Press Releases/Statements

In a statement released today, Greg Richmond, president and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, encouraged Texas legislators to continue progress on SB2 next week and further advance a charter school sector where students can learn and thrive.   “This bill includes several key reforms that will result in the overall improvement of the Texas charter sector. The power of strong standards paired with strong accountability systems cannot be overstated. Texas parents need to know that good schools will remain open and that failing schools will close.”  

The bill includes standards which must be met for the renewal of charter school contracts as well as standards for which schools can expand.  

“Thousands of Texas families have chosen charter schools for their children,” said Richmond. “With tens of thousands of children still on lists waiting for the opportunity to go to a high-quality charter school there is no doubt a need to grow the sector. Texas has a number of great charter schools with great results. These schools should be able to grow to meet the very real need.’”

See also: Do Charter Schools Big in Texas, But Do Them Right, Says National Charter Organization

As the Texas House of Representatives considers sweeping reforms to the state’s charter school law, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) urges legislators to adopt policies critical to fostering an environment where charter schools, and the students attending them, may thrive.

NACSA President and CEO Greg Richmond remarked, “Texas is always a state with big impact: from the economy to politics to football what happens in Texas matters greatly to the rest of the country. The same is true in education policy. All eyes are once again on Texas as the House takes up significant reforms to the state’s charter school law.”

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“It is serious about getting charter schools right.”

Greg Richmond, president and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, today issued the following statement regarding Governor Michael Pence’s signature of revision to Indiana's charter school law:

“Yesterday, Governor Michael Pence further demonstrated the State of Indiana’s drive to provide great educational options to children by signing into law reforms that will help to dramatically advance the oversight of public charter schools. By requiring the state’s  authorizers to adopt nationally-accepted best practices, sanctioning those that don’t fulfill their end of the charter promise, and strengthening automatic closure for schools failing to adequately serve their students, Indiana has made it clear it is serious about getting charter schools right.”

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As the country celebrates National Charter Schools Week, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) highlights the important role authorizers play in bringing high-quality public school options to millions of children.

Authorizers are at the core of NACSA’s One Million Lives campaign. By opening only the charters most likely to succeed, replicating those producing exceptional results, and closing those that fail to provide a high-quality education, authorizers hold the power to transform public education. In celebration of this week, NACSA has encouraged its members to think thoughtfully—and take action— about the ways they can advance the charter movement through high-quality authorizing.

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April 18, 2013 (Chicago)–The charter school authorizing sector continues to expand and improve according to a report released today by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA). These findings are shared in The State of Charter School Authorizing 2012: Fifth Annual Report on NACSA’s Authorizer Survey. NACSA conducts its research each year to glean learnings that will help all authorizers meet the challenges inherent in the oversight of these public schools.

“Strong policies and practices are critical to ensuring that only the best schools are opened and remain open,” said NACSA President and CEO Greg Richmond.

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