a knock on charter school authorizing. After all, when state officials threaten sanctions or even revocation …


NACSA Statement on School Reopenings

Any school opening plan must include state and local health guidelines and be driven by two cornerstones: the health and safety of students and staff, and continuous learning for students. We know …


Authorizer Conversations: Dr. Kelli Peterson Addresses Racism and Injustice in Education in America

    Dr. Kelli Peterson, NACSA National Advisory Board Member and new Assistant Superintendent, Equity, Inclusion and Opportunity at the Louisiana Department of Education, addresses racism, inequity, and injustice in America and …


The Paycheck Protection Program: What is an Authorizer’s Role?

As you may know, part of the federal stimulus packages that were passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is a federal loan program: The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). This program provides …


Authorizer Conversations: Peng Chao on Balancing “Meaningful Support” and Autonomy

In the next installment of Authorizer Conversations, NACSA’s interim VP of Policy, Veronica Brooks-Uy interviews Peng Chao, Executive Director of the Charter Schools Office at the School District of Philadelphia. Peng shares …