The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission has approved changes to a charter agreement with Empower Memphis Career and College Prep Charter Schools that would allow the operator to open a new school in a different location next school year.  

Since opening its doors for the 2015-16 school year, LEAD Neely’s Bend Middle School has garnered support from many parents in the Madison area who say the charter school’s approach to education has been beneficial for their children’s academic growth.

In the coming weeks, leaders of more than a dozen public charter schools will make the case for why their school’s charter should be renewed for another ten-year term. Charter schools are free public schools operated by an independent contract or “charter” with an authorizing agency like a school district or the state.

This year, five authorizing agencies including school board members with Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS), Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Hamilton County Schools, Knox County Schools, along with members of the state-run Tennessee Public Charter School Commission will make those decisions for thirteen charter schools.

Dr. Andrea Poynter says her work establishing a new nursing based public charter school in Nashville is in full “overdrive” right now. Poynter is the process of filling leadership positions at the future Nurses Middle College Nashville, while also finalizing negotiations for a temporary space to use when the school opens next fall to an initial class of 125 ninth-graders interested in a career in nursing.

Members of the Jackson-Madison County School Board voted unanimously Thursday to withdraw a lawsuit they approved less than a year ago, in hopes of stopping the county’s first public charter school.

That lawsuit would have challenged a decision last year by the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission to approve American Classical Academy Jackson-Madison.

The charter school operator IOTA Community Schools will continue to run Wooddale Middle School after the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission (TPCSC) voted Thursday to reverse a decision by Memphis-Shelby County Schools leaders to deny their application.

Tennessee Public Charter School Commission overturns Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education to approve two new public charter schools.

Supporters of three proposed new public charter schools in Nashville are receiving support from the Executive Director of the state board tasked with deciding their future. Tennessee Public Charter School Commission Executive Director Tess Stovall released written recommendations this week supporting the appeals from Nurses Middle College, LEAD Southeast Elementary, and Encompass Community School.

Leaders of LEAD Public Schools have decided to drop their appeal for the proposed LEAD Cameron Elementary, and instead focus on the appeal for proposed LEAD Southeast Elementary. Learn more about how the proposed Tennessee charter school would serve Nashville families.

Recent data from the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission (TPCSC) suggests that more work needs to be done to increase English language arts and math proficiency rates within the charter district. However, officials said, TISA funding has led to improvements in proficiency.

Learn more about what the data says.

Supporters of Nurses Middle College made their case to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission that the proposed public charter school is needed to help better prepare students for a career in nursing.

Celeste Hanson says she was devastated to learn her son had fallen through the cracks in the school system and was struggling with reading. Last week she was among the supporters arguing children like hers need Encompass Community School to be approved for North Nashville.

Supporters say LEAD Public School's success serving students across Nashville is proof the charter operator should receive approval to open two elementary schools.

Following the Rutherford County Schools Board of Education’s recent decision to deny Novus SMART Academy’s application to become the fourth charter school in the district, supporters and educators from the charter school have taken their appeal to the state.

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.

Rutherford Collegiate Prep opened its doors for the first time to students last Wednesday while American Classical Academy Rutherford and Springs Empower Academy are both opening today.

Members of the Memphis-Shelby County Board of Education voted to approve amended charter applications for both the Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory STEAM School for Girls and Journey Northeast Academy at Tuesday’s board meeting.

MNPS Board of Education members voted down five proposed public charter schools.

Victavia Walls says she made the wrong choice in middle school to temporarily leave LEAD Brick Church for her traditionally zoned Metro Nashville school. She's among the nearly half a dozen parents and students who shared their experiences to support LEAD Brick Church's effort to remain open as a public charter school.

The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission unanimously approved Nashville Collegiate Prep’s request to continue providing students its community classroom model into high school.The K-8 public charter school organizes each grade into a pod of 4 to 5 classes. Throughout the day students switch teachers within the pod based on their specific needs and strengths, providing teachers an opportunity to more directly focus lessons on the areas students might need help in.