The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) congratulated the state of South Carolina for taking a notable step in improving the overall quality of the state’s charter school sector. In a statement released today, NACSA president and CEO Greg Richmond lauded Governor Nikki Haley for her signature of South Carolina’s revised charter law and the demonstration of her personal commitment to high quality education options for Palmetto state families.

South Carolina legislators introduced bill H3853 in direct response to the National Association of Charter School Authorizers’ (NACSA) One Million Lives campaign, which has a goal to get one million students into better schools by 2017.

The new law incorporates many of NACSA’s recommendations in the area of charter schools accountability including performance-based contracts for each charter school, clear standards for renewal and closure, additional transparency by authorizers on school performance, and the default closure of consistently failing schools.

NACSA CEO Greg Richmond stated, “We launched One Million Lives in order to give more children the opportunity to attend a better school, whether that is a better charter school or traditional public school. South Carolina has demonstrated that it is willing to take bold actions in order to give children the opportunity for high-quality education.”

The opening of charter schools using a rigorous application process and the closure of charter schools that fail to live up to their promise are the cornerstones of NACSA’s One Million Lives campaign.

Richmond recognized the leadership of Representative Phillip Owens, chairman of the House Education and Public Works Committee, and State Superintendent of Education Mick Zais in bringing this comprehensive bill to fruition. He also thanked the South Carolina Public Charter School District and the Public Charter School Alliance of South Carolina who led this effort to improve the quality of the state’s charter sector.