The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (National Alliance) is the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the public charter school movement. Their mission is to lead public education to unprecedented levels of academic achievement by fostering a strong charter movement.

 

Why They Exist

When given the option, parents increasingly are choosing to enroll their children in public charter schools. In most communities, the demand for charter schools is far outpacing the supply. What began as a small movement in a couple of states has grown into a major force in education reform. Today there are more than 6,700 charter schools in 43 states and Washington, D.C., educating nearly 3 million students. By 2020, they expect that 10,000 high-quality charter schools will be serving over four million students, and more than 200 communities will demonstrate their support for charter schools by growing their enrollment share to 10 percent or higher.

The National Alliance occupies a critical role in the charter movement: as a leader in federal education policy, as a major supporting force to improve state charter policy and advocacy, and as a prominent national voice in the policy and public discourse on public charter schools.

 

What They Do

In order to support the growth of a high-quality charter school community, they work to:

Fuel the growth of high-quality public charter schools by advocating for increased public funding of charter schools;

Shape federal and state policy to create the climate in which high-quality charter schools can grow; and
Improve the overall health and perception of the movement in order to increase their influence with policymakers.
The National Alliance speaks and advocates for the millions of students attending and hoping to attend a charter school. Through their advocacy efforts at the federal and state level, their legal activities, their research, and their national communications work, they ensure lawmakers, the media, opinion-shapers, public charter school leaders, thought leaders, and the general public understand what charter schools are, the promise they hold for children, and how best to promote the growth of high-quality, innovative schools nationwide.