Community Conversations with NACSA

What does it actually take to become a charter school authorizer—and what does it look like when the right partners show up to support that work? In this episode, we sit down with Shantelle D. Wright from UNCF to explore the full arc of the journey to help VUCIL become an authorizer, and the pivotal three-way partnership between VUCIL, UNCF, and NACSA that made it possible. This conversation build...

Last season, we sat down with Rachel Hannah (Arizona State Board for Charter Schools) to discuss her journey to rethink their new school application process and prioritize people. In this episode, she talks with NACSA’s Jay Whalen, sharing insights into where they are now—including updates, successes, and lessons learned. qualitycharters.org

Molly Ferrer and Tayo Adeeko of Jeffco Public Schools share how the charter contract functions across the full lifecycle of school oversight. Listens for lessons learned about quality contracting and to learn more about how clear, enforceable conditions can support academic, financial, and organizational accountability at each phase.  *Please note we encourage listeners to also consult their own l...

Courtney Hughley, NACSA’s Vice President of Communications, and Clarence Burton Jr., CEO of Denver Families for Public Schools, walk us through NACSA's evidence-based school closure messaging suggestions and share what they look like in practice.  qualitycharters.org

Veronica Brooks-Uy is joined by   Alex Medler of the National Network for District Authorizing (NN4DA). Together, they examine how NACSA’s state policy recommendations support effective district authorizing, including attacking some of the more difficult conversations head on.  qualitycharters.org

We’re excited to recognize NACSA’s 2025 Change Makers—individuals whose leadership and dedication are helping to move authorizing forward. From improving systems and policies to supporting schools and students on the ground, these Change Makers exemplify what it means to lead with purpose and impact. Congratulations to our 2025 Change Makers: Talia Gerstle Senior Policy and Communications Manager,...

Dive deep into NACSA's recently released 2025 State Policy Recommendations  with Veronica Brooks-Uy, NACSA's Senior Vice President of Strategy, Policy & Research.  qualitycharters.org

This episode takes you inside NACSACon 2025 , where NACSA President and CEO M. Karega Rausch, Ph. D. delivered powerful remarks about why strong foundational authorizing policies and practices have never been more important. It also features a special collaboration with our friends at the Charter School Growth Fund . CSGF President and host of the Leader to Leader podcast, Darryl Cobb, sits down w...

At its core, academic oversight is about answering a single, powerful question: Are schools academically successful? NACSA's Academic Framework Guidance helps authorizers answer this question by capturing the impact a school has—or doesn’t have—on its primary stakeholders: students.   David Greenberg, NACSA’s Vice President of Authorizer Learning and Development, sits down with Jermaine Curti...

Jay Whalen, NACSA’s Director of Authorizer and School Quality, and Dr. Windy Stephenson, Founding Executive Director at the Voorhees University Charter Institute of Learning, describe how NACSA supported Voorhees—which became a charter school authorizer in 2024—in developing and implementing its first new school application cycle.  Explore NACSA's New School Application Guidance .  Looking fo...

Over the past year, we’ve been listening—to authorizers, educators, families—and asking a critical question: What does accountability look like in today’s context? The answers are reshaping how we think about our work.  In this episode, NACSA leaders David Greenberg and Veronica Brooks-Uy dive deep into the challenges authorizers face right now, and share NACSA’s renewed vision and strategy for eq...

In this rapid rewind, we’re giving you the most powerful moments from several pivotal conversations about the new school application. NACSA’s David Greenberg, Rachel Hannah with Arizona State Board for Charter Schools, Jason Moore with Buckeye Community Hope Foundation, Laurie Schroeder with Innovative Quality Schools, NACSA’s Jay Whalen, and Mabel Lajes-Guiteras, with Seed at Charter School Growt...

Chelsea Waite and Janette Avelar with the Center on Reinventing Public Education provide practical takeaways and trends from the most recent Canopy Project report.  qualitycharters.org

In this rapid rewind, we’re bringing you the most impactful moments from our conservation at NACSACon 2024. Get everything you need to know about the difference between family participation and empowerment from NACSA’s Chief Operating Officer, Guerschmide Saint-Ange, and Rocky Mountain Prep CEO, Tricia Noyola, in less than 10 minutes. Resources : Families and Authorizers: A Partnership for Success...

The latest NAEP scores reveal a stark and troubling reality : Students remain far behind.  NACSA President and CEO, M. Karega Rausch, Ph. D., sits down with 50CAN CEO and Founder, Marc Porter Magee, to discuss what else the NAEP data can tell us and—more importantly—what can be done to equip our nation’s young people with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed?  Resources:  50CAN NAEP Shows...

David Greenberg, NACSA's Vice President of Authorizer Learning & Development sits down with Rachel Hannah, Deputy Assistant Director at the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools to discuss her journey through the new school application process. Explore NACSA's resources for rethinking the new school application .  qualitycharters.org

2024 marks a year of growth, innovation, and dedication, and we’re thrilled to introduce you to NACSA’s Change Makers — a group of charter leaders who are making an extraordinary impact in their communities. From reimagining the future of charter schools to championing equity and access for every student, these changemakers are combining innovation with actionable accountability and inspiring othe...

86 authorizers, across 30 states and the District of Columbia participated in our 2024 State of Authorizing survey. These authorizers oversee nearly two-thirds of the charter schools in the country and their answers help paint a comprehensive picture of overall trends in the field. In today’s episode, we’ll hear directly from NACSA leaders and authorizers as they grapple with the question—what is...

One of the most important goals of quality authorizing is to create more transparency and access for families to truly understand and engage in the education their children receive. Parents are an integral part of improving our nation’s education system. They play a vital role in their child’s education—and their voices should be heard by those making decisions that have direct implications on the...

One of the most consequential decisions any authorizer makes for students and communities is whether to approve a new school to open. NACSA’s Vice President of Authorizer Learning and Development, David Greenberg, sits down with Jay Whalen, Director of Authorizer and School Quality to discuss the importance of centering accountability during the new school application process.  Special guests: PJ...

In this episode of Community Conversations with NACSA, NACSA's President and CEO, Dr. M. Karega Rausch, Vice President of Authorizer and Learning Development, David Greenberg, and Vice President of Policy and Institutional Change, Veronica Brooks-Uy, come together to share why the time to center accountability is now.   Resources mentioned:  Principles & Standards Performance Frameworks N...

For Mental Health Awareness Month, NACSA examines the role of authorizing and school accountability in ensuring student wellness. To kick-off Season 2 of our podcast, Community Conversations with NACSA , we spoke with Andrea Browning (WestEd), Tricia Noyola (Rocky Mountain Prep), and Dr. John Gasko (Uplift Education), to learn how authorizers and schools can work with communities to ensure access...

Tressa Pankovits, Co-Director of Reinventing America’s Schools Project at the Progressive Policy Institute, Priscila Dilley, Senior Officer at the Leadership Academy Network, and Dr. David Saenz, Chief of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships at Fort Worth ISD come  together to tell a unique and powerful story.  The partnership between Leadership Academy Network, Fort Worth Independent School Dis...

NACSA Vice President of Authorizer and Learning Development, David Greenberg, sits down with Laurie Schroeder (Innovative Quality Schools) and Jason Moore (Buckeye Community Hope Foundation) to discuss the importance of shifting the rigor of the new school application process from paper to people and what they are doing in their offices to accomplish this. Explore NACSA's latest resource, The...

NACSA’s Vice President of Communications, Courtney Hughley, sits down with Ebony Lee, partner at the Charter School Growth Fund and NACSA board member, and Steven Cruz, communications director at City Fund.  Live from NACSACon 2023, Courtney, Ebony and Steven discuss the importance of authorizers using their platforms to tell the story and the work of the free, public and open to all charter schoo...