CLARKSVILLE NEWS

A recent report from the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) found that school districts across Tennessee began the school year with 1,000 teaching vacancies.

Governor Bill Lee is stepping into a House primary race to help ensure the seat remains supportive of his school choice proposals.On Thursday Lee announced the endorsement of Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board member Aron Maberry in the House District 68 Republican Primary.

Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board discussed reading proficiency requirements, the decision not to arm teachers, and the impact of COVID-19 relief funding during last week’s meeting.

American Classical Education (ACE) will open at least one public charter school in Tennessee, but the group’s controversial history remains a roadblock in several communities.This week five school boards voted on applications for ACE to open public charter schools with a classical education focus.  The organization received approval from Rutherford County Schools and came close with board members in Maury County Public Schools, but the group still faced opposition in Madison, Robertson, and Montgomery Counties.

The Tennessee Charter Commission overturned MNPS’s decision to reject KIPP Nashville’s applications, approving two new schools in Antioch.

Although other public charter schools have garnered more media coverage, Oxton Academy sets itself apart by focusing on high school students failing to thrive in the traditional and alterative school options in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS). Oxton Academy not only targets drop out students, but students needing a flexible learning environment due to socioeconomic hardship. It will be the first school to offer work-based learning with hybrid course options in the district. Oxton Academy offers an opportunity to better support struggling students while increasing workforce development opportunities within the district.

Supporters of school choice received another setback to efforts to establish a high-quality public charter school in Tennessee's largest city without one.Friday afternoon, Tennessee Public Charter School Commission Executive Director Tess Stovall issued her recommendation to the full commission to deny Oxton Academy's appeal to establish a public charter school serving at risk students and recent dropouts in Montgomery County.

American Classical Education withdrew its appeals for proposed charter schools connected to Hillsdale College after local districts rejected them and public outcry ensued.

Administrators of a proposed public charter school in Clarksville told the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission their concept to serve at risk students and recent dropouts has already attracted the interest of local businesses and institutions of higher learning.Oxton Academy director Marcel Monnar said his proposed school has had discussions about partnerships with LG Electronics and Hankook in Montgomery County along with Austin-Peay State University, the Tennessee College of Applied Technology, and Bethel University.

For the third straight day, administrators with a proposed public charter school connected to Hillsdale College faced questions about their community support and the curriculum teachers would be using.Clarksville-Montgomery County School System District Director of Policy and Continuous Improvement Elizabeth Vincent told the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission that American Classical Education’s application to open American Classical Academy Montgomery left out important details about how its Hillsdale connected curriculum has performed in other states.