Six proposed public charter schools appeal denial to state commission

Members of the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission at a meeting this year. (Photo by Tennessee Public Charter School Commission)

Last month school board members in Nashville and Rutherford County voted down six proposed new public charter schools.

Next month supporters from all of them will make their case to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission for why the decision was the wrong one. Charter schools are free public schools operated by an independent contract or “charter” with an authorizing agency, like local school boards. The governor appointed commission has the authority to overturn local school board decisions against charters it determines were made in error.

The commission has scheduled a public hearing for Novus SMART Academy on September 9 and hearings on September 16 for Encompass Community School, Nurses Middle College, and Nashville School of Excellence. The commission will hold public hearings for LEAD Cameron and LEAD Southeast Elementary on September 17.

Novus argues its school is needed

In documents filed with the commission, Novus SMART Academy argued school board members in Rutherford County wrongly denied the school’s application on the financial impact it could have on the district instead of its quality.

School leaders say Rutherford County needs charter schools like Novus to take the pressure off district run schools trying to accommodate the county’s growth.

“Rutherford County Schools face land shortages and financial constraints, leading to enrollment caps and rezoning. Collaborating with Novus SMART Academy and other charter schools could alleviate overcrowding,” wrote Novus SMART leaders in documents filed with the commission. “With rapid community growth, including an 11percent increase in Middle Eastern families in La Vergne alone, there is a need for more school capacity. While some may suggest that there is a potential charter school saturation problem, we see an overcrowded, quality-control problem. Overcrowded classrooms diminish educational quality, highlighting the need for strategic placement of new schools.”

The proposed K-8 grade school’s application claims it would utilize extended time and blended learning in English language arts and math to prepare students with skills needed to work with their peers, think critically and creatively, and solve real-world challenges.

Proposed schools in Nashville make their case

Encompass Community School supporters in Nashville (Photo by Encompass Community School)

Each of the five proposed charter schools in Nashville provided a different case for why the appeal should be granted.

The Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education denied Encompass Community School after the district’s charter review team found it met state standards for academics but was deficient in other areas including its enrollment projections. In documents filed with the commission, Encompass leaders argue the school’s application met all state requirements.

“The review committee and the board repeatedly cited concerns about Encompass’s projected enrollment in North Nashville, citing declining enrollment at district schools in Encompass’s target geography. However, our application provided diverse and robust state and local data demonstrating that the school-aged population density in that region is strong and growing,” wrote school leaders in documents filed with the commission. “We also shared data from MNPS that showed our target geography has much higher than typical out of zone enrollment. Those data patterns, combined with hundreds of hours of community engagement and research and perpetually low outcomes data in zoned schools- suggest that families leaving zoned schools in search of better options are a leading contributing factor to decreasing enrollment.”

The proposed K-8 grade school would utilize a mastery-based approach designed to ensure students receive the instruction they need when they need it and for as long as they need it, instead of a traditional approach that uses a predetermined schedule.

The MNPS district review team found Nurses Middle College failed to meet state standards and board members additionally questioned its singular pathway design. The proposed 9-12 grade school would provide students with a curriculum that’s specifically designed to help put future nurses on the right path.

In documents provided to the commission, school leaders argue that decision failed to account for the need the Nashville community has for nurses and the support the school has received from the community and entities like Tennessee State University, Vanderbilt, and HCA Healthcare.

“Tennessee hospital leaders have identified nursing and allied health workforce shortages as the number one issue currently affecting their hospitals and expect that these shortages will continue to be a challenge in the future,” wrote school leaders in documents to the commission. “We have amassed a total of 750 signatures of support from Nashville parents and community members. Additionally, 211 supporters indicated interest in enrolling a child in our school, which well exceeds our Year 1 enrollment target of 125 students.”

Nurses Middle College Founder Dr. Andrea Poynter (left) (Photo by Sky Arnold)

MNPS board members voted the Nashville School of Excellence down after the district review team found its application failed to meet state standards and multiple board members questioned whether the proposed 6-12 grade STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) based school offered anything beyond what existing MNPS STEM based schools provide.

In documents provided to the commission, school leaders say they plan to seek Tennessee Department of Education STEM designation that’s different from district-run schools. They also say existing MNPS schools in the south Nashville area they’re targeting for students are underperforming.

“The performance of these schools indicates the schools are not preparing many students in this community for success in college and careers. More specifically, three of the four schools received a D or an F for their 2022-23 School Letter Grade, as reflected on Tennessee State Report Card Data,” wrote school leaders in documents provided to the commission. “All four schools received a D for Achievement, and Glencliff High School’s graduation rate was only 53.1 percent, nearly 30 points below the district rate (81.6 percent) and nearly 40 points below the state’s rate (89.8 percent). By opening our school in this community, we will provide families with a much-needed, new high-quality educational option for their children.”

LEAD Brick Church school (Photo by Sky ARnold

LEAD Public Schools is appealing the denial for two proposed elementary schools that would enable the charter network to create an academic pipeline to LEAD Cameron Middle School and LEAD Academy High School for families in South Nashville and Antioch. MNPS board members voted both down citing a misleading performance comparison involving another school the charter operator previously ran (LEAD Brick Church) in north Davidson County.

In documents provided to the commission, LEAD Public Schools defended the performance of the five public charter schools it operates in Nashville and pointed to the success of LEAD Southeast Middle and High Schools.

"These schools consistently outperform MNPS district average in proficiency. With the exception of 2020-21, LEAD Southeast Middle and High School has been a Level 5 school for overall growth every year since assuming the charter in 2012 and was named a Reward School for top academic growth in 2014-15 and 2016-17. This provides significant evidence of a “track record of proven effectiveness with target populations," wrote LEAD Public Schools.

The charter commission is expected to decide all six appeals before the end of October.