NACSA Blog
Press Releases
National Association of Charter School Authorizers Appoints Education Leaders to National Advisory BoardThe 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 YearJanuary 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 AuthorizingIn 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 ExcellenceThe 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 ExcellenceNACSA 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 … |
Friendly Fire from AEIIn The Paperwork Pileup, authors Michael Q. McShane, Jenn Hatfield, and Elizabeth English assert that charter authorizers are often creating “onerous and lengthy” application processes that may scare off charter operators. Why keep harking back to anyone’s “original intent” when we’ve got more than two decades of actual experience to guide practice? |
NACSA Says American Enterprise Institute Report on Charter School Application Process Goes too Far, Calls for Focus on Balanced Authorizing PracticesChicago, 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 … |
We Want YOUR Ideas for the Next Leadership ConferenceNACSA’s 2015 Leadership Conference is in the works! We are developing the schedule now for the October 19-22 program in Denver, Colorado and we want your session ideas! Our priority is to … |
Lenders and Authorizers: Can We Talk?What we quickly discovered is that the two groups have a lot in common, starting with a keen shared interest in strong, sustainable public charter schools. The report is also a pretty good short course for anyone interested in knowing how the two sectors work. |
Greater Collaboration between Charter Authorizers and Lenders Can Ease School Facility Financing Burden, Report ConcludesChicago, 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 … |
#CharterSchoolsWeek: Finding the Right FitMy mother has always expressed to me that she only wants “what’s best” for me, and this is where my charter school story begins. At 14, I had been attending the same public school for eight years, yet I was unfamiliar with most teachers and students. I often felt invisible, especially during the times where I needed help, and I never knew who to talk to. I didn’t feel comfortable expressing my needs. My mother knew there were better choices for me, places where I could thrive academically and socially. |
Thirteen Years Later, I’m Still an Ambassador for Charter Schoolsin my career at NACSA, I’m still that ambassador for quality charter schools—but in a different way. |
Oklahoma Governor Signs Comprehensive Charter School Bill, Expands Charter Schools StatewideGreat news from Oklahoma today: after two years of hard work on the ground attending coalition meetings, researching data to support various polices and scrutinizing language, Gov. Mary Fallon signed Senate Bill 782 that will expand charters throughout the state. |
Who wants to be an Authorizer? Pennsylvania Colleges and Universities Say Not It!Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) released a report titled “The Feasibility of Alternative Methods for Authorizing Charter Schools in Pennsylvania.”One of the most striking sets of findings is about Higher Education Institution (HEI) authorizers. The Committee contacted colleges and universities in the state and asked them “If the law allowed you to, would you be interested in authorizing charter schools?” The overwhelming answer was no. |
Colorado’s New Charter Law Will Help Grow Charters ResponsiblyEarlier this month, Colorado Governor Hickenlooper signed House Bill 1184 into law, which will help grow and expand Colorado’s networks of quality charter schools. Colorado has a mix of individual charter schools and … |