Metro Nashville Board of Education denies every proposed public charter school for the fourth consecutive year

School logos of the Rock Academy (left), the Forge School (center), and Rocketship Public Schools (right)

Troy Smith told members of the Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) Board of Education that his son has a gift for drawing that he hopes to encourage. At Tuesday night’s meeting Smith talked about his personal experiences growing up in the inner city, where it felt like sports or entertainment were the only avenues out.

He wants something better for his son and believes the Forge School could offer it. The proposed 6-12 grade public charter school would provide students in the northern part of Nashville with hands-on, real-world learning designed for those interested in careers in architecture, construction, or engineering.

Troy Smith speaking to board members Tuesday (Screenshot)

“One thing my son loves to do is draw buildings. If he was in the room, he could tell you which building is the tallest in the different state. All that type of stuff,” said Smith. “He’s only 9 now. Of course, this school is going towards the middle school age, but I think it’s a great opportunity for that school to be here to actually teach other kids that you know what, you can actually use your brain, and mindset, and thought, and creativity compared to always being an athlete or entertaining.”

Board of Education members voted the proposed school down on an 8-1 vote, citing concerns about recruitment, enrollment, and the need for it. Existing district academies currently offer construction and architecture programs and engineering programs, though no school offers all three.

“There’s not a strong demonstration for need and that its offerings are not meaningfully different from our current academies models,” said District 1 Board Member Rachael Anne Elrod. “There are of course some additional operational concerns, including that there’s no comprehensive safety plan, and that there’s insufficient special education, transportation needs, and some other things.”

Board cites “lack of need”

Board members additionally cited a “lack of need” in denying the two other amended charter applications up for a vote Tuesday, including the Rock Academy and a fourth Nashville school from Rocketship Public Schools. Charter schools are free public schools operated by a non-profit entity under a “charter” with a school district or the state.

The board initially voted all three applications down in April, but several members indicated interest in the Rock Academy. Under state law denied applicants can submit an amended application for review.

The Rock Academy’s founder Dr. Ahmed White told board members on Tuesday that his school’s amended application included 56 revisions from the version denied in April.  The proposed school would be Tennessee’s first opportunity charter school, designed for students who are at-risk because they’ve either dropped out, faced criminal charges, have been retained at least twice, or are more than a year behind academically.

Dr. Ahmed White (Photo by the Rock Academy)

The Rock would serve up to 333 high school students, specifically targeting those from high schools with the highest percentage and/or total count of students with chronic absenteeism.

“There is a critical gap for students who are often overlooked and overwhelmed. Desire for a school that sees them, hears them, and builds with them,” said White during Tuesday’s meeting. “You have an opportunity to say yes to something bold, something necessary, and something deeply aligned to the needs of this city.”

District 3 Board Member Zach Young voted in favor of the Forge, and he joined District 1 Board Member Robert Taylor in additionally supporting the Rock’s amended application. Taylor made the case that the school is needed because the population it’s looking to serve isn’t coming to MNPS schools.

“The community, parents, our constituents are telling us that there is a gap, and I can’t sit up here and social gaslight these folks and pretend like we’re covering every need for every student in our district,” said Taylor. “We’re talking about 333 students on here. I can almost guarantee you that there are 330 students in Nashville that can benefit from a different program than what we currently offer.”

Vice-Chair Berthena Nabaa-McKinney joined 6 other board members in voting the Rock down, citing existing district programs that serve students in danger of dropping out.

“It is not a new idea. This is not transformational. This is already happening within our district. We’re already the work within our district,” said Nabaa-McKinney. “And we are seeing success in the model that is happening and the work that is being done by the people who are in charge of these schools to make it happen.”

The board unanimously voted down Rocketship Public Schools’ proposed K-5 grade school that would serve up to 576 students in South Nashville and Antioch.

Appeals likely in the fall

All three applicants have the ability to appeal the decision to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission in the fall. The district has had a charter denial overturned four years in a row by the charter commission, including three last year.

The district’s history with charters was a key factor in the General Assembly passing legislation earlier this year that gives applicants the ability to apply directly to the charter commission in districts that have had three denials overturned in three years.

Metro Nashville Public Schools may have avoided that impact by scheduling Tuesday’s vote a month earlier than usual.