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 …


Oklahoma Passes Comprehensive Charter School Reform

Unique combination of business groups, traditional schools and charter school advocates come together in the best interests for Oklahoma’s children Chicago, Ill. – Today the Oklahoma Legislature passed SB 782 , major …


National Association of Charter School Authorizers Voices Support for the Senate HELP Committee’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Reauthorization Bill

Chicago, Ill. – Today, members of the U.S. Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) Committee reported out a bipartisan Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization bill to the full Senate. …


#AskAuthorizers: What do YOU want to know?

Each year since 2008, NACSA has conducted the nation’s only targeted survey of charter school authorizers and authorizing practices. We will release the latest survey results starting on April 15 in an email series designed to connect data about authorizer practices with real implications for kids, families, schools, and communities. More on that another day. For the upcoming 2015 survey—which we will begin right after we release the 2014 results—we are reserving space to ask hundreds of authorizers your questions about authorizing, especially questions that get at what is beyond the “nuts and bolts” of authorizing.


National Association of Charter School Authorizers Applauds Bipartisan Congressional Vote on Charter School Quality

With today’s overwhelming bipartisan approval of the Success and Opportunity through Quality Charters Act (H.R. 10) by the full House Education and the Workforce Committee, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers …


NACSA Applauds Alabama Vote to Approve Charter School Legislation

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) congratulates the Alabama General Assembly for passing Senate Bill 45 to become the most recent state to introduce charter schools as high-quality education options …


NACSA Receives National Grant to Strengthen Charter School Quality Nationwide

For more than a decade, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) has led the effort to improve quality within the charter school community by helping authorizers set high standards, facilitate …


Learning How to Streamline an Early Childhood Accountability System that Actually Works

In Washington DC, there are 66 early childhood public charter school programs that serve more than 15,000 students 3 years of age to second grade. Collectively, they use more than 30 different assessments to measure different reading and math skills and evaluate their programs’ academic performance… and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.


National Association of Charter School Authorizers Commends RSD Action to Deny Charter School’s Renewal

Charter schools are about more than just test scores. They also have an obligation to treat all students fairly and appropriately and to spend public money properly. Most charter schools do just …


A Hat Tip to the SUNY Charter Schools Institute

I offer a tip of the hat to the State University of New York (SUNY) Charter Schools Institute for their oversight of a struggling charter school that posed exceedingly tricky politics. This whole thing was political …


NACSA Recognizes Step in the Right Direction To Improve Michigan’s Charter School Authorizing

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) recognizes today’s release of a study by the Education Trust—Midwest (ETM) entitled “Accountability for All: The Need for Real Charter School Authorizer Accountability in …