Commentary
Research on School Closure Messaging: What Works
February 24, 2026
Five years ago, I was the COO at a charter school, and something was becoming increasingly obvious: we consistently did not have enough students enrolling to fill all our seats. In the …
Commentary
Better Together: Reflections from the DCSC Convening
February 20, 2026
I attended the Diverse Charter Schools Coalition (DCSC) convening earlier this month, and I’ve been reflecting on what stayed with me most. This year’s theme was “Better Together.” DCSC even commissioned a …
Who We Are

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) is an independent voice for thoughtful charter authorizing practices and policies that lead to more great public schools.

What is Authorizing?

Authorizers are the entities that decide who can start a new charter school, set academic and operational expectations, oversee school performance, and decide if a school remains open.

Authorizing Principles & Standards

Resource guides that identify core authorizer responsibilities and describe how the principles are upheld within each responsibility. They are designed to help set high expectations.

NACSA'S Three-Year Plan

NACSA believes all children should attend high-quality schools. Our goal is by 2028 to see more than 1.5 million charter school students enrolled in exceptionally high-quality schools.