NACSA Blog

NACSA Blog

Press Releases


New Report Examines Slow in Charter School Growth

A new report released today by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) analyzes an unexpected finding from a recent charter school growth report: the rate of charter school growth is …


Report: Washington Charter School Policies Strongest in Nation

Washington ranks first in the country—tied with Indiana and Nevada—when it comes to state policies that promote a strong charter school sector, according to a new report out today from the National …


With Federal Investments in School Choice on the Horizon, Report Urges States to Improve Charter Policies

An analysis released today by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) calls for states to update charter policies to ensure that any increased spending on charter school expansion leads to …


NACSA Responds to Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Report

In response to the Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) report “Nationwide Assessment of Charter and Education Management Organizations,” the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) released the following …


NACSA Responds to John Oliver’s Segment on Charter School Oversight

Last night, HBO’s Last Week Tonight With John Oliver ran a segment on charter school oversight. In response, Greg Richmond, president and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) …


More on Authorizer Accountability in Michigan

Eastern Michigan University’s Charter Schools Office Director Malverne Winborne weighs in on the recent report commissioned by the Michigan State Board of Education comparing the performance of authorizer portfolios across the state. …


Postcard from the Statehouse: Austin, Texas

“Postcard from the Statehouse” will provide occasional updates on the travels of NACSA’s Policy Team as they advocate for strong authorizer policies across the country. Greetings from Texas!  Yesterday, the Senate Education Committee heard …


No Exit?

Imagine if you were in a contractual relationship with a service provider, and the provider told you that you couldn’t end the contract.  A recent case in Florida illustrates why NACSA recommends …


Access is Not Optional

By design, charter schools are supposed to be open to all students. The idea is that rather than gaining admission based on their zip code or test scores, charter school students are …


Septima Clark

Accepting Accountability

It is always disappointing when charter schools that are not meeting their performance expectations fight efforts to hold them accountable. We shouldn’t forget, though, that some charter schools will live up to …


Four Tips for Cage-Busting Authorizers

Rick Hess’s new book, Cage-Busting Leadership is out. Quality charter school authorizing often involves a lot of cage-busting. The vast majority of authorizers work in school districts–systems that are set up in …


Joint–Not-Central–Planning for All DC Public Schools

In the second post of a two-part series, Scott Pearson, Executive Director of the D.C. Public Charter School Board, addresses another big question raised in Emma Brown’s recent article on charter school growth in the nation’s capital: …


Silver Bullets and Unicorns

Silver bullets and unicorns have three important characteristics in common. 1.) They don’t exist; 2) No one older than 16 believes that they exist; and 3) anyone claiming that someone else believes …


School Performance Analysis 2.0

Guest Post from Rob Kimball, Sr. Director of Operations & Policy, Grand Valley State University Charter Schools Office Regardless of the size of an authorizer’s portfolio, a laser-like focus on school performance is critical to …


The Tide Rises in Washington D.C.

Scott Pearson, Executive Director of the D.C. Public Charter School Board, has a new two-part blog post up about the questions raised in Emma Brown’s recent article on charter school growth in the …