Metro Nashville wants to take back control of LEAD Brick Church. The school’s students and parents have other ideas.

LEAD Brick Church exterior (Photo by Sky Arnold)

Victavia Walls says she made the wrong choice in middle school to temporarily leave LEAD Brick Church for her traditionally zoned Metro Nashville school.

Walls says the experience at the new school wasn’t what she hoped for.

Victavia Walls (Photo by Sky Arnold)

“I did not like the culture there.  My teachers didn’t remember my name sometime and if I had a question about homework, it was up in the air,” said Walls.

Walls says she transferred back to LEAD Brick Church the following year and today she credits the North Nashville public charter school with putting her on the right path to college. She’s currently in her first year attending Lipscomb University.

“They have put me where I am today,” said Walls.Walls was among the nearly half a dozen parents and students who provided support for the school at Tuesday’s public hearing with the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission.

The state board plans to use the comments in the hearing and those submitted online to decide whether to grant LEAD Brick Church the ability to continue operating as a public charter school under LEAD Public Schools.

The charter network took over the former Metro Nashville Public Schools Brick Church Middle School in 2012 as part of an effort to turn around struggling schools by placing them in the state-run Achievement School District (ASD).

Principal Kathryn Rice McKinzie says the school has succeeded, with students achieving nearly double the success rate of both traditional middle schools located nearby.

LEAD Brick Church Principal Kathryn Rice McKinzie (Photo by Sky Arnold)

“When LEAD first began its partnership with Brick Church in 2012, Brick was one of the lowest performing schools in the city of Nashville and the state of Tennessee. The school was just one of many failing schools in a historically underserved community, leaving no realistic options for families who wanted a great education for their children,” said McKinzie. “Today LEAD Brick Church offers the best middle school options to families in White’s Creek cluster and is outperforming the other two middle school options in the area.”

Metro-Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) opposes LEAD Brick Church’s request to exit the ASD and continue as a public charter school.

District Chief of Innovation Renita Perry told the Public Charter School Commission MNPS would prefer to take back control of the school. The district argues it could provide the middle school with more resources and support if it becomes a district run middles school supported by the office of innovation.

Perry says the MNPS has seen success doing just that since 2018.

“MNPS has exited a total of 16 schools, with two schools going from priority to reward (status). We have been able to achieve this success by differentiating and providing intensive supports to our principals and school leaders coaching them to build their instructional leadership capacity.,” said Perry.

It’s a prospect LEAD Brick Church parent SaTonya Spicer opposes.She told the commission her daughter is succeeding at LEAD.

“I ask you all not to close them down, because if you close them down, where is our kids gonna go,” asked Spicer. “I’m gonna tell the truth, if you all close Brick Church down my child…is going to be so disappointed and I’m going to be mad because I have to send her somewhere else when she’s used to everybody here.”

Members of the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission are scheduled to vote on LEAD Brick Church’s request next month.