NACSA Blog

NACSA Blog

Press Releases


NACSA President and CEO Greg Richmond Remembers Donald Fisher, Gap Inc. Cofounder and Charter School Advocate

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) President and CEO Greg Richmond released the following statement today in response to the death of Donald Fisher, Gap Inc. Co-founder and Charter School …


New Study Sets Priority Areas and Recommends Strong Standards So All St. Louis Students Have Access to a Quality Education

St. Louis, MO – The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) and IFF, in conjunction with the St. Louis Mayor’s Office, released a new study today analyzing the performance, location, and …


NACSA President Applauds Findings of New Survey on New Orleans Charter Schools

A new survey of New Orleans citizens has found that they strongly support charter schools and education reform efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The survey, conducted by the Council for …


NACSA President Appointed to Aspen Institute’s Commission on No Child Left Behind

National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) President and CEO Greg Richmond was selected today to serve as a Commissioner on The Aspen Institute’s Commission on No Child Left Behind. Richmond, an …


NACSA Announces $9.4 Million in Grant Funding

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) announced today that it has received $9.4 million in investments from three of the nation’s preeminent foundations — the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, …


Ask the Right Questions About Charter School Graduation Rates

A few years ago, the California Charter School Association revealed Golden State charter performance didn’t align to the usual bell-shaped curve, but instead was clustered at the highest- and lowest-performance levels, creating …


Ask the Right Questions About Charter School Graduation Rates

A few years ago, the California Charter School Association revealed Golden State charter performance didn’t align to the usual bell-shaped curve, but instead was clustered at the highest- and lowest-performance levels, creating …


A Quarter-Life Crisis for Public Charter Schools?

Charter schools celebrate a milestone this year: 25 years. In a Huffington Post piece, NACSA President and CEO Greg Richmond gets real about the shortcomings of charters and shortcomings of the opponents. He argues it’s …


One Authorizer in Ohio: Doing the Right Thing

Here are edited excerpts of our Story Suite conversation with Mark Michael, Director of the Ohio School Sponsorship Program for the Ohio Department of Education. Mark participated in NACSA’s Leaders Program during …


One Set of Data/Four Unique Perspectives on Authorizing and Special Education

As part of NACSA’s 2015 annual survey, we asked authorizers for their perspectives and practices on issues at the intersection of authorizing and special education. We asked about oversight practices, what they do …


New Delhi: Reflections From an International Student’s Past and Present

Editor’s Note: This is Part II in a four part series highlighting public education challenges in New Delhi and how the U.S. charter model may be influencing education reform across the city. …


One Authorizer in Missouri: Making Public Schools the Public’s Schools

What follows are edited excerpts of our Story Suite conversation with Robbyn Wahby, founding Executive Director of the Missouri Charter Public School Commission. Robbyn also serves as a member of NACSA’s Board …


NACSA Names a Dozen Prominent Authorizing Professionals to Leaders Program

Today, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) announced the selection of the fifth cohort of its NACSA Leaders Program, a highly-selective and rigorous program providing leadership, management and authorizing training …


Live from DC: Negotiated Rule Making and Rube Goldberg Machines

As the second block of the U.S. Department of Education’s ESSA Negotiated Rulemaking Committee’s meetings wraps up, I can’t help but compare the whole process to a giant Rube Goldberg machine (for …


Getting It Right the First Time: Quality Practices Fuel Rigor

This year’s State of Charter Authorizing (SOCA) data revealed approximately 10 percent of large authorizers do not interview charter applicants on the merits of their application. Moreover, one in four large authorizers …