Jackson Educator Proposes “Museum Model” Charter School for Students Who Need Something Different

Dr. Jean Little (right) talking with Jackson-Madison County School System Superintendent Dr. Marlon King last month (Photo by the Jackson Museum School)

Longtime educator Jean Little says her path to founding what could be Jackson-Madison County School System’s first public charter school began two decades ago and 71 miles to the north at Obion County Central High School. Little taught English at the school and developed an attachment to serving students who needed the most help.

“Even then, I had a passion to work with students that a lot of other people found challenging. And I found that to be the most rewarding,” said Little.

Little would continue to serve those students as a literacy coordinator for the Jackson-Madison County School System and later as the principal of the same Kentucky school where she graduated.

She led that school from the bottom 5 percent in the state to average, earning her recognition as the West Kentucky 2024 administrator of the year. Little says her approach involved thinking outside of the box and fostering a team approach to help students who may not fit into the “regular norm” of how they learn.

“The successes that I had kept opening up another door, and I’ve just continued to go through those doors.”

Initial Denial and Hope for Approval

Next week, the Jackson-Madison County School Board will decide whether to open another door by approving Little’s application to found the Jackson Museum School.

Board members initially denied her application last April, but left signs that they could approve it if she continued working with the district on the application. Little says she’s done that by delving deeper into how the public charter school would serve special populations and by raising additional funding. Charter schools are free public schools operated by an organization under a “charter,” typically with a school district.

“I think that Jackson, right now with its population growth and the interest from investments and business and stuff, makes it a perfect place that could sustain a new (education) model.”

The “Museum Model”

The proposed kindergarten through sixth-grade school would operate under a “museum model” that integrates immersive learning experiences into the curriculum. Similar schools use the model in Chattanooga and Atlanta, but Little’s school would be the first public charter school to use it in Tennessee.

Under the model, students would engage in weekly “expeditions” to local museums and other cultural centers to take part in learning beyond the four walls of the classroom.

“We’re reaching out to community gardens, and I’ve got a conversation coming up with the recycling center. They’re interested and we’ve talked with Jackson Regional Airport,” said Little. “All of these other places that are potential learning sites with hands-on experts are interested in students coming there.”

Little says subjects like science and social studies would still align with state standards at her school, but teachers would integrate them into those expeditions, along with other subjects like math, literacy, and fine arts. Students would additionally be required to create and present projects that incorporate what they’ve learned.

Little gave the example of second-grade students she observed at a museum school in Atlanta who were studying the life cycle of plants. Those students did an expedition to a community garden where they collected seeds for science experiments and other lessons in the classroom. That included a math lesson studying the length of germination and moon cycles, and an art lesson studying lighting.

“It’s not that any one piece of this can not be found in a traditional school setting. I think the thing that makes it very unique and innovative is that the whole school is operating this way,” said Little. “This is how they learn all the time.”

Targeting Students Who Need Something Different

Dr. Jean Little (left) and Jackson Museum School Board Members at the East Jackson Block Party last month (Photo by the Jackson Museum School)

Little told board members last April that she plans to target students of color and those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in the central and eastern parts of Jackson and Madison County for enrollment. The three zoned elementary schools in these targeted areas all received either a “D” or an “F” on the most recent School Letter Grades, and none have higher than a 15.6 percent achievement rate on state assessments.

She said the unique model could additionally serve students like she initially had a passion for serving in the classroom, that just need something different than traditional public schools offer.

“It speaks to students who are on the spectrum. It speaks to special education students. It speaks who are advanced. It speaks to students who are behind because it really has a lot to do with sparking creativity and curiosity,” said Little. “Maybe the student who can’t sit in their seat and needs to be up and moving.”