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 …


100+ Point Car Inspection

Last month, NACSA released its Index of Essential Practices, an annual look at how authorizers around the country report implementing 12 operating practices that distill 25 years of authorizing experience into a …


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 …