Charter schools show whats possible when educators and students work together in public schools that are built on the principles of: school-level autonomy, public school choice, and accountability for performance. They are preparing thousands of children for a better life by building academic skills, instilling character and preparing students for college. Authorizers are the agencies that support and monitor the schools in this innovative public education sector. They are the elected officials, education leaders and day-to-day managers that determine who may start a new school and which schools are good enough to stay open. NACSA is the professional membership organization that supports the work of authorizers. We provide information and services to authorizers across the country as they perform this cutting-edge work. And we support school system leaders who are interested in applying best practices from charter schools in their own systems.