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policy initiatives
The National Alliance works on behalf of the charter school community at the state and national level, including advocating for resources to launch and expand charter schools and for a supportive policy environment. We work closely with charter school stakeholders, the U.S. Department of Education, key members of Congress, and state legislators to ensure charter schools are treated fairly in both policy and regulations. The National Alliance is proud to collaborate with individuals and organizations to ensure that every child has access to a high-quality public education.
When working to ensure high-quality public education options on a national level, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools focuses on federal policies and appropriations. We work to ensure charter schools are protected and supported, and the voices of advocates are heard within the walls of Congress.
Expand Congressional & Administrative Support
Charter schools have enjoyed strong bipartisan support since the first charter school opened in Minnesota in 1992. The National Alliance works to cultivate this support by educating Members of Congress, state legislators, and staffers in the U.S. Department of Education about the important role charter schools play in providing children access to a public school environment that meets their unique needs. The National Alliance also serves as a critical first point of contact for federal policymakers as they make decisions that affect charter schools around the nation.
Increase Federal Funding
The Charter Schools Program (CSP) is the only source of dedicated federal funding to support the opening of new charter schools and the replication and expansion of charter schools that are producing results. Parent surveys suggest there are as many as five million children who would attend a charter school if one were available. The National Alliance advocates for increased funding for the CSP. We also advocate for other sources of funding for charter schools such as the New Market Tax Credits which are integral for investments in charter school facilities.
Represent and Protect the Charter School Model
At its current funding level of $440 million for FY23, the Charter Schools Program amounts to less than 1% of federal spending on K-12 education, but is making a big difference for kids. Between school year 2006-07 and school year 2016-17, CSP funded nearly 45 percent of operational public charter schools that served 1.3 million students. For 25 years, the CSP has provided resources to help ensure that every child can access a high-quality education at a public school. It forms a backbone of both the public education system and the charter school movement to provide more equitable opportunities for all students. To learn more, see our Charter Schools Program overview or visit the U.S. Department of Education website.
Engage Constituents
An important part of representing the charter school movement is ensuring the voices of our parents, students, teachers and leaders are represented in the halls of Congress. The National Alliance creates opportunities for charter school advocates to visit Washington, D.C. and write or call their representatives.
Arguably, the biggest decisions on public education are made at the state and local levels. State charter school laws ultimately govern how charter schools are run, how much they can grow, and the strength of their schools. We work directly with our state and local partners to advocate for their schools and ensure charter schools have a policy and political landscape that helps students, educators, and families thrive.
Our work in the states has led to the opening of charter schools from Maine to Hawaii all across the United States, even from Guam to Puerto Rico, and many strong charter school laws.
State Charter School Laws
Each state must enact a law in order to enable charter schools to open. The National Alliance works to help get charter school laws passed. Our team also works to strengthen laws where needed and defend the charter school community from harmful laws that threaten funding, autonomy, and access to facilities, or make it make it more difficult for charter schools to exist, grow, and serve students.
Our Charter School Model Law sets the gold standard for what it means to have a law that helps charter schools succeed and grow, such as no caps on the number of charter schools and a variety of school models and authorizers.
We work tirelessly to continue strengthening charter school laws in each state.
Support for Charter School Facilities
One of the biggest challenges to the start-up, growth, and continued expansion of public charter schools is the fact that many public charter school laws place the ultimate burden of obtaining and paying for facilities on public charter schools themselves. As a result, public charter school leaders often rely on help from their state to obtain financing or other support to obtain access to buildings and meet the other costs related to keeping charter schools up and running.
States play an important role in determining the options available to help fund public charter school facilities. More information and resources on charter school facilities can be found online at the Charter School Facility Center.
Bring Charter Schools to More Communities
Every student deserves access to high-quality public school options. In too many communities—especially rural communities or in states without a charter school law—that is still not the case. We will continue working with state legislatures until this becomes a reality.
There are still four states without a charter school law and countless communities without a charter school—there remains much work to be done.
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
800 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20006
Tel: 202.289.2700
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For questions regarding wire transfers, please email of call Celia Hagerman at celia@publiccharters.org or 202-600-8994.
For questions regarding stock, please email of call Celia Hagerman at celia@publiccharters.org or 202-600-8994.
If you or your spouse work for a company that provides matching gifts, you can make an even bigger impact! To have your gift matched, you must submit your company’s completed matching gift form.
Please send all completed matching gift forms to:
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
800 Connecticut Ave. N.W. Suite 300
Washington, DC 20006.
If this donation will be potentially matched, please provide the company name.
Contact Celia Hagerman at celia@publiccharters.org or 202-600-8994 to learn more about the Legacy Society or for any other inquiries regarding planned giving.
