S2 E8 Birth of Authorizing

Passing the first charter laws was only the beginning. Someone had to make those laws real. In this episode of Bold by Choice, co-hosts Vashaunta Harris, Jim Goenner, and Don Cooper take us back to the messy, courageous, and often misunderstood beginnings of charter school authorizing.

• In Washington, D.C., Tom Nida and Jo Baker recall how two boards were formed to oversee charter schools—without a playbook, precedent, or even the word authorizer in common use.

• In Minnesota, Pat Sandro raises questions about district-based authorizing and whether districts were ever the right entities to serve as neutral stewards.

Together, these stories highlight the leadership, trial-and-error, and bold problem-solving it took to move chartering from policy on paper to practice in schools.

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Leadership Lessons

• Lead without a playbook – Early authorizers had no blueprint; they had to define the role as they went.

• Balance support and accountability – Even today, authorizers wrestle with being both partner and regulator.

• Question the structure – Minnesota’s district-based model raised conflicts of interest that still spark debate.

• Reimagine, don’t just repeat – Authorizing is not just compliance—it’s custodianship of the charter promise.

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Show Notes & Resources

Explore the full oral histories and research in the Founders Library

• Interview of Josephine (Jo) Baker and Tom Nida

• Interview of Pat Sandro

• Interview of Robert (Bob) Mills, Ph.D.

• The Politics of Charter School Authorizing: The Case Study of New York by Jonas Chartock (2012) – Read here