Classical, Outdoor Charter School To Open In Hamilton County

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The Tennessee Conservative Staff –

A new charter school is set to open in Hamilton County this Fall, educating children with a blend of classical education and outdoor education. The school is one of 50 charter schools proposed by Governor Bill Lee earlier this year.

Skillern Elementary is scheduled to open two campuses, one at Booker T. Washington State Park, hosting only Kindergarten and 1st grade classes and another in Soddy-Daisy, opening with only K-1st but adding grades up to 5th. However, the school will be housed in the Daisy Church of God until those campuses are finished.

The new school will be feed into existing charter school Ivy Academy. Initial enrollment will be 32 students at each campus. The school plans to enroll 408 students in grades K-5 by the fall of 2026. Maximum class size for K-2nd is capped at 16 students.

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School founders say the school’s focus will be on classical education combined with an outdoor education, which involves teaching students in both indoor and outdoor classrooms. Skillern’s outdoor classrooms will feature screened walls and tin roofs, along with standard classroom equipment such as desks, chairs, and whiteboards.

In a call with the Times Free Press, school CEO Angie Markhum said, “Outdoor education gives opportunity for engagement. It gives opportunity for health benefits.”

She continued, “Students want to be outdoors. They love it when they can see their science happening firsthand, rather than just seeing a picture of it in a textbook. They love it when they’re outdoors in the elements and they can learn about weather because they’re in it. Most children’s literature, if you look at it, so much of it takes place outside. And so, it’s a wonderful place to explore literature when you’re sitting in a setting that is similar to what you’re reading about.”

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Governor Lee’s proposal included an affiliation with Hillsdale College, a private Christian college in Michigan, credited with creating their own classical model of education for K-12 students. Skillern will be using Hillsdale’s curriculum. They will be using lesson plans and textbooks that have been created by Hillsdale through the Barney Charter School Initiative. However, plans for Skillern were in the works prior to Lee’s latest proposal.

Despite their status as a Christian college, a Hillsdale spokesperson told the Times Free Press that the curriculum was secular.

“By law, charter schools are public schools with no religious affiliation, and it would be illegal for them to be religious,” said Emily Stack Davis, Hillsdale’s Director of Media and Public Relations. “The public charter schools we advise are no different, and religious schools have never been a part of the Barney Charter School Initiative.”

Markum says that Skillern’s classical curriculum would help students be better prepared for the academic rigor of grades 6-12 and the outdoor learning would meet the needs voiced by many Hamilton County parents for more active educational opportunities. 

“In the end, if we do not promote what is good for students, we are hurting our communities,” Markum stated.

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