New York State’s law on charter schools changed in important ways in May 2010. In addition to raising the statewide cap on charter schools, the revised law has implications for charter school approvals, renewals, governance, programs, enrollment, facilities, and more. You can access an official copy of the Act here. In addition, we have created an easy to read black-lined version of the Act that visually emphasizes the new provisions in a more legible format.
The Charter Center is committed to helping existing and prospective charter schools succeed in this new policy environment. Scroll down to see how we are:
- Providing general and technical guidance on the law;
- Working with interested charter schools, charter school authorizers, City and State officials, and allies to make sure that the law is implemented in a fair, thoughtful, and effective way; and
- Available to talk about your school or team’s individual situation.
Please bookmark this page and check back frequently for updates.
Guidance and Reference Documents
The following documents reflect the Charter Center’s most recent guidance for charter schools and planning teams. There are many unresolved questions about how the law will be interpreted and implemented, so this section will be regularly updated.
- An Easy to Read Black-Lined Version of the Act (.pdf) (January 19, 2012)
- Guide to New Charter Law (.pdf) (UPDATED Sept 29, 2010)
- Changes in the Charter Schools Law: Implications for New Applicants (.pdf) (June 3, 2010)
- Memo to Charter School Authorizers: Questions About “Comparability” (.pdf) (June 8, 2010)
- White paper on "Comparability" Prepared by Dr. Robert Bifulco, Syracuse University, with Cover Memo (.pdf) (July 21, 2010)
- New requirements under New York General Municipal Law 800-806
Charter school authorizers have issued the following guidance and reference documents:
- NYC Chancellor's revised Regulation A-190, covering co-location (.pdf) (October 7, 2010)
- SUNY Charter Schools Institute: DRAFT Request for Proposals (July 12, 2010)
- State Education Department: Protocol for 2009-10 Charter School Annual Reports (June 18, 2010)
Note on Parent Associations (September 29, 2010)
In an amendment to the school governance law, the Chancellor must now ensure that each charter school located in NYC has a parent association and that meetings of the parent association are, among, other things, open to the general public. SUNY has stated, however, and the Charter Center concurs, that contrary to the language in this amendment, the Chancellor has no authority to require a charter school to form a parent association if 1) the school is not authorized by the Chancellor; and 2) the school is not housed in a DOE building. It is not clear the extent of the Chancellor’s authority more generally, but it is prudent for SUNY-authorized charter schools in DOE facilities to form parent associations in anticipation that DOE will require as much in its capacity as landlord. (The Charter Center understands that charter school parent associations will not be subject to the NYC Chancellor’s Regulations governing parent associations.) Generally speaking, while we believe it is incumbent upon schools to set up robust avenues for parent input and communication, we believe that individual charter schools should be given the autonomy to determine how best to do that.
Authorizer memos on the topic of parent associations:
Memo from NYC DOE (Sept 3, 2010)
Memo from SUNY Charter Schools Institute (Sept 7, 2010)
Ad Hoc Working Groups
The Charter Center is convening two ad hoc working groups of charter school leaders. Working in quick and focused meetings, primarily by phone, these groups will help the Center provide policy makers with a thoughtful, on-the-ground perspective on the new law’s implementation.
The Charter Law Working Group will address questions related to all aspects of the law’s new provisions. Charter school leaders, board members, operations directors, and network leaders are invited to participate.
The Multi-Site Legal Working Group will explore the legal and operational ramifications of the law’s new provision for multiple-site charter school governance. We will be seeking legal counsel to guide us in this work.
To take part in either working group, please contact Michael Regnier.
Contact Us
Charter Center staff are available to help schools and planning teams negotiate the new provisions of the law.
For questions related to new schools and charter renewals, contact Niomi Plotkin.
For other questions, contact Michael Regnier.
