Metro Nashville Charter Schools Banned From Annual School Options Fair

Image Credit: MNPS / Facebook

The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) held its annual School Options Parade and Fair on November 19th and did not allow the district’s public charter schools to be included as part of the event.

MNPS bands and cheerleaders gathered at Nissan Stadium to celebrate as they have done for a decade – except this year, approximately 20% of the district’s students were missing.

“If our school district truly cares about equity and about serving each individual child’s needs, they would not intentionally keep families from learning about schools with the best track record for meeting those needs,” said senior vice president of the Tennessee Charter School Center, Laurie Brown. 

Brown called on Director of Schools for MNPS, Dr. Adrienne Battle, not to keep information about all of the district’s public school options hidden from parents.

In Tennessee, public charter schools are free to attend – just like any other public school – and are funded with public money, although they are run by private nonprofit organizations. Most of these schools even offer bus transportation. One key difference is that public charter schools do not have a test score entrance requirement like academic magnet schools.

Michael Cass, speaking on behalf of MNPS told Main Street Nashville in an email that “It is not unusual for the district to hold events that only include our district-run schools, which operate under the leadership structure of MNPS.”

The vision for the fair said Cass was to “celebrate the unique qualities and traits of our schools that are operated by the district.”

Beacon Center Executive Vice President Stephanie Whitt said, “To deny parents even visibility of a choice when it is in fact a public school is just wrong.”

“They’re another option,” said Whitt. “They provide an alternative when parents feel like they aren’t getting what they need for their children out of their zoned school.”

TNReady test results show that Nashville’s charter schools outperform MNPS and other districts throughout the state. Eighth-grade students who graduated this spring from Nashville Classical Charter School had a combined English and Math success rate of 62% – MNPS had a 19.5% rate in comparison.

In addition, one third of the district’s Reward Schools are charter schools. 

According to the Tennessee Charter Center, many of the students who attend charter schools are economically disadvantaged, and 80% of charter students are children of color. 

Why then, would MNPS – who claims to value equity – ban these children, who come from diverse student populations, from attending the fair?

This isn’t the first time that MNPS leadership has sought to distance themselves from charter schools within their own LEA. Earlier this year, MNPS announced that some charter school students in Nashville would no longer be able to participate in athletics with other public schools within the district. 

Mark Cunningham, Vice President of Communications and Outreach at Beacon Center, said at the time that the decision from MNPS was a “new low for arguably the most ineffective government entity in the state.”

Calling it “petty and cruel” for MNPS officials “to take their disdain for educational choice out on Nashville families” Cunningham accused the district of plotting revenge “against families who choose public charter schools to obtain a better education.”

The district’s decision to require charter schools to create their own sports leagues came just days after the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled in favor of allowing the Education Savings Accounts voucher program to move forward in Nashville.

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.