Charter Authorizers

A charter school authorizer is the entity that makes decisions regarding approval, renewal, and revocation of a public charter school application or agreement (T.C.A. § 49-13-104). In Tennessee, authorizers can be a local board of education (LEA), the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission (TPCSC), or the Achievement School District (ASD).

Tennessee law and rules outline certain requirements for authorizers of public charter schools, and the State Board of Education (SBE) has established quality authorizing standards upon which each charter authorizer is evaluated. The standards are listed below, and more information can be found by accessing the link in the resources box.

1. Agency Commitment and Capacity

2. Application Process and Decision Making

3. Performance Contracting

4. Ongoing Oversight and Evaluation

5. Amendment, Renewal, and Revocation Decision Making