A review committee for Memphis-Shelby County Schools recommended a denial for all five new public charter school applications the district received this year, including three schools that received high rankings from independent reviewers.
The Quality Charter Review (QCR) recommended approval for Empower Memphis Career and College Prep, Grizzlies Prep STEAM School for Girls, and Pathways in Education but the district review committee found concerns with all three.
Empower Memphis College and Career Prep
Founders of Empower Memphis College and Career Prep say their proposed school would address the lack of innovative school choice options for economically disadvantaged families in the Orange Mound and South Memphis neighborhoods.
The proposed K-8 school would eventually provide 450 students with 16-career pathways with a career technical education (CTE) focus that provides students with academic and hands-on training and experience. QCR reviewers commended the school’s thorough explanation for how it intends to serve students with disabilities and students who are learning the English language.
The district review team however recommended a denial of Empower Memphis due to misalignment of enrollment projections, lack of information to address special populations, and the limited professional plan of the school.
“A more detailed plan is needed regarding the internship portion of the academic plan, to include timeline, partners, etc.,” wrote the district review committee.
The review committee also had concerns with school leaders executing multiple roles.
Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory STEAM School for Girls
The existing all-boys Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School provides students with a science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) focused education in downtown Memphis and leaders hope to provide a similar education model for young girls in grades 6-8.
QCR reviewers gave the proposed school high remarks for providing a unique academic focus not available in downtown Memphis and for having a strong focus on its research-based curriculum and career awareness and social emotional learning but the district review committee recommended a denial.
District reviewers said the application had an unrealistic timeline for its full STEAM curriculum and other deficiencies.
“Being a gender-based school, the application did not provide any academic nor cultural research techniques, specific learning concepts, and practices for building ‘sisterhood’ that the school plans to utilize for the identified girl demographic. When asked during the capacity interview, the proposed school said that this was not yet developed,” wrote the district review committee.
District reviewers also said more balance is needed to manage the two schools.
Pathways in Education
Pathways in Education (PIE) operates eight public charter high schools nationwide, focusing on “at-risk” students, including those who have dropped out. The organization previously operated two public charter schools in Memphis under the state’s Achievement School District from 2013 through 2022.
PIE is applying to open a new school in Whitehaven to serve more than three hundred 9-12 graders with a hybrid learning model where students attend physical classes for at least two days a week for one-on-one sessions.
QCR reviewers gave the school’s management and overall academic plan high marks but the district review committee found multiple problems with the proposed schools’ academics plan.
“There are concerns around curricular alignment, recruitment/enrollment, attendance, course offerings and assessments in the academic programming of the school,” wrote the district review committee.
District reviewers also had concerns with the lack of a plan to provide students with breakfast/lunch, and the presence of existing programs that serve similar populations in Memphis.
The district charter review agreed with QCR reviewers on the applications for the CHANGE Academy and the Tennessee Career Academy. Both recommended a denial for those schools.
The Memphis-Shelby County Board of Education will vote on all five new charter applications Tuesday evening.
