our history
onward and upward
In 1991, Amazon and Google didn’t exist. Neither did smartphones. But a small band of educators and leaders in Minnesota were about to change America’s public education landscape forever. The state passed the first charter school law in the country, creating a new type of public school independent of the school district, focused on the individual needs and interests of students and propelling them to academic success. Fast forward more than 30 years to today, and 46 states, D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico have public charter school laws making it possible for more than 206,000 dedicated teachers to deliver education at more than 7,800 charter schools serving more than 3.7 million students. Now that’s something to celebrate.
"When confronted with a challenge, charter champions don’t shy away. We go where others have given up and achieve things no one ever thought possible. We rise to the occasion because we’re used to overcoming the odds.”
– Nina Rees, President & CEO of the National Alliance
2005
The National Alliance is founded; more than 1 million students attend a charter school
The National Alliance establishes its State Leaders Council to make a stronger connection to schools through ongoing partnership with the leaders of state-based charter support organizations
2007
The National Alliance first hosts the National Charter Schools Conference in Albuquerque
2008
Both presidential candidates in the general election support the growth of charter schools
The National Alliance launches the Alliance of Public Charter School Attorneys (APCSA) to serve as a research and networking hub for education attorneys on the legal issues affecting charter schools
2009
The National Alliance creates a new model law to assess the strength of charter school laws in each state, emphasizing quality, growth, and accountability
2011
The number of students attending charter schools surpasses 2 million
The National Alliance helps Maine become the 40th state to pass a charter school law
2012
The National Alliance helps Washington become the 41st state to pass a charter school law
2013
The National Alliance helps Mississippi become the 42nd state to pass a charter school law
2014
The National Alliance releases the first edition of the Health of the Charter School Movement
2015
The School Leaders of Color Program is created to help shine a light on the sector’s diverse leadership and ensure federal support for the growth of the Charter Schools Program
The National Alliance helps Alabama become the 43rd state to pass a charter school law
The National Alliance launches the Charter Schools Action Fund, a 501(c)4 partner organization committed to advancing charter school policy nationwide
2016
The National Alliance launches its Charter School Legal Action Fund to strategically invest in nationally significant offensive and defensive litigation that have an impact on the existence or operation of charter schools
The National Alliance commissioned a national study of parents of school-age children that found that 30% of parents are interested in sending their child to a charter school and 78% support having a charter school open in their community
2017
The National Alliance helps Kentucky become the 44th state to pass a charter school law
2018
The Federal Charter Schools Program grows to $440 million in funding
2019
The Charter School Facility Center is founded
The National Alliance helps West Virginia become the 45th state to pass a charter school law
2020
The National Alliance celebrate its 15th anniversary, and more than 3.3 million students attend charter schools
2023
Montana becomes the 46th state to enact a charter school law
The National Alliance is founded; more than 1 million students attend a charter school
The National Alliance establishes its State Leaders Council to make a stronger connection to schools through ongoing partnership with the leaders of state-based charter support organizations
2005
2007
The National Alliance first hosts the National Charter Schools Conference in Albuquerque
Both presidential candidates in the general election support the growth of charter schools
The National Alliance launches the Alliance of Public Charter School Attorneys (APCSA) to serve as a research and networking hub for education attorneys on the legal issues affecting charter schools
2008
2009
The National Alliance creates a new model law to assess the strength of charter school laws in each state, emphasizing quality, growth, and accountability
The number of students attending charter schools surpasses 2 million
The National Alliance helps Maine become the 40th state to pass a charter school law
2011
2012
The National Alliance helps Washington become the 41st state to pass a charter school law
The National Alliance helps Mississippi become the 42nd state to pass a charter school law
2013
2014
The National Alliance releases the first edition of the Health of the Charter School Movement
The School Leaders of Color Program is created to help shine a light on the sector’s diverse leadership and ensure federal support for the growth of the Charter Schools Program
The National Alliance helps Alabama become the 43rd state to pass a charter school law
The National Alliance launches the Charter Schools Action Fund, a 501(c)4 partner organization committed to advancing charter school policy nationwide
2015
2016
The National Alliance launches its Charter School Legal Action Fund to strategically invest in nationally significant offensive and defensive litigation that have an impact on the existence or operation of charter schools
The National Alliance commissioned a national study of parents of school-age children that found that 30% of parents are interested in sending their child to a charter school and 78% support having a charter school open in their community
The National Alliance helps Kentucky become the 44th state to pass a charter school law
2017
2018
The Federal Charter Schools Program grows to $440 million in funding
The Charter School Facility Center is founded
The National Alliance helps West Virginia become the 45th state to pass a charter school law
2019
2020
The National Alliance celebrate its 15th anniversary, and more than 3.3 million students attend charter schools
Montana becomes the 46th state to enact a charter school law
2023
Join Our Mission
Help support the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools by making a financial donation and advocating for the millions of public school students attending or hoping to attend a charter school.
