Press Releases/Statements

A report released today by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) indicates charter school closures have declined over the past three years. These findings are shared in 2011 State of Charter School Authorizing: Fourth Annual Report on NACSA’s Authorizer Survey.

In 2010-2011, 6.2 percent of charter schools that were reviewed for renewal were closed, down from 8.8 percent in 2009-2010 and 12.6 percent in 2008-2009. This decline could reflect numerous factors, including state laws influencing charter oversight, an improvement in the quality of charters, changes in authorizing practices, and political pressure to keep poor-performing charter schools open.

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Thank you for visiting. NACSA wants to bring your attention to an important issue that could be harmful to charter school autonomy and accountability. We encourage you to review the following material to learn about the details of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently stalled in Congress, specifically the waiver process “ESEA Flexibility.” This act will affect most of our nation’s public schools. We encourage you to join us in taking action to protect charter school autonomy and accountability.

Preserving Charter School Autonomy and Accountability in ESEA Flexibility - Letter from NACSA President Greg Richmond

U.S. Department of Education ESEA Flexibility.

We invite you to share your thoughts on this issue in NACSA’s LinkedIn Group. We hope that together we can share dialogue that can lead to the preservation of autonomy and accountability within the charter school sector.

We also encourage you to share your experiences, what worked for you and what didn't, by leaving comments on NACSA's blog.

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) welcomes the new charter school data released by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. The increase in the number of students attending charters, as well as the number of charter schools closed in the past year, are positive signs toward creating a system of high-quality school choice.

“Growth in charter schools is good, but only if those new schools are actually doing a good job for kids,” commented NACSA President and CEO Greg Richmond. “Charter schools have been growing at a double-digit rate for years, but growth alone isn’t our goal. Growth in the number of good schools must be our goal.”

Authorizers are the agencies, usually school districts, state education agencies or public universities, responsible for approving and monitoring charter schools. As charter schools continue to expand, authorizers will play a critical role in replicating successful charters and discontinuing low-performing schools.

Richmond continued, “We need to make sure that every single one of these two million children has access to outstanding educational opportunities. Authorizers hold the key of making this a reality.”

NACSA recommends authorizers use a minimum of 12 essential practices to ensure quality in the charter schools they oversee. View NACSA’s Index of Essential Practices to see how some of the nation’s largest authorizers are using these practices.

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) today awarded the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) with its 2011 Award for Excellence in Advancing Knowledge. The award is in recognition of “Portrait of a Movement,” a comprehensive assessment of charter school performance in California.

NACSA President and CEO Greg Richmond remarked, “It isn’t easy, as a charter school association, to come out and say, ‘These charter schools are failing,’” said NACSA President and CEO Greg Richmond. “The California Charter School Association took that a critical step towards demanding that every charter be a great charter school in the state with ‘Portrait of a Movement.’”

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The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) last week recognized Minnesotans committed to quality in the charter school sector. The association presented U.S. Representative and Chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce John Kline (R-MN) with its 2011 Award for Excellence in Improving Policy. Volunteers of America-Minnesota received the 2011 Award for Excellence in Improving Practice.

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