The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission (TPCSC) denied proposals from four public charter schools in Memphis on Friday morning, including two proposed new schools, and two existing charters that are operating under the state-run Achievement School District (ASD).¶
Overall, emotions were high during the meeting at the state’s Cordell Hull Building as commissioners expressed concern about each proposal’s ability to provide clear solutions to improving students’ futures.¶
Two Proposed Charters Fail to Meet the Grade¶
The two proposed new charter schools included the Dream Catchers Charter School and Still I Rise Academy. Both would’ve served vulnerable populations in Memphis.¶
Leaders of Dream Catchers were seeking to become Tennessee’s first public charter serving homeless and housing-insecure youth in grades K-12, a model that drew strong community support at a September public hearing. Parents, retired educators, and other community members championed the proposed school as a lifeline for students they said were “failed by a system that has left them unprepared, unsupported, and unsafe.”¶
Still I Rise Academy would have been Tennessee’s second Opportunity Public Charter School if approved, designed for youth who’ve been held back, dropped out, or struggled with chronic absenteeism, teen pregnancy, or abuse. Leaders had hoped to serve at-risk middle schoolers in the Orange Hill and Hickory Mound neighborhoods.¶
Commissioner Eddie Smith used a hospital analogy for the two schools. He said that you wouldn’t release a hospital patient too early if they were barely breathing. He said Dream Catchers was not even conscious, whereas the Still I Rise proposed school was barely breathing.¶
“Right now, this patient barely has a pulse,” said Eddie Smith.¶
Commission staff who reviewed the applications cited issues with the clarity of Still I Rise Academy’s governing board and financial concerns.¶
Commissioner Tom Marino also pointed out that the commission was looking for schools that would be capable of opening next year, and Still I Rise Academy didn’t meet that criterion.¶
“We’re looking for a commitment of someone who is ready to go, not someone who is wanting to delay,” said Marino.¶
‘Difficult Decision’ Goes Against Existing ASD Charters¶
IOTA Community Schools has been overseeing both Kirby Middle School and Hillcrest High School under a ten-year charter agreement with the state-run Achievement School District (ASD). Both agreements are ending, and IOTA appealed a denial from the Memphis-Shelby County School Board last July to continue operating the schools.¶
Commissioners expressed concern about the future of students at the two schools before rejecting both, calling it a “very difficult recommendation to make.”¶
Commissioner Terence Patterson specifically expressed concern about the future of the students in the Hickory Hill neighborhood that Kirby Middle School serves.¶
“The trend of underperformance is one we can’t overlook,” said Patterson. “But now, there is no better option for these students to attend in the community.”¶
Commissioner Christine Richards said she would feel discomfort if she recommended approval for Kirby, citing poor academic performance and student growth on the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS).¶
“They are a TVAAS 1 school, and well below the expectations that we would put in place and are well below most of the joining schools,” she said. “I can’t get comfortable with their lack of performance over an extended period. Their estimated success rate is 5 percent for ELA (English language arts) for the 2024-25 school year on state testing, with similar scores in math.”¶
Hillcrest High School currently serves the White Haven neighborhood of Memphis.¶
Similar to Kirby, Hillcrest has a record of low academic performance. The school’s TVAAS score has also been a 1 in the past three years, math scores have been under 3 percent consistently, and the graduation rate is 68.4 percent, which is below the district average.¶
Some commission members expressed concern over how Memphis-Shelby County Schools would handle the denial of Hillcrest High School. Like Kirby, the district does have the option of taking over the school under its iZone school turnaround program, but that’s not guaranteed.¶
“There is a very real possibility this school will not exist next fall,” said member Eddie Smith.¶
Christine Richards, the only commissioner to vote in favor of Hillcrest, echoed that concern.¶
“The response of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools about their intentions to the students of Hillcrest High School was nonexistent... I found this very troubling,” said Richards.”¶
Commission Approves Three Appeals This Cycle ¶
Friday’s unanimous denial for Kirby and 5-1 vote against Hillcrest followed Thursday’s approval of appeals from the Jackson Museum School and Rocketship School #4.¶
The commission also approved an appeal from the Rock Academy in August.¶
