NPE Launches National Center for Charter School Accountability

I'm a member of the Network for Public Education, a group that does a lot of work in support of public schools in this country. Education historian and activist Diane Ravitch is the president, and Carol Burris is the executive director. 

NPE is not a particularly wealthy organization, with neither a hot line or dark money or union shilling, but it has created a number of reports researching charter schools, voucher programs, and state support for public ed, and they've just launched the National Center for Charter School Accountability. 

The mission is pretty simple:

The National Center for Charter School Accountability provides research and recommendations on increasing transparency and accountability for charter schools.

The NCCSA provides a collection of facts (e.g. 26% of charter schools close by year 5, 35 states allow charters to be run for profit, and 34 states do not require all charter teachers to be certified). An interactive map lets you see what the conditions are in any state, including ratings for the state on charter items like protections for students, and community input. 

The website is a quick, simple resource for some basic information about charter schools in the U.S.