NACSA Blog

NACSA Blog

Press Releases


NACSA President Calls on US House of Representatives to Support the Every Student Succeeds Act

This week, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) will come before the US House of Representatives for a floor vote.  The current legislative proposal, which is a reauthorization of the Elementary and …


NACSA Disappointed in Washington State Supreme Court Decision

Yesterday, the Washington Supreme Court ruled it will not reconsider its earlier decision that invalidates the state’s charter school law. In response, Greg Richmond, president and CEO of the National Association of …


NACSA Comments on Congress’s Progress on Long-Stalled Education Policy Rewrite

Last week, our nation’s lawmakers announced that they have developed a framework for moving forward on a long-stalled rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). In response, Greg Richmond, president and CEO …


NACSA urges Authorizers and Policymakers to take action on Virtual Schools given CREDO Report

Authorizers need to consider credible evidence when considering online charter schools in their community. This week, the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) released a ground-breaking report on virtual schools which found …


NACSA responds to the Center for Media and Democracy’s Report “Charter School Black Hole”

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) is a non-profit, professional organization that has worked with states, school districts and other authorizers to strengthen charter school oversight across the country for …


Supporting ELs, Students with Special Needs, and Student Mental Health During Distance Learning: Lessons from Minnesota

Guest post by Krista Kaput, Research Director, EdAllies Minnesota—along with 47 other states—has closed its school buildings for the remainder of the school year, elevating the importance of strong, equitable distance learning …


Educating Students with Disabilities During COVID-19: Civil Rights Endure and Authorizers Must Lead

By Wendy Tucker, Senior Director of Policy, National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools A crisis is not the time to roll back civil rights. It’s the time to roll up …


Tips for Virtual Capacity Interviews

Capacity interviews are a critical component of the new school application review processes. These interviews can provide crucial opportunities to secure information to address or confirm deficiencies in written applications, enable authorizers …


Authorizer Conversations: David Frank on the Sprints, Strolls, and Marathon of Authorizing Through a Pandemic

“The preponderance of questions that schools are asking are about students with disabilities, and how we transition to this new environment to serve them well – that is at the forefront of …


A Blueprint for Back to School: Additional Thoughts for Authorizers

On May 4th, the American Enterprise Institute, in collaboration with over 20 education leaders including NACSA’s acting President and CEO Karega Rausch, published A Blueprint for Back to School. Recognizing how vital, …


An Authorizer’s Role in Supporting Remote Learning

A Note from NACSA: Today’s guest blog comes from Ryan Marks, Director of Evaluation and Assessment at the Colorado Charter Schools Institute (CSI), an independent charter school board that oversees 39 schools …


Upholding Open Meetings Law in a Virtual World

During times of crisis, it is more important than ever that charter school boards continue regular meetings to review materials on educational continuity, finance, and operations, and to vote on action items …


Authorizer Conversations: Erin Anderson on Support and Accountability in a Pandemic

“Honestly, it’s not that hard if you just ask schools what they need. We’re trying to be very clear that: a) we’re temporarily transitioning from oversight and accountability to support and guidance, …


Updated April 20: State Education Policy Responses to COVID-19

As it becomes more and more clear that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will span months, not weeks, state legislatures are already responding. Below are some of the major issues state …


Have You Asked What Your Charter Schools Need?

“A brave leader is someone who says I see you. I hear you. I don’t have all the answers, but I’m going to keep listening and asking questions.” – Brene Brown In …