Senate passes plan to enable the University of Memphis to form its own public school district

When Lawrence Blackwell moved his family to Tennessee in 2010 to work for the University of Memphis, he chose to send his son to a unique Pre-K program operated by his new employer.The experience was so positive Blackwell kept his son on the university campus and enrolled him in its elementary school.The University of Memphis has been operating a public school for more than 100 years as a training site for teaching candidates and today that effort involves an agreement with Memphis-Shelby County Schools to run Campus School for elementary students, University Middle School, and University High School.“These three schools in particular, help to validate student’s experiences. What do I mean by that? It’s letting them be children.  Letting them be who they are where they are,” said Blackwell.  “You can make choices in these schools, but you always learn the consequences and responsibilities of making choices.”Blackwell says that educational model helps children build confidence and creativity.He also was pleasantly surprised with the university school's academic rigor and enrolled his daughter two years after his son.She’s now a seventh-grader at University Middle School.“The students that I engage with, my daughter’s friends that I talk to, all are enjoying that rigor but it also is coupled with the project based learning. So, they’re exploring, they’re looking at the community, how what they’re learning is affected by the community and can affect the community,” said Blackwell.The university’s agreement to operate the three schools has a limit of 1000 students and roughly 1,500 on the waiting list hoping to get in, but new legislation could change that.It would enable the university to form its own innovative school district and serve more students in other parts of Memphis. The bill is making its way through the committee system in the House and the full Senate passed it Thursday on a 25 to 0 vote.Senator London Lamar, D-Memphis, was among those speaking in favor of the bill. Lamar represents the part of Memphis where the all three schools are located and she attended Campus School as a child.“When I attended this school, it was one of the best education experiences I’ve ever had. Having the opportunity to go to elementary school on a college campus put me in a mind frame that college was the end goal, the thing I should strive for,” said Lamar. “The innovation that happens at the University of Memphis campus is unlike any other and I truly believe they need the autonomy to create a world class education that schools under LEAs (local education agency) don’t have ability, the autonomy to do that this particular institution has.”If the House and Governor Bill Lee sign off on the bill, the innovative school district would be the first of its kind in the state.One potential roadblock is Memphis-Shelby County Schools.All three university schools received an A grade on the recent School Letter Grades and the state recently named two of them Reward schools for demonstrating high levels of performance and/or growth.Memphis-Shelby County Schools lobbyist Tony Thompson told members of the Senate Education Committee last month that the district does not want to lose these three high performing schools.  He tried unsuccessfully to convince lawmakers to table the bill and give new Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins an opportunity to work out an agreement for the university to expand its schools while staying within the district system.Blackwell says the demand for that expansion is definitely something he’s experienced.He says he frequently meets other parents at his daughter’s sporting events who are interested in learning more about the university’s schools.“For those who have been exposed to this, who have heard about this, there is instant desire from all the parents that I ever talk to. They are always asking me how can I get my child into this program, into this school,” said Blackwell. “The independent school system would really help a lot of families with this opportunity, afford them the opportunity to have this type of experience.”