Today Ohio state lawmakers passed House Bill 2 (HB 2), a comprehensive charter school reform bill. In response, Amanda Fenton, director of state and federal policy at NACSA, issued the following statement:

“Today is a huge victory for charter school oversight in Ohio. Nearly a year in the works, this bill contains needed charter school oversight provisions that will strengthen accountability for both sponsors and schools, as well as increase operator transparency.

“We are pleased the bill places restrictions on authorizing shopping, a practice that erodes the charter promise by allowing schools to skirt consequences for poor academic performance. By addressing this issue as well as clarifying the state’s authorizer evaluation process, the legislature sends a clear message that quality authorizing is essential to creating great public charter schools.

We commend the state’s legislators for taking this issue on so early in the fall session. While there is still much to be done, the commonsense solutions included in the bill will go far to prevent the fraud and waste that has plagued the state for far too long.”

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) is an independent voice for effective charter school policy and thoughtful charter authorizing practices that lead to more great public schools. Our research, policy, and consultation work advances excellence and accountability in the charter school sector. With authorizers and other partners, we have built the gold standard for charter school authorizing. Through smart charter school growth, these authorizers will give hundreds of thousands of children an opportunity for a better education each year. More at www.qualitycharters.org

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