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Concordia University will stop authorizing charter schools by the end of 2015.

In a letter to the affected schools, Concordia said being an authorizer was "no longer in harmony with the university's mission." 

Problems at St. Paul charter school could lead to tighter state controls

As a result, eight charter schools in the Twin Cities metro area will have to find new authorizers to provide fiscal and academic oversight.

Gene Piccolo, executive director of the Minnesota Association of Charter Schools, finding a new authorizer will not be easy for the schools that need one.

"With eight schools, that's going to be very tough to find authorizers because a number of authorizers are not taking new schools," he said. "If we have a school that doesn't find one by the middle of next year, what's going to happen to that school? Is it going to close on December 31, 2015?"

Under Minnesota law, authorizers oversee the performance of the charter schools they sponsor, but are not involved in their day-to-day operation.   

Concordia faced criticism recently because of reports of mismanagement the Community School of Excellence,  one of the charters it sponsors in St. Paul.   

Education News

Tim Post

Author

The decision by Concordia to no longer be an authorizer for eight charter schools will require them to find new sponsors.

Concordia University steps away from charter schools

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