When I first started my career with the KIPP Foundation, in 2003, charter schools were few and far between, and CMOs were a nascent concept. As we sought new communities to serve, there was little on-the-ground fanfare, and virtually no policymaker involvement in the process, aside from passing the original legislation that allowed charters to operate.
Nearly fifteen years later, CMOs are playing an important role in increasing the number of high-quality charter public schools, and policymakers across the country at all levels of government are deliberately and aggressively vying for the country’s best CMOs. These leaders understand that successful CMOs can develop and grow schools designed to meet the needs of underserved children and families. But not all cities are the same, and neither are all CMOs. For a CMO to succeed, it must determine what it needs and consider whether potential expansion regions meet those needs. Likewise, cities need to understand that not every CMO will meet the needs of their families and communities. We recently partnered with Foundation for Excellence in Education and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools to capture this evolution in the recent report “How to Recruit High-Performing Charter Management Organizations to a New Region.” Looking to the future, we made recommendations designed to help policymakers and community leaders around the country understand CMO preferences for expansion. A number of external catalysts – including city-based philanthropic funds, the rise of Harbormasters, and political shifts at the state, local, and national levels leading to increased opportunity and demand – have empowered networks to consider expanding. But they’ve also compelled CMOs to become more discriminating about the conditions in which they might operate. Like never before, CMO leadership now has an understanding of what it takes to build and grow high-performing, high-poverty schools; this includes strong views on per-pupil operational funding, teacher certification rules, governance structures, real-estate acquisition and much more. This inflexibility is the result of wisdom gained through experience. Several CMOs embarking on growth plans have experienced the bumps and bruises of being the first operators through the door in a new market. We’re all aware of the examples: YES Prep’s decision to not open in Memphis; Rocketship Education’s decision to slow growth; and KIPP’s decision to close single- site schools in several communities. Fortunately, they have emerged as savvier and more thoughtful organizations. They learned lessons and made better mistakes with each new region opened. But they are also clear examples of the influence of a variety of unexpected barriers on both CMOs and the communities they endeavor to serve. Cities and states can become more sophisticated partners as well. Strategies that acknowledge the on-the-ground opportunities and challenges will more authentically engage the right CMO. State and local leaders can lead with the assets they bring to the table if they understand the specific needs of each CMO. Conversely, they also have the opportunity to transparently address specific policy barriers when possible. It is a far cry from 2003. School operators have realized that it is a complicated process to create and replicate great schools – in and out of the classroom. Cities and states are seizing the opportunity to bring these transformational networks home to their students. And we’re learning and getting better together. The next fifteen years of our work holds the promise of even stronger results and greater impact. Kristoffer Haines is a partner at Ampersand Education Partners and the author of How to Recruit High-Performing Charter Management Organizations to a New Region.
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