For over twenty years, charter school proponents have argued that local school boards have a vested interest in blocking new charter schools. Without a multi-pronged system for authorization, school districts can easily block a new charter school from inception with little regard for whether the school is wanted by the community. Conversely, local officials contend that state boards tend to make decisions about new charter schools with little consideration over their own funding concerns. It is this debate that has seen states like Florida, Georgia, and New Jersey struggle with finding a balance between funding, control, and ultimately presenting students with needed options.

In Florida, for example, stakeholders are clashing over growth, standards, and authorization. The Florida State Board of Education recently overruled several local school boards' decisions to reject charter school applications.

In Georgia, a ballot measure slated to go before voters in the fall would re-establish a state commission that would have the power to approve public charter schools over the objections of local school boards in the state. Meanwhile, in New Jersey, a proposed bill would require the approval of voters in local communities before the state could approve a charter school within the affected school district. The list of proposed policies goes on and on nationwide.

Interestingly, the breakdown of charter schools laws varies depending on state. According to the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA), of the 41 states that allow public charter schools to exist at all, only five allow local school districts to authorize such schools, and another five allow state agencies to make those decisions. Twenty-four states have some combination of state and local control that often involves higher education and nonprofit organizations.

NACSA advocates for giving both school districts and states the power to authorize charter schools in order to create growth and accountability. The organization is less supportive of systems in which states allow many authorizers at different levels because that approach tends to diminish oversight. Charter school proponents are quick to point out that they want to see responsible growth with accountability for quality control purposes.

Still, the debate is likely to continue. "These issues come up again and again," said NACSA President Greg Richmond. "It gets fundamentally down to a debate over who gets to control the money in public education."

What do you think about the debate over charter school authorization? Who do you think should give final approval?
Comment below.
Originally posted by Alix at AAE.

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