Michigan Public Charter Schools Pivot During Pandemic

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan public charter schools coordinated online resources, advocated for funding, and organized roundtables and networking during the 2019-2020 school year, according to the Michigan Council of Charter School Authorizers in Lansing.
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During the 2019-2020 school year, while most learning was remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Michigan Council of Charter School Authorizers coordinated online resources and advocated for funding. // Stock photo

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan public charter schools coordinated online resources, advocated for funding, and organized roundtables and networking during the 2019-2020 school year, according to the Michigan Council of Charter School Authorizers in Lansing.

The group is responsible for supporting the state’s public charter schools and holding them accountable for academic and operational performance.

“Michigan’s charter authorizers have a 25-year track record of helping schools deliver strong outcomes, particularly for students who have traditionally been underserved,” says Corey Northrop, chair of the council. “The 2019-2020 school year provided extraordinary educational challenges due to COVID-19, and Michigan’s authorizers stepped up to ensure students continued to learn, despite the circumstances they faced.”

The organization says it works to advance educational innovation, school choice, and sharing best practices. During the 2019-2020 academic year, it created online resource centers and webinars to help schools navigate the pandemic and advocated for charter school funding that resulted in restored funding after a gubernatorial veto.

It also organized statewide roundtables and a peer-to-peer network through council practitioner workgroups.

The council’s 2019-2020 report is available here.

The council is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to providing oversight for charter schools that serve students in grades K-12.