Charter School Model Law

Iowa, which will hold its caucus on February 3rd, lands in the bottom five (41/45) of the nation’s charter school laws for the fifth consecutive year—highlighting the key battleground state’s failure to provide ample school choice for families.

Today, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools released its annual ranking of state charter school laws, Measuring Up to the Model: A Ranking of State Public Charter School Laws, Eleventh Edition in conjunction with National School Choice Week. 

We have been increasingly concerned to see how our model law’s provisions regarding open meetings and open records have been misused by charter school opponents in Washington, D.C. to try to undermine the good work being done by D.C.’s public charter schools and the D.C. Public Charter School Board.

Late last month, Tennessee’s House and Senate passed HB 940 and SB 796, respectively, which have been signed into law by Governor Lee. These bills establish a nine-member independent Tennessee Public Charter School Commission with authorizing authority.

Next week, the National Education Association (NEA) will release State Charter Statutes: NEA Report Cards. This new report grades each state’s charter school law in relation to the NEA’s 13 priorities for charter school statutes. Most of the NEA’s priorities however have very little to do with supporting the creation of high-quality public charter schools for the students that need them the most.

Understanding the policy contexts in which charter schools operate can provide valuable insights into the mechanisms that support or hinder charter school success. Nathan Barrett, senior director of research and evaluation at the National Alliance, gives a researcher's view on the tenth annual ranking of state public charter school laws.

In light of National School Choice Week 2019, Kat Sullivan looks back on the past ten years since the National Alliance released its original model charter school law to fully appreciate the role charter schools have played in strengthening the public education system.

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools annual state-by-state ranking of public charter school laws ranked Colorado second, for the second year in a row.

Todd Ziebarth, the author of Measuring Up to the Model: A Ranking of State Charter School Laws, shares key findings and takeaways from the 2019 report.