FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 8, 2013
Recognizing the Importance of Authorizing during National Charter Schools Week Contact: Courtney Leigh Beisel, 312.376.2316,
[email protected] 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. A few of these ideas include:
Focus on essential work outside of authorizing, such as strategic planning and staff development, to build a strong team committed to quality authorizing; Reach out to fellow authorizers to learn from each other’s experiences and share best practices; Utilize existing resources to support strong practices from NACSA’s Knowledge Core; Schedule a meeting with one of their local education reform groups or state charter association so that they can understand their role in supporting high-quality charters; and Continually seek ways they can be an advocate for quality.
By adopting strong practices, sound state charter school policy and committed leaders in authorizing and charter schools, authorizers can impact the lives of the nation’s children this week and throughout the year. The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) is committed to advancing excellence and accountability in the charter school sector and to increasing the number of high-quality charter schools across the nation. To accomplish this mission, NACSA works to improve the policies and practices of authorizers—the organizations designated to approve, monitor, renew, and, if necessary, close charter schools. NACSA provides training, consulting, and policy guidance to authorizers. It also advocates for laws and policies that raise the bar for excellence among authorizers and the schools they charter. In late 2012, NACSA launched its One Million Lives campaign to give one million more children the opportunity to attend a great school. Visit www.qualitycharters.org ###
