NACSA Blog

NACSA Blog

Press Releases


Multi-State Analysis of Charter School Proposals and Approvals Reveals a Diverse Sector Shaped by Authorizers

Report uncovers increased share of freestanding school proposals, decrease in for-profit and “No Excuses” proposals, and few proposals receive philanthropic support.  CHICAGO — A new report released today by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) offers a never-before-seen …


New Digital Campaign Highlights the Need to Improve Charter School Authorizing

New explainer videos demystify the role of charter school authorizers, which remains largely misunderstood 25 years into the charter school movement. The critical role authorizers play in determining the overall quality of …


NACSA CEO Testifies to Congress on Power of Charter School Authorizing

On June 13, 2018, NACSA President and CEO Greg Richmond and a select panel of education reform leaders will testify in front of the House Education and Workforce Committee on the value of charter …


NACSA Testifies on CA Authorizing Bill SB 1362

Today, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) Policy Director Veronica Brooks-Uy will testify before the California Senate Education Committee on SB 1362, a bill that addresses charter school authorizing issues …


New Report Identifies What Charter School Authorizers Do Differently to Achieve High-Performing Portfolios

New report finds successful authorizing depends on great leadership, institutional commitment, and strong professional judgment CHICAGO — Today, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) releases “Leadership, Commitment, Judgment: Elements of …


What Happens When You Take the “Independent” Out of Independent Chartering Board

Maine and Hawaii are two of 17 states with an independent chartering board (ICBs). ICBs are a type of charter school authorizer often called a state charter commission. Where they exist, ICBs …


Rebuilding Our “Love Bubble” To Take Care of Our Charter School Community

MESA Charter High School is authorized by New York State Regents. This piece was written by Arthur Samuels, Executive Director, Pagee Cheung, Principal, Princess Francois, Assistant Principal of Math & Science, and …


Social Emotional Learning: The Missing Puzzle Piece in South Carolina Charter Schools

This blog post was written by Campbell Mims and Wendy Ward from the South Carolina Public Charter School District. The pandemic has changed everything in the lives of South Carolina Public Charter School District educators …


Minnesota Continues to Lead on Charter School Authorizer Accountability

Since 2009, when a massive overhaul of the state’s charter school law was enacted, Minnesota has been on the forefront of advancing authorizer accountability. A bill introduced in the Senate, with backing …


What It Looks Like, Why It Matters: Karega Rausch on Working #WithCommunities

In early 2021, NACSA embarked on a new journey to help charter schools, authorizers, and leaders prioritize the aspirations and needs communities have for their kids. Learn about the origins of this …


Updated March 10 | Federal Education Policy Response to COVID-19

NACSA is committed to sharing out regular updates on the latest federal COVID-19 information available. Primarily, these updates will focus on the latest packages Congress is considering and guidance from the U.S. …


Walking a Tightrope: Will New Mexico Bill Improve Charter School Board Oversight or Infringe on Autonomy?

For the last few years, legislators in New Mexico have been wrestling with a difficult question: how do charter school authorizers effectively oversee charter school governing boards in order to protect the …


West Virginia: When Charter School Quality Wins for Students

A couple of weeks ago, we wrote a blog post detailing a bill out of West Virginia that would have been a recipe for disaster for kids and families choosing charter schools. At the …


NCSRC’s New High-Quality Authorizing State Profiles a Great Asset for the Field

Guest Post by Robin Chait and Lauren Outlaw, National Charter School Resource Center As the charter sector grows and evolves, it’s more important than ever to have high-quality authorizing policies and practices. …


NACSA’s Response to Biden-Administration’s Implementation of Statewide Testing

We applaud the Biden Administration for supporting implementation of statewide testing in 2020-2021, and not using results for high-stakes accountability. We also support the flexibility for states on timing and length of …