NACSA President Joins Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., for Charter School Tour

Discusses the Need for Quality Controls to Strengthen and Advance Charter Sector

CHICAGO, July 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- President and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) Greg Richmond visited the Betty Shabazz International Charter School (BSICS) alongside Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., today to recognize the administration and faculty for their commitment to strengthening the charter school sector and applaud the students for their educational progress. Steeped in deep tradition and innovative practices, BSICS has gone to great strides to ensure that Chicago's students are provided with the greatest educational opportunities possible.

"The Betty Shabazz International Charter School is an exemplar of a successful, high-quality charter school," Richmond stated. "From inception, Betty Shabazz has served as a good charter steward - developing innovative options for educational success through advocacy, rigor, investment, and entrepreneurship. The school has taken remarkable strides towards investing in our nation's students, and for that, I applaud them."

"I am pleased to have this opportunity to visit Betty Shabazz, a school that is clearly meeting and exceeding academic standards and providing its students with a great educational experience," said Jackson. "This is an exciting time for the charter school sector, and I am happy to be a part of it."

BSICS student ambassadors and faculty members greeted Richmond and Jackson and led them on an hour-long visit of the school. The two guests participated in the school's morning drum circle and toured classrooms, where they experienced first hand the innovations and success of the charter school sector. In addition, Richmond discussed with the Congressman the need to adopt critical quality controls - contracts, audits, and student performance standards - within the federal Charter School Program (CSP) to promote and ensure charter quality and consistency.

"Currently, NACSA has a proposal before Congress that would put into place key quality controls within the CSP," Richmond said. "These simple yet important steps will go a long way towards achieving the shared goal of President Obama, US Secretary of Education Duncan, business leaders, civil rights advocates, and innovative educators to support and strengthen the charter school sector."

Founded in 1998 and located on Chicago's southside, Betty Shabazz International Charter School educates students from grades K-12 across three different schools. It combines rigorous academic course work with a full Arts & Humanities program that includes music, dance and visual arts; athletics; culture; and technology-based afterschool programs. When enrollment at all three schools reaches capacity in 2010, Betty Shabazz will serve 1,050 students.

NACSA (www.qualitycharters.org) is the trusted resource and innovative leader working with public officials and education leaders to increase the number of high quality charter schools in cities and states across the nation. NACSA provides training, consulting, and policy guidance to authorizers and education leaders interested in increasing the number of high quality schools and improving student outcomes.

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Greg Richmond

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