FLINT, Mich. – Central Michigan University has decided not to renew Center Academy of Flint’s authorization for next year, according to MLive. CMU said declining academic performance lead to the decision.
Loss of authorization means the charter public school will have to close unless a new authorizer can be found, according to MLive. Officials at the school said they were currently searching for a new authorizer.
"We're moving quickly, all hands are on deck," Russell Kirksey, vice president of the school's board of directors, told MLive.
MLive reports CMU is the largest authorizer of charter public schools, sponsoring 56 across the state. Center Academy is the 17th time CMU has decided not to renew a school’s authorization since 1994.
Buddy Moorehouse, a spokesman for the Michigan Association of Public School Academies, told MLive 50 charter public schools have been shut down by their authorizer since the state introduced them in 1994. Moorehouse said the fact that charter schools are occasionally shut down by their authorizers is a sign the system is working.
"Every year there are schools that are closed down by their authorizers," Moorehouse told MLive. "In a way, that's one of the positives about charter schools because they are more accountable. If they don't perform, they are shut down."
SOURCE: MLive, “Flint charter school Center Academy denied authorization to operate,” April 25, 2012
FURTHER READING: Michigan Capitol Confidential, “Commentary: Research Shows Parental Choice Works,” Sep. 23, 2011
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