Parents say proposed mastery-based public charter school is the solution for North Nashville’s struggling students

Encompass Community School staff and supporters (Photo by Encompass Community School)

Celeste Hanson says she’s made it a point to attend parent teacher conferences, open houses, and has served on her son’s PTO all in hopes of helping him succeed in school. Hanson says despite those efforts, her son still fell through the cracks in the school system and has struggled with reading.

“When I realized this, with tears in my eye, I brought it to the dean of my school. The first response to me was and I quote, ‘He’s not the only one.’ As a parent those words were far from comforting,” said Hanson.

Celeste Hanson speaking at the public hearing for Encompass Community School (Screenshot)

Hanson says that experience is a big reason why she supports a proposed new K-8 public charter school in North Nashville that would employ a mastery-based approach to learning 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.

Encompass Community School founder Megan Garry says the model has shown to help students grow 2.5 to 4 grade levels across core subjects each school year. She says it’s desperately needed in North Nashville’s Pearl Cohn and White’s Creek school clusters where students are struggling and nearly half of elementary students and nearly 60 percent of middle school students are choosing to opt out of their zoned school.

“In one of the clusters of our proposed community, every single zoned district school is in the bottom 5 percent. Students need and deserve an innovative approach that accelerates their learning and puts them on a track for long-term success. Families need and deserve a choice within their community that can do just that,” said Garry.

Members of the Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) Board of Education voted down the application to open Encompass last July and school leaders appealed to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission hoping to overturn that denial. Charter schools are free public schools operated by an independent contract or “charter” with an authorizing agency like a school district.

Both Hanson and Garry spoke in support of that appeal at a public hearing last week, along with other parents who also welcome the proposed public charter school’s community design that focuses on the needs of families.

Thomas Driver says he’s raising two sons alone while their mother is incarcerated and he believes the community design is needed in North Nashville.

Dr. Angela Burns (Photo by MNPS)

“A new school that can enhance educational outcomes and support diverse learners while healing trauma. Encompass recognizes that families that are struggling need support,” said Driver. “I am speaking up for the underserved, most impoverished neighborhoods.”

Members of the governor appointed commission will use public comments to decide Encompass’ appeal next month, along with comments from MNPS officials who spoke against the proposed school’s application.

MNPS board members voted 8 to 1 against Encompass in part because they believe the area it would serve already has an excess of school capacity.

The Pearl Cohn school cluster has 1,900 fewer students than it did a decade ago and MNPS’ White’s Creek Cluster is using less than 60 percent of its school capacity.  The Middle Tennessee school district has closed three schools in recent years to address this declining enrollment.

Some of the students from those schools moved to Alex Green Magnet Elementary School and Principal Dr. Angela Burns told commissioners the enrollment challenges in the area make another public charter school unnecessary.

“The introduction of another charter school in our community will divide public funding and resources which in return, will weaken the quality of education for all students in the White’s Creek Cluster, after the White’s Creek Cluster principals and district leaders have worked tirelessly to promote enrollment in an area in Davidson County where low enrollment exists,” said Burns.

Multiple parents speaking at the public hearing, including Hanson, view it differently, arguing their children deserve the choice of an option that fits them better.

“I’m not asking you to do my job as a parent, but I am asking you to make it easier through education,” said Hanson.

Last year the commission overturned one MNPS charter application denial and upheld another.

MNPS school board members haven’t voted to approve a new public charter school since 2021 despite those schools outperforming peer district run schools on state tests.