Metro Nashville School Board votes to close one of northeast Nashville’s highest performing elementary schools

Teacher with students at Rocketship Nashville Northeast Elementary School (Photo by Rocketship)

Jauana Luiz Cruz says the transition of moving to Nashville from Mexico was a huge challenge for her elementary school age son.

Jauana Luiz Cruz (right) speaking through an interpreter at the school board meeting (Screengrab)

Speaking through an interpreter at Tuesday's Metro School Board meeting, Cruz says language barriers were especially a problem and her son hated school so much she worried the family might have to make an emotionally difficult decision.

“We tried other schools, but he would cry and fight to the point I was already ready to send my child back to Mexico. He would tell me I want to go back,” said Cruz.

That changed after a coworker connected the family with Rocketship Nashville Northeast Elementary School.  The public charter school is among the most diverse in the Maplewood School Cluster in northeast Nashville and Cruz said her son has thrived there.

“My son has done a complete transition in the little time he has been there. I used to cry every day and night and now I see him and he’s so happy and he makes me melt. He comes home and tells me things such as they are my family, I have friends and they are my brothers. Hearing that gives me so much comfort,” said Cruz.

Cruz’s son isn’t alone in finding academic success at Rocketship.

The most recent state academic performance data shows Rocketship outperformed every other elementary school in the cluster in Math and English language arts and only one elementary school scored higher proficiency rates in science.

The elementary school has additionally scored in the highest or second highest category for student growth every year it’s been open, but that success was not enough to convince the Metro School Board to renew Rocketship’s 10-year charter agreement to continue operating.

Board members voted 8 to 1 against renewal Tuesday night.The vote went against the district’s own charter review team that found Rocketship partially met state requirements in all categories including academic, operations, and finances. District reviewers recommended board members grant Rocketship’s request for a new charter agreement.

School Board Chair Rachael Anne-Elrod (Photo by MNPS)

Board Chair Rachael Anne-Elrod led those opposing the renewal, utilizing comparisons involving schools less diverse and more wealthy located outside northeast Nashville to make the case Rocketship hasn’t proven it’s doing a better job than the district.

“I understand that they’ve been within our school system for ten years, however they have not proven to be exceptional. I do not want mediocracy, I do not want them to be average,” said Elrod. “We are not seeing that here.”

Board member Erin O’Hara Block was the lone vote in favor of approving Rocketship’s renewal. Block said her decision was partially the result of visiting the school personally.

“I saw high quality instruction going on in classrooms,” said Block. “It feels very hard to me to want to say to a school that’s been a Level 5 TVAAS (Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System) school and that might well be outperforming some of its neighboring schools, I’m sorry you gotta go through the next several months with no consistency or knowledge for your kids, your families, and your educators of where they might end up.”

The board’s decision means Rocketship’s future will now lie with the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission.  Under state law, public charter schools can appeal renewal denials to the state commission and Rocketship has indicated it plans to do just that.

Rocketship Executive Director Will Hill (Photo by Rocketship)

“Rather than considering the school’s entire 10-year track record and the positive impact we’re having on students’ lives, the Board of Education hyper-focused on the areas for improvement in the review report and used them to justify going against the committee’s recommendation to renew our charter,” said Rocketship Executive Director Will Hill. “This reckless decision will not have any immediate impact on our school, and it does not mean that our school is closing. Over the coming weeks, we will appeal the MNPS Board’s decision to the Tennessee Charter Commission, which is already the authorizer for Rocketship Dream Community Prep in Southeast Davidson County. We have a strong case for a successful appeal.”

If that appeal isn’t successful Rocketship students like Cruz’s son will have to find another school to attend.  She worries that switch could hinder the lift-off his education has received at Rocketship.

“Academically he’s growing. He reads and comes home and goes straight to work. He loves learning.,” said the mother.  “At Rocketship I finally feel like we are getting the help we needed. I can see the difference, not just in my son but in my family as a whole.”

School Board Approves Two Other Renewals

Rocketship was one of three renewals school board members voted on Tuesday night.Board members voted 7-0 in favor of a renewal for Valor Flagship and 6-3 in favor of a renewal for KIPP Collegiate High School.

Board members Elrod and Abigail Tylor were among the votes against KIPP Collegiate, and both abstained on the vote for Valor Flagship.