THE CHARTER COLLABORATIVE

The Saginaw Valley State University Board of Control established the charter school office (The Charter Collaborative) in 1995. With modest beginnings, the office has grown to serve over 10,000 students in 17 academies across the state of Michigan. Our motto is "Student success is our passion." The office supports our schools by providing professional development, board training opportunities, teacher/leader scholarships, and student scholarships for students that attend SVSU after graduation from an SVSU authorized school. See the Cardinal Partnership Program for more information.

In June 2017, The Charter Collaborative received Charter School Authorizer Accreditation from AdvancEd. An additional five years was awarded by Cognia (formerly AdvancEd) in June 2022.

Our mission is to promote accessible, quality educational opportunities that empower all participants. A quality education welcomes all, fosters creativity, and entitles learners to grow into their most authentic selves. As every difference is an asset, education should always be a celebration of diverse views and people. This purpose is our guide and commitment to our education stakeholders. This office will always build a bigger table to ensure everyone has a seat at it because together we are better.

Our office serves as the link between our educational stakeholders and their opportunities for success, we aspire to authorize quality Public School Academies. We value collaboration and innovation with stakeholders, continuous improvement of organizational initiatives, compliance and transparency, academic achievement, and diversity, ethics and stewardship.

To learn more about Public School Academies or Charter Schools, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.