NACSA Blog

NACSA Blog

Press Releases


National Association of Charter School Authorizers Elects Leaders

James N. Goenner, Executive Director of Central Michigan University’s Center for Charter Schools, was elected last week to serve as Vice Chair of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA). NACSA …


Charter Schools Perform when District & Political Backing is Evident

Chicago — Charter school performance varies considerably across the nation, as indicated by today’s National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data, but the independent public schools outperform traditional schools when political and …


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 …