Greg Richmond, president and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, today issued the following statement regarding Governor Phil Bryant’s signature of Mississippi’s new charter school law:

“Today, the future of Mississippi’s children got a little brighter with Governor Bryant’s signing of the state’s new charter school law. Now, children and parents will have the same opportunities as others around the country to select a school that best fits their needs. I commend the Mississippi Legislature and Governor Bryant for a law that not only expands choice, but also adopts nationally-recognized standards for charter school authorizing. Through their efforts, Mississippi has taken tremendous steps to ensure that schools approved in their state will have the greatest chance to fulfill the charter promise of an outstanding education for all students.”

Richmond continued, “I would also like to recognize our partners, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, the Black Alliance for Educational Options, Mississippi First and the Mississippi Center for Public Policy. Their commitment to bring high-quality charter schools to Mississippi was unwavering throughout this process, and I thank them for the work that they have done, and continue to do, on behalf of the state’s children.”