Can middle school students really lead a class discussion with only a teacher's guiding hand to keep them on track? The answer, as The Gate School has found, is a resounding ‘yes.’¶
The Gate School, a proposed grade 6-8 public charter school in West Nashville, has a different approach to teaching students than most traditional public schools, using the Harkness method as a basis for its classroom decorum and instructional style.¶
The Metro Nashville Public School (MNPS) board rejected the school’s initial application for incubation, but the board will consider an amended application during its meeting on July 28. If the board still rejects the proposed school, its leaders may appeal to the Tennessee Public Charter Commission for authorization.¶
What Is the Harkness Method?
The Harkness method is like the Socratic method in that it places students at desks in an oval facing each other to promote discussion of ideas. The Harkness method differs from the Socratic method in that it is not meant to spark intense debate but rather to promote open-minded discussion and help students reach their own conclusions. Students come to class prepared for dialogue about a specific topic or issue assigned in advance by reading and analyzing data and texts, with the teacher acting as a facilitator.¶
Edward S. Harkness created the method and believed it was most effective in small groups or classes. Today, the traditional Harkness method consists of 12-14 students and one teacher.¶
The Gate School founder, Burrus Cox, a former Nashville public charter school teacher for much of his career, has extensively researched the Harkness method. He and Nashville Incubator Director of Fellows Lisa Stone toured a school in Washington, D.C., that used the method with middle school students and achieved great academic success. Stone said it promotes rigorous study habits and requires high-quality teachers for it to function properly.¶
“'It’s not common, but also at the same time, there are proof points of people doing this high-level, rigorous instruction with middle schoolers, but I think we know it's going to require a pretty high caliber teacher,” Stone said. “You really need the right folks facilitating that, because it is going to raise the bar for students, and it is more rigorous instruction than you might see in an average middle school.”¶
Rethinking the Staffing Model
Stone said that while public charter schools in Nashville all have unique missions and visions, The Gate School stands out for seeking to redesign the traditional school staffing model. The school will aim to attract and retain exceptional teachers who are valued for their work and will be paid 20 to 30 percent more than other teachers in the district on average. They will also have a voice in the school’s culture, how it is run, and its decision-making processes.¶
“I think it could also help solve for some real pain points that, not just in Nashville, but across the country, school systems are feeling where great teachers are leaving,” Stone said. “They're not staying, and we know that great teachers impact kids.”¶
AI In the Classroom
While the use of artificial intelligence and technology in general has become a hot topic among parents and educators in Tennessee and beyond, The Gate School aims to allow AI in the classroom, but only through responsible use and practices.¶
Teachers at The Gate School would use AI to expand their knowledge of instructional content, provide more timely personal feedback, and do so in strictly ethical ways.¶
Stone said there is a natural fear of AI in education, but the two choices for any school are either to pretend AI is not part of everyday life or to embrace it and leverage it responsibly.¶
“I think you can say, ‘We don't believe that AI is going to replace teachers,’” Stone said. “But at the same time, we are going to be developing young people who are going into different worlds that any of the leaders of the Gate School grew up in, and so it mostly feels like it's imperative to do right by kids and allow them to be prepared for the future.”¶
If approved, The Gate School would open in West Nashville, a part of the city that currently lacks charter school options.¶
