State charter commission unanimously approved renewed charter contract

Earlier this month when schools across Memphis shut down for winter weather, Promise Academy Spring Hill Interim Executive Director Patrick Washington says he received a memorable early morning phone call from a former student named James.Washington says James talked to him about the challenges he was facing in high school and though they hadn’t spoken in years, Washington offered to help.It’s the type of interaction Washington says students receive at Promise Academy Spring Hill and he shared that story to members of the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission to drive home the importance of keeping the school open.Promise Academy is reaching the end of its charter agreement with the commission and requested a renewal to continue operating.“Your vote today gives us an opportunity to continue to provide opportunities for kids like James and others who may not have access to a high-quality school, where not all of the indicators are going to show up in a score, but they’re going to leave knowing that they have folks they can reach back to years later and call and have a friend, have a critical voice, have someone who’s going to be in the corner,” said Washington. “Your vote today gives us an opportunity to serve kids in North Memphis and Raleigh, be there for them, and make a difference in their lives.”Washington’s plea and the support for Promise Academy families provided at a public hearing last year did not go unheard.The commission unanimously approved a new ten-year contract for Promise Academy Spring Hill.Promise Academy serves more than 400 PreK-5 students in the Spring Hill and Raleigh communities in Northern Memphis and until this year, has been under the state-run Achievement School District (ASD).The school’s performance earned it priority exit status from the ASD in 2022 and it is operating this year under the authority of the commission. Without a new charter agreement, Promise Academy would have to close in May.Commission Executive Director Tess Stovall praised the school for recognizing the changes needed to better support students and school performance. Stovall recommended commissioners grant the renewal agreement.“We know that turnaround work is not straightforward, but particularly I commend the board and the network for coming in and recognizing that they internally needed some restructuring and have made significant organizational restructuring to better support the school and their other school moving forward,” said Stovall.Stovall also praised the school’s dedication to ensure its teachers are supported with more robust teaching and coaching support.The application was not without its concerns though. Stovall told commissioners that there were concerns about the school’s audit for the 2022-2023 school year, which had not been submitted by the time the renewal process started.“I recognize that many of the issues were, to a certain extent, outside of the school’s control because (it was) relying on the audit firm. However, it is critically important – as I note in my recommendation – that authorizers have as up to date as possible financial information from schools,” said Stovall.

Lester Prep approved also receives approval 

Promise Academy’s renewal wasn’t the only one commissioners approved at Friday’s meeting.The commission also unanimously approved the renewal of Lester Prep. The public charter school serves grades sixth through eight and is located in the Binghampton area in Memphis.Capstone Education Group acquired Lester Prep in the 2014-2015 school year. Originally, it was the lowest performing school in the ASD and one of the lowest performing schools in the state.Stovall recommended Lester Prep’s renewal due to Capstone’s dedication to responding academic data and turnaround work which allowed the school to improve to the point where it achieved priority exit status.“While school turnaround itself is not straightforward and often has mixed results over time, ultimately Capstone demonstrated a commitment to responding to academic data,” said Stovall. “Based on the totality of the information in this renewal, I determine that this school is a quality option for students in the Binghampton area.”