This week, Mississippi First released the second brief in the Keeping the Promise series. The Keeping the Promise Policy Briefs give recommendations for strengthening the charter school law and ensuring its high-quality implementation. The first brief, released earlier this year, identified weaknesses in the Mississippi Charter Schools Act of 2013 and prioritized policy recommendations to address the weaknesses. The second Keeping the Promise brief identifies strategies to increase independent charter schools in Mississippi.

Mississippi adopted the state’s first true charter school law in 2013. As of today, The Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board has approved 4 charter schools in Mississippi. Two opened their doors this fall in Jackson. Of the 4 approved charter schools, only one is an independent charter school, meaning that it is not a member of a Charter Management Organization or CMO, which is an organization that manages a group of charter schools. The second brief includes recommendations for policymakers and advocates for ensuring that more independent charter schools can open in Mississippi communities.

“Mississippi First believes that high-quality public charter schools should be a part of our state’s public education reform strategy. We have worked hard over the years to make sure the charter school law is high quality. Now, we must ensure that the policy translates to high-quality school options for Mississippi students who need them,” said Executive Director Rachel Canter.

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