Board of Education turns down expansion of Nashville charter network that's outperforming comparable schools

Teacher talking with students (Photo by LEAD Public Schools)

Last year LEAD Public Schools turned to one of Metro-Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) most successful principals to head up the public charter school operator’s goal of expanding to become a true K-12 network.

LEAD hired then Warner Arts Magnet Elementary Principal Dr. Ricki Gibbs as its new head of elementary schools. Gibbs gained attention in the district for transforming Warner from a low performing school to a Reward School in 2022 and earned the title of MNPS Elementary Principal of the Year in 2020.

Dr. Ricki Gibbs speaking at the MNPS Board of Education meeting (Screenshot)

Tuesday Gibbs made the case to Metro Nashville School Board members that it’s time for LEAD to open two new elementary schools, LEAD Cameron and LEAD Southeast Elementary, that would feed students into the organization’s existing middle and high schools in south and southeast Nashville.

“We have worked in these communities for more than a decade and understand what these students and families need to be successful,” said Dr. Gibbs. “Over the years our families have increasingly voiced the need for a LEAD elementary school and more than 200 of our current families have already confirmed their interest in sending their children to LEAD Cameron Elementary or to LEAD Southeast Elementary.”

LEAD says a majority of its students are already two or three years behind when they arrive in middle school at LEAD Cameron College Prep and LEAD Prep Southeast and the organization applied to open the elementary schools in hopes of addressing student needs earlier.

Even with those challenges, both middle schools and LEAD’s two high schools outperformed every comparable district run school in the Glencliff cluster in every subject on state testing last year with the exception of the magnet school Nashville School of the Arts.

That success and accomplished leadership still wasn’t enough to convince the MNPS Board of Education to approve LEAD’s application.The board has a lengthy history of opposing charters for political reasons and Tuesday members chose to ignore LEAD’s recent success and instead focused on alleged challenges the charter operator has faced with a public charter school on the other side of Nashville.

LEAD took over operation of the LEAD Brick Church from MNPS nearly a decade ago after the state placed the middle school in its Achievement School District for low performing schools.  LEAD hoped to move the school under the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission’s authority this year, but commissioners voted against the request citing low academic performance.

MNPS Board member Cheryl Mayes and others referenced that vote in their decision to deny LEAD’s application to open the elementary schools.

“The nine years of underperformance speaks to itself in this and other issues,” said Mayes.

What Mayes neglected to tell anyone watching the meeting is that the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission acknowledged LEAD Brick Church has historically outperformed comparable district run schools in North Nashville including this year.  The middle school outscored nearby Haynes Middle School in every subject on recent state testing.

Board denies three other proposed public charter schools

LEAD wasn’t the only charter applicant to face denial Tuesday.

Encompass Executive Director Megan Garry speaking at the board meeting (Screenshot)

MNPS board members also voted down the other three charter applications including Encompass Community School, Nurses Middle College, and the Nashville School of Excellence after hearing from supporters of two of the schools.

Encompass Executive Director Megan Garry told board members the mastery-based education model her school would utilize and has shown success with economically disadvantaged and students of color. It departs from a traditional time-based approach to serve students when they need it.

“Instead, our model meets learners where they are, and provides them with the content they need, when they need it, and until they master it,” said Gary.  “This is the definition of equity and it’s in part why our model has resonated with so many families.”

Board members voted down Encompass’ application in part because the north Nashville Whites Creek and Pearl-Cohn clusters where the school would draw its students already have low enrollment numbers. In recent years MNPS has closed three district run schools in those communities.

“The only place to source students from would be from existing populations, existing school enrollment within the district,” said Board Member Sharon Gentry.

Nurses Middle College Executive Dr. Andrea Poynter also made the case for her school to the board. Dr. Poynter says the proposed public charter school is needed to address the nursing shortage and lack of diversity in the field.

Nurses Middle College Executive Dr. Andrea Poynter speaking at the board meeting (Screengrab)

“Nurses Middle College works with a diverse and underserved communities to offer a hands on high school experience where nursing students can get gainfully employed as certified CNAs by eleventh-grade year, direct admission into nursing programs in our Nashville universities, and the opportunity to successfully finish a nursing program more competent, prepared, and confident in the roles and their abilities which helps with their professional identity and retention in nursing,” said Dr. Poynter.

Board members voted the proposed school down in part because of concerns about its singular focus and what would happen to students who decide they don’t want to be nurses.

“That creates a situation where if we have a student that gets into the school and determines that this is not in fact the path they want to take, they would have to literally change to a different school so that’s a major concern,” said Board Member Mayes.

Under state law, supporters of all five proposed schools will have the option of submitting an amended application for another vote this summer.