Alice Lockett is an example of the generational challenges many families in Memphis face.
As a teenager she dropped out of school after becoming pregnant and had to support her daughter by working at fast food restaurants.
Later Lockett’s daughter faced challenges in school overcoming multiple mental health disorders.
“As a mother it was heartbreaking to witness her struggles especially when I lacked access to the necessary resources to support her effectively,” said Lockett.
Today Lockett is helping raise her granddaughter and she believes the proposed Empower Memphis Career and College Prep could provide a better path forward.
The proposed public charter school would serve K-8 students in the Orange Mound and South Memphis communities with a career technical education (CTE) model that’s designed to provide students with academic and technical skills through hands-on training and experience.
“Empower Memphis stands as a beacon of hope we have been searching for. This institution offers a unique opportunity for young minds to explore potential careers from an early age,” said Lockett.
Memphis-Shelby County School Board members voted down Empower Memphis’ application in July.
Under state law, denied applicants can appeal to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission. Members have the option of overturning local district denials, and the commission hosted a public hearing on the proposed school’s application Wednesday to give supporters like Lockett and others an opportunity to explain why it’s needed.
“This type of career-based education is really important. I had over 5 thousand kindergarteners that did not go to school and I called their parents in, and this type of work ethic training is essential for growth in our community,” said retired Judge Loyce Lambert-Ryan.
“I have witnessed the struggle and challenge our community faces firsthand. I have seen the potential our young minds hold, and I firmly believe education is the key to unlocking that potential,” said Orange Mound resident Hazel Moore. “Empower Memphis recognizes this need and takes it a step further by starting early at the kindergarten level.”
Former teacher Muna Olaniyi is the founder and CEO of Empower Memphis, and she says she chose the Orange Mound and South Memphis neighborhoods for a reason. Both suffer from high child poverty rates and currently 40 percent of the schools in those communities are considered low performing Priority Schools.
“Orange Mound and South Memphis deserve nothing less than high quality schools, regrettably these communities currently bear the burden of historically underperforming schools,” said Olaniyi. “Empower Memphis provides a unique academic model that we believe will bring back the excitement of learning when connected to their interests.
Empower Memphis proposes to provide a “two-generation’ approach that serves the needs of students and their families to disrupt the cycle of poverty and provide children with both industry awareness and career readiness.
A charter review team from Memphis-Shelby County Schools found Empower Memphis’ academic, financial, and operational plans all met state standards but the district recommended a denial for another reason.
A district representative told the charter commission Memphis’ Central City West region that includes the Orange Mound and South Memphis neighborhoods, doesn’t need another school.
“A saturation issue remains as there are more seats than students in the proposed targeted area,” said the district representative. “Every grade band in every neighborhood in Central City West region has more seats than students.”
Lockett disagrees, as she believes the education Empower Memphis offers isn’t available anywhere in Memphis.
“Empower Memphis represents a revolutionary model, one Memphis has not seen before,” said Lockett. “Empower Memphis is more than just a school, it’s a lifetime for families like mine.”
The Tennessee Public Charter School Commissioners will utilize comments made during the public hearing to make a final decision on the appeal next month in Nashville.
