Locating the service provider or supplier with a thorough understanding of the charter school and education business can be very difficult for administrators. In some cases charter schools have been in jeopardy of failing because the service provider did not have the appropriate in-depth knowledge that is unique to charter schools. I know of a school that suffered for years at a great expense because the accounting system they purchased did not fit their needs.

Fortunately, there are many vendors that have the expertise, services and products to help charter schools build, recruit, supply, support and sustain successful operations. The National Charter School Clearinghouse (NCSC), in its effort to provide charter schools with the most useful and relevant resources, has developed the first and only national online service directory, a yellow pages specifically for charter schools. The “NCSC Charter School Service Directory” is available at www.NCSC.info/services and is also accessible from the NCSC website that receives over 8,000 visitors monthly who access the research, resources, funding information, and news the site provides accessing nearly 200,000 per month.

The directory is one of those win-win situations. The schools win by having fast, easy access to charter school vendors in numerous sectors ranging from accounting to web design. Listings are simple to locate as they are searchable by state, category, keyword and company name. Schools have a choice of suppliers and the ability to comparison shop and to receive multiple quotes. The vendors win being listed in the right place at the right time, reaching customers efficiently and economically 24/7.

The Service Directory is a new addition to the NCSC website and already has nearly 100 listings. NCSC will soon launch an awareness campaign to reach over 4,000 vendors to make sure that the directory becomes an even more valuable resource for charter schools. We encourage charter schools to contact their suppliers and let them know about this new tool for charter schools. The next time you need to find a product or service for your school, please try out NCSC’s Charter School Service Directory.