National Alliance Rescinds Distinction in Strong Opposition to Devastating RI Moratorium

WASHINGTON, June 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools withdrew its recognition of Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee as a Charter School Champion, marking the first time in the organization's 21-year history this award has been rescinded.

This decision comes as Governor McKee actively worked against the best interests of students and families statewide by signing a bill that enacts a moratorium on public charter schools for three years, lowers the statewide cap from 35 to 28, and prohibits already approved schools from opening.

Governor McKee's action is indefensible, especially at a time when Rhode Island charter schools serve higher percentages of students of color, multilingual learners, and students from low-income families, compared to all schools statewide.

Instead of opening the doors to opportunity, Governor McKee is slamming them shut – all at the expense of students who have for too long faced barriers to a high-quality education.

"Make no mistake: the governor put his own political ambitions above the needs of Rhode Island students and families," said Starlee Coleman, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. "Even though this is a cravenly political decision, it was clearly made without consulting a single public opinion poll or speaking with Rhode Island parents, who express near-universal support for public school choice. When McKee received the Charter Champion Award in 2009, he was a strong advocate for public charter schools and the students who learn there. Now that these children no longer politically benefit him, he changed his position and turned his back on them."

Each of the 12,000 students learning in Rhode Island charter schools made a choice – and with this decision today, Governor McKee has denied that same opportunity to thousands of children sitting on charter school waitlists.

For decades, the National Alliance has honored Charter School Champions – advocates who put students' interests ahead of personal political agendas. Today, Governor McKee set the state back, taking Rhode Island further from the promise of educational opportunity and excellence for every child.

The National Alliance will continue to fight on behalf of nearly 4 million students nationwide enrolled in charter schools, each of whom deserves the opportunity that these great public schools can and do provide.

About the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is committed to leading public education to unprecedented levels of academic achievement by fostering a strong national charter school movement. We advocate for policies that enable growth, equitable funding, access to facilities, and the flexibility charter schools need to innovate and succeed. For more information, please visit www.publiccharters.org.

About Public Charter Schools

Public charter schools are free, public, and open to all. Charter schools are given flexibility to design classroom instruction that responds to community needs and prepares students with skills they need to succeed in school and in life. In exchange for this flexibility, charters are held to high standards of transparency, accountability, and results. For more than 30 years, charter schools have been an important part of the American public education system. Today, there are more than 8,100 charter schools (8.4% of all public schools) educating nearly 4 million students (7.8% of all public school students), two-thirds of whom are from low-income, Black or Latino communities. Research shows that charter schools help students succeed in school, setting them on a path for success in college and the workforce.

SOURCE National Alliance for Public Charter Schools