More than 40,000 Kurdish immigrants live in Nashville. It is the single largest community of ethnic Kurds in the United States.¶
Kazim Kizilkaya is among them. He was born in a Kurdish community in Turkey, before leaving to work as an educator in Sudan, Pakistan, the Central African Republic, and eventually the United States.¶
Kizilkaya says the experience will serve him well as the founding principal of a proposed new public charter school, the Nashville School of Excellence.¶
“It was great for me to be in those countries with different cultures, different backgrounds, different languages,” Kizilkaya said. So, I always say life is short. Try to explore the world if you can, if you have resources. Now (I am) in Nashville, and I brought those experiences from those countries to here.”¶
NSE’s History and Background¶
The proposed 6-12 grade school would be located in the Nolensville Pike area in South Nashville, which is home to a large immigrant community, especially Kurdish families. It would operate with a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) focus along with college preparation, individualized academic support, and strong support of English language learners, gifted and talented students, and special education students.¶
The Nashville School of Excellence would be part of the READ Foundation’s network of schools, which includes four STEM charter schools in Memphis. Those Memphis School of Excellence locations collectively boast a 97 percent graduation rate, 100 percent college acceptance rate, 100 percent ACT participation rate, and a Top 10 ACT score average among all schools in Memphis-Shelby County Schools.¶
Members of the Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education rejected Nashville School of Excellence’s application last month, but Kizilkaya is hoping the school’s amended application will fare better when the board considers it later this summer.¶
Why Nashville?
In August 2025, READ conducted a parent interest survey. The results spoke to a community of diverse immigrants with students who have different needs, but one thing they all had in common was a desire for a STEM school, specifically one modeled after the Memphis School of Excellence locations.¶
Kizilkaya said the school is committed to cultivating curiosity and innovation through a wide variety of STEM experiences, from the classroom to extracurricular activities.¶
“They are empowered to explore their interests,” Kizilkaya said. “We’ve got STEM clubs, like a robotics team, science Olympiad, drone club, and 3D printing. This is what we have in Memphis, and we want to bring the same system here.”¶
The large Kurdish population was also a draw.¶
“I believe there are two (Kurdish) centers here,” Kizilkaya said. “But these people do not have a school, so there is a strong demand from the Kurds. In the meantime, we got those (interest forms) completed by Hispanic people from different churches. They’re supporting us, and then the Uzbek community (and) Turkish community.”¶
If approved, the school would open in the 2027-28 school year.¶
