Charter School Partners

Today’s MinnPost article, Coming charter-school contraction hailed as positive step for the Minnesota movement, is an excellent synopsis of the authorizer situation in Minnesota. Essentially, the 2009 new charter school law requires all 51 Minnesota authorizers to “re-up” with the state of Minnesota by June 30, 2011.

CSP has long contended that this shaking-out would be a positive dynamic in improving the quality of charter schools in the state. CSP Executive Al Fan is quoted in the article:

“Over the next few months, Minnesota’s charter schools are going to experience something akin to a herd culling. Painful? Certainly. But most of the leaders of the state’s charter movement — the oldest in the nation — could not be more thrilled. “It will make our charter movement stronger,” explained an enthusiastic Al Fan, executive director of Charter School Partners.”

One can see the other CSP Blogs on the Year of the Authorizer by clicking here.

Today’s Star Trib article highlights the issue we’ve recently identified as the most profound change to impact the charter movement in Minnesota’s since its founding in 1992: implementation of the authorizer provision from the 2009 charter law.  It essentially requires all 52 authorizers to ‘re-up’ if they wish to continue to be authorizers.

It’s tough stuff coming from the Minnesota Department of Education, but we applaud them for their courage. They’ve worked very closely with the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) to develop the criteria they are using. MDE’s effort is  the bringing together of the collective experience and wisdom of a two decade effort in forty states as to how authorizers can and should be THE vehicle to ensure charter school quality that will move the needle on achievement.

This is going to be a tough ride. It goes against the core of our Minnesota Nice culture.  But it is a critical and worthwhile change if we are to achieve the promise of high achieving charters schools in Minnesota in the coming years.

During the final days of the legislative session, the Minnesota Department of Education quietly announced the first six authorizers, formerly called “sponsors”, approved by the state under the new charter law passed in 2009 (see below).

Essentially, all of the 52 present authorizers, which include districts, colleges/universities and large non-profit organizations must ‘re-up’ and be approved by the state over the next 6-12 months, if they choose to continue to serve as an authorizer.  In addition, the new law calls for three ’single purpose authorizers’, a new category of authorizer, whose sole mission is charters schools. Presently, colleges and universities and non-profits like Volunteers of America, YMCA, etc,. are authorizers but the organizations also have other activities and services they provide.

There are indications from MDE that their criteria for approval of authorizers will be very strict. In fact, we believe this MDE authorizer process has the potential to have the most profound impact on improving the quality of charter schools than perhaps any other single activity since the first charter school started in Minnesota in 1992.

It is expected that numerous authorizers will not resubmit their application and that some will be denied. This could cause a major shake-up in the charter community as ‘orphan charters’ are created — schools that no longer have an authorizer. The new law addresses the issue. In short, ‘quality, high achieving’ charters should have no problem in being allowed to migrate to a different authorizer. Lower performing charter schools may have a little more challenge in this process.

Stay tuned. This is a huge issue.

Here is the press release from MDE sent out last week.

Stronger Oversight Coming to Minnesota Charter Schools: New Authorizers Approved

First charter school authorizers approved by Minnesota Department of Education under new law

(Roseville, MN) The Minnesota Department of Education approved the first six charter school authorizers under a new law passed by the legislature in the 2009 session. All charter school authorizers (formerly known as “sponsors”) have to be approved by the department by June 30, 2011. The new criteria for authorizers include stricter financial and academic controls and adherence to national standards for charter school oversight and quality.

In the first round of applications, there were 13 organizations that applied to become charter school authorizers. The six approved today to authorize charter schools are:

• Anoka Technical College

• Friends of Education

• Minneapolis Public Schools

• Novation Education Opportunities

• Student Achievement Minnesota

• Volunteers of America - Minnesota

“Today marks a new beginning for stronger oversight of Minnesota’s charter schools,” said Commissioner Alice Seagren. “These new charter school authorizers now meet the highest standards of quality charter school oversight in the nation.”

The department worked with the National Association of Charter School Authorizers’ (NACSA) using their Principles and Standards for Quality Authorizing. Minnesota’s new charter school law was given the Award for Excellence in Improving Policy by NACSA in 2009.

The new law puts in place more robust oversight responsibilities in the areas of capacity and infrastructure, the application process, contracting, ongoing oversight and evaluation, and renewal of charter schools.

The law shifts the focus of the department from approving every individual charter school to approving charter school authorizers, who in turn will be responsible for approving charter schools and holding them accountable. The law also allows the state to approve up to three single-purpose authorizers, whose sole purpose will be to charter schools, adding to Minnesota’s charter school options.

The organizations not approved were sent detailed comments from the reviewers and will have 20 business days to resubmit their applications.

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The Year of the Authorizer begins.

The 2009 comprehensive charter legislation essentially requires all 52 authorizers, formerly known as sponsors, to re-apply to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)  to remain as authorizers. 

Over the next 12-15 months, we expect numerous authorizers, which include school districts, universities and colleges, and larger non-profit organizations to decide that they no longer want to be in the business of being an authorizer, for a variety of reasons. In addition, the new law created three ’single purpose authorizers’, which will expand authorizer options for certain charters.

Here’s a story in today’s Star Trib which reports numerous school districts who will not remain as authorizers.

We at Charter School Partners are not concerned that many authorizers may choose to disband their efforts. In fact, we believe it is an opportunity to improve the quality of authorizers by having fewer authorizers who are more focused on quality and achievement. 

MDE has created a path for ‘orphan charters’ whose authorizers get out of the business of authorizing to be able to sign up with another authorizer.  For high achieving charter schools, this should be a fairly seamless process. For lower performing schools, the schools will need to provide a rationale to MDE as to why they should continue as a school.

Overall, if implemented correctly, this process could provide an opportunity to substantially increase the quality of Minnesota’s charter school community, which is what CSP is all about.

This is the beginning of discussion that we will all hear a lot about over the next year.  So stay tuned.