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 …


One Authorizer in Hawaii: Truth-telling to Build a Great Charter Sector

Watch and read edited excerpts of our Story Suite conversation with Tom Hutton, Executive Director, Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission. NOTE: Shortly before releasing this, NACSA learned of Tom’s decision to …


Advocacy isn’t a four letter word!

Today I was reading Marc Porter Magee’s guest piece for Rick Hess’s “Straight Up” opinion blog on Education Week. Marc writes a call to arms for education advocacy. Not just the advocacy …


Letting the Sunshine in on Charter Grants

  December 2015 was a big month for the federal Charter Schools Program (CSP). It was reauthorized as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), with some welcome improvements in program …

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Grappling with Closure Costs

States across the country are grappling with how to handle expenses when a charter school is closed. Two states have introduced legislation addressing this topic. In Florida, charter schools would be required …


Quality Choices for All

  As National School Choice Week concludes, I have been thinking a lot about what it will take to make school choice a reality for all children in America and not just …


Improving Access and Equity in the Charter Movement

[Editor’s Note: Jump to 09:58 in the above video to see Amanda Fenton talk about equity and access in the school choice process.] Access and equity is a big priority for NACSA—it …


ESSA Transition: What Authorizers Need to Know About the Impact on State Accountability Systems

Editor’s note: The passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a big deal for authorizers. NACSA wants to help make sure your office is prepared to manage the implementation while …

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ESSA Transition: The Why and What of the 12-18-15 Dear Colleague Letter for Authorizers

Don’t forget to bookmark our new ESSA for Authorizers page for updates and resources to help you during this critical transition period. It is important to remember that each State will individually decide how to …


One Authorizer in Illinois: Choosing to Work for Choice

Tune in to edited excerpts of our Story Suite conversation with Shenita Johnson, Deputy Director, Illinois State Charter Schools Commission. (Shenita formerly served as NACSA’s deputy director of the central region in …


What that “Charter School Bubble” Article gets wrong about Authorizing

This month, four professors from around the country released an article accusing the charter school sector of developing conditions reminiscent of the subprime mortgage crisis. The paper provides a summary of changes …