Washington, D.C. — For generations, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have been a catalyst for education progress in America, including transforming K-12 education through a combination of initiatives and programs designed to meet the aspirations of students who often lack opportunities. And yet, when parents demand new and better schools for their children, HBCUs continue to represent an under-utilized source of expertise that can help redesign the 21st-century public education system.
Today, the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) and the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) released a report titled “Untapped Expertise: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as Charter School Authorizers,” which makes the case for expanded partnerships between charter schools and HBCUs to become charter school authorizers. Authorizers are governmentally approved and supervised entities that oversee academic, financial, and operational expectations and school performance. Quality authorizing is a catalyst for expanding access to quality educational opportunities for students and families, especially communities of color.
Report authors Curtis Valentine, Co-Director of PPI’s Reinventing America’s Schools Project, and Karega Rausch, President and CEO of NACSA, argue that HBCUs are natural partners for charter schools due to their long history in education reform and pre-existing relationships. To speed up the pace of school improvement and modernization, America needs more quality charter school authorizers. Currently, the states with the most HBCUs do not allow for higher education authorizers, and the report’s authors call on policymakers to create pathways for capable HBCUs to become strong charter school authorizers.
“HBCUs have played a powerful role in our nation’s education system for generations. As an alumnus of an HBCU, I know firsthand the untapped expertise HBCUs can have on our K-12 education, especially for charter schools — which play a vital role in lowering systemic barriers to high-quality education,” said Curtis Valentine. “HBCUs becoming charter school authorizers is a new and transformative way of achieving that end.”
“Excellent schools built from the aspirations of families remain the north star and high-quality authorizing is key in achieving that end,” said Karega Rausch. “Authorizing well is hard work and we look forward to working with policymakers to create thoughtful pathways for willing HBCUs to be outstanding authorizers.”
The report outlines the steps that state policymakers should take to empower our nation’s HBCUs to become strong charter school authorizers. Charter schools have proven to be a powerful tool for boosting student achievement, especially among low-income families and families of color. By becoming charter school authorizers, HBCUs can build on their historical legacy of transforming K-12 education by strengthening ties between K-12 and higher education and creating strong community institutions that provide opportunities for economic growth.
Read and download the report here.
The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org. Find an expert at PPI and follow us on Twitter.
The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) advances and strengthens the ideas and practices of authorizing so students and communities—especially those who are historically under-resourced—thrive. NACSA believes that quality authorizing is essential and must balance access, autonomy, and accountability in overseeing the overall performance of their portfolios of schools. Find out more about authorizing and NACSA at qualitycharters.org.
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Media Contact:
Amelia Fox – afox@ppionline.org, Courtney Hughley – courtneyh@qualitycharters.org