The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, my old stomping grounds, has released an important document on charter school laws. A while back, the organization created a "model law," ideal legislation that would support charter growth, quality, and accountability. Now it has compared each state law to that model.
These rankings are interesting for sure, but they are also potentially very important. Having the right type of charter law is crucial to a state's RTT chances; this gives applicants a very clear and reliable guide to where and they stand and need to go.
Minnesota's and DC's laws score at the top. Maryland is at the very bottom (previously I called MD the nation's most disappointing RTT state; given that the state's leaders are doing nothing to change their charter law, this document just reinforces that conclusion).
Thanks and congratulations to the Alliance for a very good contribution.
--Andy Smarick