School board members with Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) unanimously denied all five applications for new public charter schools with one vote Tuesday.
The board opted to follow the recommendation of the district review committee and vote down applications by Empower Memphis Career and College Prep, Memphis Grizzlies Prep STEAM School for Girls, Pathways in Education, the CHANGE Academy and the Tennessee Career Academy.
Leaders from all five schools now have 30 days to resubmit an amended application that would likely be voted on by board members at their July 25 meeting.
“This is the initial round. This is the first attempt that applicants have at the LEA (local school districts). There is a second attempt as long as the applicants decide to resubmit an application,” said MSCS Assistant Superintendent of Charter Schools Brittany Monda.
Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory STEAM School for Girls
The proposed Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory STEAM School for Girls would provide a grade 6-8 companion school to the all-boys Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School in downtown Memphis.
The district review team found the proposed school’s application had an unrealistic timeline and failed include how its science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) electives will be integrated into the core classes to uphold their mission and vision of a STEAM-focused school.
“Our recommendation is to deny MGP STEAM School for Girls in this initial round,” said school development senior advisor Arlandra Parker.
Pathways in Education Memphis
Pathways in Education operates eight public charter high schools for “at-risk” students across the country and the organization has previously operated schools in Memphis under the Achievement School District (ASD) in Memphis that were closed down at the end of 2022.
The district review had concerns with the proposed school’s curricular alignment, recruitment and enrollment, attendance, course offerings, and assessments in the academic program.
“To highlight a few things about this application, there are just concerns in multiple areas of the academic section,” said Parker.
The review also had additional concerns surrounding school governance, facilities, and food service.
Empower Memphis Career and College Prep
The proposed K-8 Empower Memphis Career and College Prep school would provide students with a career technical education (CTE) focus that provides students with academic and hands-on training and experience.
District reviewers had concerns about the CTE program and how Empower Memphis would train teachers on its unique program style.
Earlier this Spring, independent reviewers with the Quality Charter Review looked over all five applications for Shelby County and recommended the district approve the applications from Memphis Career and College Prep, Grizzlies Prep STEAM School for Girls, and Pathways in Education-Memphis.
CHANGE Academy and the Tennessee Career Academy
Board members and QCR reviewers found agreement on the denials for the all-boys CHANGE Academy and the Tennessee Career Academy.
The district’s charter review had concerns with the CHANGE Academy’s academic plan and whether its sponsor is allowed to operate a public charter school.
“The school sponsor is Trust God and Never Doubt Outreach, which as we discussed, TCA (Tennessee Code Annotated) defines a sponsor of charter schools are those who file the application, not to be religious or a church school or promote the agenda of a religious denomination,” said Monda.
District reviewers felt the application from the Tennessee Career Academy lacked evidence of planned curriculum goals or career pathway to achieving certification in the school’s program.
“They have not confirmed partnerships as listed in the application and there is a lot of continued work that needs to be done as part of the operational program to match the academic program with a lot of those items not fully being laid out at this time,” said Monda.
The board must now submit their reasons for the denial of each application and schools will be able to submit an amended application for a second review.
Board member McKissack told the public that a denial on the first try is common in charter applications and should be viewed as an opportunity for schools to improve their plan.
“This process is very typical to be denied on that first one,” said McKissack. “This is a fairly standard process so don’t take any sort of whatever may come out of it as any personal slight if you are denied on the first-go round. This actually is an opportunity to make your application, you school even stronger.”
