To clarify, charter schools are public schools operated by independent organizations, usually nonprofits. In an effort to understand this decline in growth, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) examined charter school proposals and approvals over the last five years, analyzing 3,000 charter school applications to authorizers in the 20 states that oversee nearly two-thirds of charters nationwide. Their new report Reinvigorating the Pipeline: Insights into Proposed and Approved Charter Schools unearths important facts about the nation’s charter school pipeline, facts that also dispel some of the commonly perpetuated myths about charter schools. At a time where charter school waitlists continue to grow and many children lack access to quality school options, NACSA’s report provides valuable data that not only has important implications for the future of charter school growth but also separates the facts about the charter school landscape from the all-too-common fictional narratives. Finding Four: Few Charter School Applications Include External Financial SupportOver the last five years, most charter school applications did not identify any philanthropic support (defined as a commitment of $50,000 or more).

Source: Forbes March 14, 2019 13:47 UTC