5 Keys to a Successful Charter Term and Renewal

by Wayne D. Jones, JPS Solutions | March 28, 2025

Let’s face it: charter renewal can be an intimidating process. The stakes are insanely high. Success means that your school lives on for another term, maybe even expands or replicates. However, failure could mean shutting down, eliminating staff and upending the lives of your students and their families.

In addition, the requirements for renewal are steep. Charter schools spend on average hundreds of hours over several months preparing and applying for renewal. It can be an exhausting process that includes gathering and analyzing mounds of data, writing your renewal application and coordinating public meetings and authorizer site visits. What’s more, renewal happens while you’re already juggling the overwhelming daily demands of running a school.

But here’s the good news: a successful renewal campaign doesn’t have to be quite so stressful. In fact, by approaching the process strategically, you can turn the renewal process into a positive and reflective school improvement experience.

Working over the last couple decades with charter schools in renewal, I’ve learned that a successful charter renewal is rarely, if ever, the result of a single big move or “last minute push” but, rather, is the end product of a long-term commitment to planning, building strong systems and regularly checking progress toward achieving your charter goals.

That’s why we’re launching this blog series: The 5 Keys to a Successful Charter Term and Renewal. It’s designed to give school leaders and board members a practical framework for staying on track throughout the charter term — and putting yourself in the strongest possible position when renewal time comes around.

Here’s a quick look at what we’ll cover:

• Key #1: “Unpacking the Charter”™ – Your charter is more than a founding document — it’s your school’s moral compass and blueprint for success. Our first installment will discuss how to unpack it by breaking it down into clear, actionable commitments and developing a plan to ensure compliance and continuous improvement.
• Key #2: Take the “Long View” – Charter renewal is not a one-time event; it’s the result of years of deliberate work. We’ll share guidance for establishing habits and systems that help you stay ahead of the curve—starting now, not later.
• Key #3: Start Strong – Early implementation matters. We’ll highlight how the decisions and actions you make in the first years of the charter—from building Board capacity to empowering staff to scheduling frequent compliance-checks—will echo all the way to renewal. This installment will consider how a strong and intentional launch of each charter term can drive your school’s effectiveness and lay the groundwork for a successful renewal.
• Key #4: Build Smart Systems – From board governance to classroom instruction, consistency and coordination are key. This post will dig into the importance of policy development in Board governance and systemwide communication practices that support cooperation and break down silos before they take hold. It will show how these policies and practices can help your school meet its charter expectations and build a solid foundation for renewal.
• Key #5: Keep an Eye on Progress – Things change. Sometimes what looked feasible on paper when you wrote the charter application turns out to be unworkable or disappointing in practice. In such instances, it is important to identify challenges early and to be proactive in addressing them. This installment will explore strategies for ongoing internal reviews and course corrections that prepare you to make your “best case” for a full and successful charter renewal.

Each article will dive deeper into one of these keys, with practical ideas and takeaways you can bring back to your school. Whether you’re launching your first charter term or gearing up for your next renewal, this series can help you.

Building toward a successful charter renewal doesn’t happen all at once. It happens key by key. Follow along as we dive into each of the five, beginning with “Unpacking the Charter”™. The foundation for your next renewal starts here.

If you’d like to explore this further or discuss how it applies to your school, feel free to get in touch.