Eric Dailey has been named the new executive director of Rocketship Public Schools in Tennessee, according to a Monday announcement from the charter operator. ¶
The announcement said Dailey brings nearly 15 years of experience in the education sector as a teacher, principal, and nonprofit executive to the role, where he will be tasked with managing operations at Rocketship schools that currently serve more than 1,500 students in the Nashville area and potentially more if the charter operator successfully applies to open two new schools under consideration.¶
Dailey previously served as managing partner at the education nonprofit TNTP, where he managed a $20 million consulting portfolio for more than half a million students across more than 40 state and district departments of education in the Southeast. Prior to that, he served as vice president and interim executive director at Teach for America Nashville-Chattanooga, where he expanded the organization’s partnerships across Middle and East Tennessee. ¶
Dailey said in the announcement that he believes parents, caregivers, and teachers should play active roles in shaping education. He said this belief stems from growing up in the Deep South, where he witnessed communities rally around education initiatives, and from his early career experiences in rural Arkansas.¶
“Those closest to the challenges we face in education hold many of the solutions we seek,” he said in a public statement.¶
According to the announcement, the Arkansas native graduated from the North Little Rock School District in central Arkansas. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Rhodes College and a Master of Education in Education Leadership from the University of Southern California.¶
“We are excited about the vision, experience, and dedication he brings to our community,” Rocketship Public Schools Tennessee Board Chair April Taylor said in the announcement.¶
