The Beam · Issue #18
Proposed Nashville Charter School Brings Confrontation, Not Its Case, to State Commission
Good afternoon.
This week, we had news of a Tennessee Public Charter School Commission hearing that quickly became tense. The board president of Empowerment Academy, a proposed public charter school in Nashville, challenged how Metro Nashville Public Schools evaluates charter proposals and accused the district of not reading the school's application.
The Lead
Proposed Nashville Charter School Brings Confrontation, Not Its Case, to State Commission
By Firefly Staff
The board president of the proposed all-boys charter school spent its hearing attacking district reviewers instead of defending an application that fell short of state standards.
Read the full story →I didn't come to be nice today.
Natisha Brooks, Empowerment Academy Board President
By the numbers
Voices
No one has spoken about the children. In our zip code we're talking about, 21 percent of children are reading on grade level. There wouldn't be a charter school applicant if you did your job.
The applicant seemed to believe the district should have written the application for them.
What to watch
- Wed Oct 8
Charter Commission Quarterly Meeting Begins
The Commission will hear appeals for Empowerment Academy's Memphis and Chattanooga campuses.
- Thu Oct 9
Charter Commission Vote on Empowerment Academy Nashville
The Commission will vote on the appeal after reviewing Executive Director Tess Stovall's written recommendation.
That's it for this week. Look for a recap of the week's education news in your inbox tomorrow.
The Beam