Stay informed on what’s happening in Missouri’s Charter Schools with the Missouri Charter School Association’s Quarterly Newsletter!
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The purpose of the
Missouri Charter Public School Association (MCPSA)
is to ensure all families in Missouri have equitable access to high-quality schools where students can thrive. As the voice of the state’s charter school community, we provide ongoing support to schools, advocate for supportive public policies, and inform the public about the benefits of a charter school model. |
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This quarterly newsletter was designed to keep MCPSA members, charter school families, and supporters informed on the latest state and national charter school news. Each edition highlights stories from the field, statewide progress, and community updates—a space to stay connected, inspired, and engaged.
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Organizational Update
By Noah Devine
First, I’d like to highlight that the association just wrapped up our annual Charter Schools Conference, an incredible opportunity for school leaders and educators to come together from across the state. On October 9–10, we welcomed nearly 500 attendees to St. Louis to hear from our keynote speaker, Geoffrey Canada. It was an inspiring couple of days—not only hearing from a pioneer and visionary in education, but also reflecting on where our sector has been, where it’s headed, and having meaningful conversations and learning alongside one another.
The Association recently collaborated with Each Day Communications on a project celebrating 25 years of public charter schools in Missouri. Over the past 25 years, public charter schools have expanded opportunities for Missouri students and families. To honor the pioneers who built the state’s public charter movement and the innovators shaping its future, the project features 25 voices from the sector. I encourage you to check it out and hear from these inspiring individuals who generously shared their time and their stories.
Find and explore the site here.
Finally, to further share the message of public charter schools, the association authored an op-ed that was published in the
Kansas City Star
and the
Columbia Missourian
.
We hope it reaches not only supporters, but also those across the state who are curious about public charter schools.
Thank you for your continued support. We’re looking forward to what’s ahead!
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Communications
By Edie Barnard
Strong communication isn’t optional—it’s how we shape the story. Missouri’s charter schools are free, public, and open to all, and every day they’re delivering high-quality, innovative learning.
This year, MCPSA’s digital campaigns have reached more Missourians than ever, connecting families and communities with real stories of student success. Our 25 Voices for 25 Years campaign also brought statewide attention to the people driving Missouri’s charter movement.
Next up: our Communications Community of Practice meets November 13–14 in Columbia, where communications leads from member schools will collaborate, problem-solve, and sharpen how we tell our story. Together, we’re making sure the public conversation reflects the excellence and opportunity happening in classrooms across Missouri.
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Member Services & Federal Programs
By Gloria Howell
For the 2025–2026 school year, the McKinney-Vento School Cooperative convened a joint meeting with Kansas City and St. Louis McKinney-Vento Liaisons. Training sessions, led by DESE’s Tera Bock and Mary Werner, provided statewide expertise and alignment. The Cooperative’s focus is to strengthen McKinney-Vento practices through shared resources, expand access to services for students and families experiencing housing instability, and ensure strong school-level compliance.
Launching September 23, the Full Impact Model (FIM) is a new initiative serving Kansas City charter LEAs in partnership with Avenue of Life and more than 90 community agencies. The program provides comprehensive support to remove barriers to learning, increase student engagement, and deliver wraparound case management. A key component of FIM is securing permanent housing for families, with Avenue of Life building relationships with landlords and housing providers to expand access to safe, affordable homes.
The McKinney-Vento Transportation Cooperative continues to provide reliable, safe, and affordable transportation for St. Louis charter LEAs, streamlining operations and maintaining equitable access for students facing housing instability.
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Data & Research
By Jose Sotelo
Over the past quarter , MCPSA has strengthened data infrastructure across Missouri’s charter public school sector through stakeholder engagement, data collection, and research. Working with school boards, research institutions, and individual charters, we’ve advanced our strategic priorities and built a strong foundation for data-driven improvement.
In partnership with ECS, MCPSA launched the School Finder Tool to help parents make informed school choices and help schools understand their competitive landscape. The tool allows address-based searches for both charter and traditional schools, displaying achievement, growth, and demographic data. It also established MCPSA’s definition of high-quality schools—those with both high APR performance and strong growth.
We’ve expanded data accessibility by publishing research on enrollment and growth trends, launching an annual State of Charters presentation, and creating a preliminary APR tool with yearly school-level updates.
Through a partnership with St. Louis University, MCPSA also launched a pilot with five St. Louis charters to strengthen data infrastructure and ensure compliance. SLU provides technical support while MCPSA coordinates efforts, laying the groundwork for a scalable, statewide data system.
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Some Highlights from the Quarter
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Celebrating 25 Years of Charter Schools
Reports don’t have to be boring. For the 25-year anniversary of Missouri’s charter schools, we wanted a report that was both credible and engaging.
In partnership with 3rd Edge Communications, Each Day Communications, and Brendan Lowe, nearly three dozen students, grandparents, educators, and mayors shared the real impact charter schools have on families and communities. From there came
25 Voices—a microsite
featuring 25 videos and several articles. Visitors can explore the data, hear personal stories, and even enroll in the school of their choice through a unified application.
Sharing these voices allowed us to celebrate a public education option that truly serves tens of thousands of Missouri families every day.
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2025 Missouri Charter Schools Conference
On October 9-10 we hosted our annual MCPSA Conference, bringing together nearly 500 charter public school leaders and educators from across Missouri. The two-day event in St. Louis featured professional development sessions, moments of connection and a broader view of how far the sector has come and where we aim to go.
Our inspiring keynote was from Geoffrey Canada, who shared insights on education equity and student success. Attendees left equipped with new strategies, ideas, and partnerships to drive student growth and strengthen connections within the charter community.
We’re already looking forward to bringing everyone together next year in Kansas City on October 8-9! Take a look at this year’s conference recap below!
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Schools That Believe
Alongside The Opportunity Trust, we recently wrapped up a partnership with Chris Stewart and brightbeam, a national nonprofit dedicated to amplifying voices that challenge the status quo in education through media and storytelling. Brightbeam recently completed seven videos as part of the “Schools That Believe” series, featuring three St. Louis schools.
Below is the final video in the series.
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Advocacy & Awareness
Boone County
Over the past few months, our advocacy and awareness efforts have primary focused on community in Boone County.
At the end of September, MCPSA was proud to sponsor a Family Movie Night at Lakeside Ashland, where students, families, and staff came together for an evening of connection and fun. The event allowed MCPSA team members to talk with members of the community and disseminate informational charter school materials in relaxed, family-friendly space for engagement.
Additionally,
the MCPSA advertisement geared toward Boone County
played on the big screen ahead of the showing of
How to Train Your Dragon
.
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Back to School Campaign
To help celebrate the start of a new school year, and increase understanding about charter schools among our internal audience (our schools) we hand delivered a packet of materials to every charter school building.
The materials included yard signs for each school to display with a QR code that passerby can scan to get more information.
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What We’re Reading
Check out some of the local and national happenings that we’re reading:
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Stay informed
Follow us on social media for the latest news and events from MCPSA!
- Following our social media pages (linked below)
- Liking and resharing MCPSA’s content
- Tagging MCPSA on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn
You can also visit our
website
or
landing page
to learn more.
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Thanks for Reading…
And remember:
Charter schools
are still tuition-free, still public, still misunderstood.
Keep spreading the word.
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