The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) President and CEO Greg Richmond released the following statement today in response to the death of Donald Fisher, Gap Inc. Co-founder and Charter School Advocate:

“A friend and ally of NACSA, Donald Fisher, died yesterday. Don launched great retail operations that we all know – the Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy – originating out of a single blue jean outlet he owned in San Francisco in 1969. He died of cancer at age 81.

He and his wife Doris spent much of the last 25 years working to reform K-12 schools, and were key architects of the entrepreneurial sector in public education reform. The Fisher Funds were the primary support for the launch and expansion of KIPP and Teach for America. Don and Doris also understood charter school authorizing and felt it was important to expanding excellent options for students. Don generously supported NACSA’s work with authorizers as we continue to develop quality practices and policies for our sector.

As an astute manager, Don could see that authorizing is as important as replication efforts to scaling and extending the success of charter schools, and he let his fellow funders know how he felt. He convened and led a number of national summits in our movement, and he always saw that authorizers were at the table when the decisions for this movement were being made. We owe a great debt of gratitude to this savvy and sensible man. Don Fisher will be missed.”