This month the Memphis-Shelby County Board of Education will likely make the difficult decision to close multiple public charter schools.
Some of these decisions are mandated by state law and others will be optional, but in each case, the people impacted the most will be the families that chose these schools to provide an education for their children.
Each of the seven schools in question have been named Priority Schools by the Tennessee Department of Education. These schools, also known as comprehensive support and improvement schools, are determined by two different criteria: they either have a low graduation rate, or a low performance on state testing relative to other schools in the state.
Three of these schools (Freedom Preparatory Academy Westwood Elementary at Parkrose, Memphis Delta Preparatory, and Granville T. Woods Academy of Innovation Charter School) are on the Priority list for the second consecutive year.
The remaining four schools (Arrow Academy of Excellence, Memphis Business Academy Hickory Hill Middle School, KIPP Memphis Academy Middle, and KIPP Memphis Collegiate Middle) are on the Priority list for the initial time.
Under state law, MSCS is required to revoke the charters of schools on the Priority list for the second consecutive year. The district has the option to revoke the charter of schools that are added to the list for the initial time, but the revocation is not required.
Last month, district administration recommended revocation of all seven schools to the MSCS Board, and the Board will make their final decisions next week at specially called meetings on Monday, December 5, and Tuesday, December 6.
These decisions will no doubt cause concern and emotional distress for parents and students impacted, making it essential that the district provide families with extra support during this time.
In addition to its regularly held School Options Night, we call on Memphis-Shelby County Schools to hold an informational night for impacted families early in the new year, offering them the opportunity to learn about other charter schools, general open enrollment schools, optional schools, and local zoned schools. Without information, families are ill-equipped to make decisions about next steps, and the onus falls on the district to provide complete, accurate, and transparent information to each family throughout this process.
Impacted families can utilize a few resources currently to learn more about available options. First, caregivers and families can look up the academic proficiency, growth, and other data for each school in the district by using Tennessee’s School Report Card tool on the Tennessee Department of Education website. Once on the site, families can enter their address to see nearby schools’ data, or type in the name of a specific school they are interested in to view its data and contact information.
A second tool families can use is the MSCS website page on School Choice. This page includes applications for General Choice and Optional Schools, as well as information on charter schools. Families can also get questions answered and find school contact information using the menu.
Disruption in a child’s education is never the desired outcome, but Memphis-Shelby County Schools can mitigate the trauma of these closures through comprehensive, transparent, and frequent communication with all families. We implore the district to take a proactive approach by communicating all options, speaking with families, and encouraging each family to work with teachers and school leadership to determine best-fit placement for each student.
Next Monday, December 5, the MSCS Board of Education will hear statements from each school new to the Priority List, and each school will answer questions from the board. This meeting will begin at 3:30pm. On Tuesday, December 6, the board will vote on charter closure for the four schools that are new to the Priority List at a specially called meeting at 6:30pm.
You can live stream these meetings on MSCS Facebook page or by going to the MSCS website. If you would like to attend these meetings in person, they will be held at the Frances E. Coe Administration Building Auditorium, 160 South Hollywood Street.
The Tennessee Firefly is a project of and supported by Tennesseans for Student Success.
