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 …


NACSA Urges Ohio Legislature to Pass Charter School Reform Bill

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) fully supports Ohio House Bill 2 (HB 2) as passed by the conference committee today. We are pleased with the legislatures’ commitment to this …


Expecting More from Authorizers: A Great Read from Fordham

Today the Fordham Institute published a great commentary piece by Jamie Davies O’Leary on why we should expect more of our gatekeepers of charter schools: authorizers. Authorizers, known as sponsors in the …


Announcing Our Featured Conference Speaker: Colorado State Senator Mike Johnston

Mike Johnston Colorado State Senator As a former co-founder and principal of Colorado’s first public high school in which 100 percent of seniors were admitted to four-year colleges, Colorado State Senator Mike …


Hint: One of the Answers is “Authorizing”

Richard Whitmire, Emerson Collective fellow and prolific education author, lays out “5 Ways to Stop Bad Charters from Derailing Education Reform” in The 74 – and we know at least one of the answers: it’s …


California Authorizers Take the Lead to Improve Charter School Quality and Oversight in State

NACSA commends the Alameda County Office of Education’s new Charter Authorizers’ Resource Network (CARSNet) and California Charter Authorizing Professionals (CCAP) as they kick off the California Charter Authorizers Conference—the first-ever conference focused …


U.S. Department of Education Emphasizes Charter School Oversight, Including NACSA’s National Authorizing Standards

Chicago, Ill. — Today the U.S. Department of Education announced the next round of Charter Schools Program (CSP) grants. In a press conference, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan voiced his support …


The Toughest Part of Being an Authorizer

Closing a charter school is the toughest decision an authorizer will have to make, and it is a decision no one takes lightly. Closures require detailed preparation, and careful deliberation with all …


Why I Believe in Washington State’s Charter Schools

Last Thursday, I attended the Washington State Charter School Commission Meeting, where many passionate parents, teachers and community members shared what charters meant to them. They also expressed frustration over potentially having …


Good to Great in the Sunshine State

There’s a population boom underway in Florida. It’s not just retired people fueling growth, but entrepreneurs, immigrants, and families—people that need and want good public school options. To meet this growing demand, …


Sharing Ideas, Shaping Futures: The NACSA Leadership Conference

At NACSA, we believe that ideas can shape futures. For our 2015 Leadership Conference, hosted October 19-22 in Colorado, we’ve focused on big ideas in public education, all directed at shaping brighter …