Memphis-Shelby County School Board denies request from Wooddale Middle School to transition into the district

Ben Frazier says traditional public schools have failed his autistic son.

Frazier told members of the Memphis Shelby County School Board last week that his family has faced a lack of communication and accommodation at district-run schools, but everything changed when he enrolled his son at Wooddale Middle School.

“When I got my child to Wooddale, everything changed. Wooddale is a family-oriented school. They take care of the kids,” said Frazier. “It’s a neighborhood school, they deal with the community. The staff keeps the parents informed, everything that I was not getting when he was at Green Dot Schools, I’m getting now. My son is excelling, he came out of his shell, you can’t even tell that my son is on the spectrum because they have worked with him so much and I appreciate Wooddale so much for everything that they have done.

Wooddale Middle School is a “turnaround” public charter school in the state-run Achievement School District (ASD) and is currently run by Green Dot Public Schools. Green Dot Public Schools is a network of charter schools in Memphis, Tennessee; Los Angeles, California; and Beaumont, Texas.

Green Dot took over administration of the school in 2015 when it was among the lowest five percent of schools in the district.

Today it serves a diverse student population from the Parkway Village and Hickory Hill communities of Memphis. Green Dot’s ten-year contract with the ASD ends next year, and the organization is applying to transition Wooddale out of the ASD and under the authority of Memphis Shelby County Schools.

Supporters, including Frazier, spoke in favor of the transition application at Tuesday night’s School Board meeting and praised Wooddale’s aviation program that his son took part in. The program includes tours of aviation-related facilities, hands on activities, and immersing students in all things aviation such giving them opportunities to tour planes and listen to air traffic control in person.Supporters feel the school’s aviation program is also helping foster diversity in the field.

Recently, Wooddale administrators contacted Women in Aviation, Memphis Belles President Lisa Williams to organize what started as a 50-student event and grew to become the 500 student Aviation Takeover Day in May 2023.

“The Wooddale staff was adamant about including all the students enrolled in the school which speaks to their passion and commitment to providing opportunities for their students,” said Williams. “Aviation education in underserved communities is crucial for fostering diversity and opportunity in the aviation -aerospace industry.”

That community support was not enough to sway opinions on the board. Members voted down Green Dot’s transition application on the recommendation of the district’s charter review team.Under state law the organization does have the ability to file an amended application within 30 days for consideration. Board member Mauricio Calvo encouraged Green Dot to do just that.

“I had the opportunity to visit Wooddale, I think you guys are doing great work. But this application needs to be as strong to be fair to the first applicant and to every applicant and to the success of our students,” said Calvo. “I’m going to accept the recommendation of the district, but I hope you resubmit your application.”