As we all get used to writing ‘20’ now that the new year has begun, it’s hard for me not to get excited about NCSC20! This summer will mark the 20th anniversary of the National Charter Schools Conference—and that feels like a big deal
It’s been wonderful to watch both the charter school movement and the conference grow over the course of the past 20 years. Since the National Alliance took ownership of the National Charter Schools Conference in 2005, the charter movement has seen a great deal of change:
Six states, Puerto Rico, and Guam have passed charter schools laws
Nearly 3.2 million students are being served in charter schools
The number of schools has tripled in the past 10 years to over 6,800
The National Charter Schools Conference has evolved into the premier professional development conference for charter school professionals, from a small but mighty hundred individuals gathered in Washington, D.C. in 2000, to an anticipated 5,000+ in Orlando, FL. The conference has hosted impressive keynote speakers, from Geoffrey Canada and Bryan Stevenson, to Marian Wright Edelman and Bill Gates. The NCSC mainstage has also seen every sitting Secretary of Education (including John B. King and Betsy DeVos), many of whom have shared important policy updates and bipartisan support for the charter school movement. The quality of the breakout sessions consistently improves each year and we work hard to increase the quality and diversity of the presenters.
But more important than our speakers, the National Charter Schools Conference would not mark 20 years of success without our inspiring attendees who join each year—with about 25% of our attendees joining us for more than FIVE conferences! It is our hope that in 2020 our attendees know how much we value and appreciate the work that they do and are Empowered to Change Lives, something they do on a daily basis with the students in their care.
Angela Christophe is the producer of the National Charter Schools Conference at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
