New set of charter school law rankings from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools*, they should help on the overall charter school quality issue (pdf). Important on a few levels. First, the model law that they are based on balances growth and quality for charters. Second, the other set of rankings now in use, from the Center on Education Reform, while valuable do in my view, and the view of others, prioritize growth over quality too much.
Good a time as any to point out an overlooked angle in this whole charter quality conversation: School districts authorize the majority of charter schools in this country and the independent authorizers tend to do a better job (pdf). Worth considering before the charter quality problem is considered any great vindication for the current system…
Also, on the authorizing issue here’s an initiative from NACSA* to support quality via a competitive process.
*Discs: I was a founding board member of this organization although I no longer serve on the board. More recently, I was on the team that put together the model law this is based on. I also serve now on the National Advisory Board for NACSA.