Republican Senators unanimously support legislation to ensure the approval process for public charter schools is fair

Shot of the Senate chambers (Photo by the Tennessee General Assembly)

Republican members in the Tennessee Senate unanimously voted in favor of legislation Monday night that supporters say will help ensure the approval process for public charter schools is a fair one.

Under current law, potential charter applicants first apply to their local school board for approval. Members are supposed to follow state guidelines when making those decisions and denied charter applicants have the option of appealing to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission if they believe guidelines weren’t followed.

In its history, the charter commission has upheld exactly the same number of denials as it has overturned but Metro Nashville Public Schools has made up more than 60 percent of those overturned decisions, including three last year.

Concerns about politics interfering in charter decisions led Governor Bill Lee to back legislation co-sponsored by Senator Adam Lowe, R-Calhoun, that would allow charter applicants the ability to apply directly to the charter commission if they want to open a school in a district that has had three charter denials overturned in three straight years.

“We’re making these adjustments because we do have people who do not act in good faith when it comes to charter applications. This is a way to make sure we have that check,” said Lowe during a Senate committee meeting earlier this month.

The charter commission’s “direct authorization” would be in effect for the district for up to five years under the bill. The legislation would additionally provide the charter commission with new flexibility to renew charters every 5 years instead of every ten and allow charter operators who want to replicate an existing academic model and public colleges and universities the ability to apply directly to the commission.

Every Senate Democrat present opposed the bill, even though charters are outperforming traditional public schools in some of their own communities.

Charter supporters, including education advocacy organization Tennesseans for Student Success (TSS), say the change is needed to prevent politics from halting student achievement.

"While the majority of school districts are following state guidelines to honestly evaluate proposed public charter schools, a few have unfortunately become a rubber stamp of denial for every applicant," said TSS President and CEO Lana Skelo. “Public charter school applicants that are wrongfully denied lose valuable planning time going through the appeals process, and in the past, some have even had to move back their opening date. These delays harm families who want a high-quality public-school option for their children and we applaud the Tennessee Senate for helping remove politics from the classroom and ensuring children have more opportunities to succeed.”

The Tennessee Firefly is a product of and supported by Tennesseans for Student Success.

Members of the House Education Committee were supposed to vote on that chamber’s companion legislation today, but postponed it until next month.