Lawmakers use time in between federal funding hearings to tour innovative Nashville public charter school

State Senators Jon Lundbeg, R-Bristol, and Bill Powers, R-Clarksville, and Representative William Slater, R-Hendersonville, utilized their downtime in between federal education funding hearings Tuesday afternoon to learn more about a unique public charter school that’s about to expand into the suburbs.The three lawmakers toured the campus of the Nashville Collegiate Prep on Bell Road.The K-8 public charter school provides students with a unique community classroom model that organizes each grade into a pod of 4 to 5 classes.  Throughout the day students switch teachers within the pod based on their specific needs and strengths. This gives teachers the opportunity to more directly focus lessons on the areas students might need help in.“Everybody might be teaching a math level but each teacher is teaching at a different level based on the students that are sitting in front of her, said Nashville Collegiate Prep Principal Teresa Brown. “It’s so important that we understand where each one of these kids are. So we’ll teach, we assess, then we make decisions based on who mastered that standard, who didn’t master that standard”Brown says the community model creates a family atmosphere for teachers. The model is additionally designed to provide behavior and character education along with stronger relationships through smaller learning communities.“We know that small groups matter, and we can move students faster if we can get eyeball to eyeball instruction and differentiate,” said Brown.None of the lawmakers touring Nashville Collegiate Prep have public charter schools in their districts but Senator Lundberg said the visit was important to see how different and specialized education models are working for students.“I think you can see it from the teachers to the students, both were engaged with each other. They do a lot, so that’s really cool,” said Lundberg. “Schools and education, there’s not a one-size fits all. This is part of that solution.”

Suburban Growth

The Noble Education Initiative and ReThink Forward partner to operate the school and the organizations are planning to open a sister school in Rutherford County next year.Governor Bill Lee took part in the groundbreaking last month for Rutherford Collegiate Prep in Murfreesboro. The school is set to serve approximately 700 students in grades K-8.“There is nothing more important than preparing the next generation of Tennesseans to succeed in life, & that begins in the classroom,” wrote Governor Lee on social media. “Great to join community leaders at Rutherford Collegiate Prep, a public charter school that will transform students' lives through quality education.”Rutherford Collegiate Prep will join two other public charter schools in Rutherford County as the first in a suburban region.