Following criticism by former teachers, the district’s academics chief defended their methods.
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Article by Lillian Avedian [The Nashville Banner, Creative Commons] –
In the wake of a viral video from a former teacher, Metro Nashville Public Schools defended its grading and credit recovery policies at the Sept. 22 school board meeting.
Samira Hardcastle left her position as an art teacher at John F. Kennedy Middle School at the end of the 2025-26 school year. The former MNPS Teacher of the Year published an open letter alleging that the district instructed her to fabricate a student’s grade on an art assignment to appease a parent. A video of Hardcastle announcing her resignation to the school board on Aug. 11 went viral online.
“It creates false entitlement,” Hardcastle said during her resignation. “What happens when these kids lie, cheat and cry their way through school and end up as future doctors, police or politicians?”
District representatives briefed the board on its policies, which have faced public scrutiny lately from some former MNPS teachers and employees. Dr. David Williams, the MNPS deputy chief of academics, said that district procedures are derived from state policies set by the State Board of Education.
“Grades do not determine a school’s academic success,” Williams said. “Grades are not used to evaluate schools or principals, and grades do not drive funding decisions or state accountability.”
Williams said that a grade can be changed through a formal procedure initiated by a teacher or the executive principal, if the grade was based on inaccurate or incomplete data or if the district’s grading policy was not followed. If a teacher disagrees with a grade change, they may request a review by the executive director or file a grievance.
“Grade change requests require thorough documentation, not simply editing or changing the grade book,” Williams said.
Dr. Leslie Wiggins, executive director of South middle schools, then addressed a specific example of a grade change at a school in her region. She did not mention Hardcastle or John F. Kennedy Middle by name. Wiggins said that the student received a zero for missing an assignment and was not given the opportunity to make up the work, which is inconsistent with district procedures.
“At the heart of this issue is something straightforward,” Wiggins said. “Nashville Public Schools has established grading policies and procedures to ensure students are treated fairly and consistently across our schools.”
Hardcastle returned to the school board for the third time this school year to give public comment on Tuesday evening.
“If a recognized teacher of the year gets targeted and silenced, what chance does anyone else have?” Hardcastle said. “Stop managing your reputation and start protecting our kids.”
Separately, the Tennessee Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has launched an investigation against MNPS regarding academic dishonesty and credit recovery. Constance Wade, a former counselor at Stratford STEM High School, submitted a complaint to the department in May alleging that the district did not address claims of academic dishonesty and misrepresentation at Stratford.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Williams said that credit recovery has “been around for decades.” MNPS offers credit recovery to students who previously attempted and failed a class. Credit recovery is a widespread — albeit controversial — practice in school districts that has been on the rise nationwide since the pandemic to help students graduate on time.
Students are eligible for credit recovery if they earned at least 50 percent in a course, yet do not meet the district’s passing grade of 60 percent. Under State Board of Education rules, a student must receive at least 60 percent on a final exam in order to recover the credits.
The board also swore in three school board members for their new terms, all of whom were re-elected this year. The board elected Dr. Berthena Nabaa-McKinney the board chair and Erin O’Hara Block the vice chair. In her final statement as board chair, Freda Player referred to “false narratives” that have circulated about the school district.
“Accountability is important, and that is something we have worked hard to build throughout this organization — and starting with the board,” Player said. “And while that work may not always match the false narratives you see reported on social media or elsewhere, we have worked hard to put policies and procedures in place that consistently follow and ensure fairness, transparency and accountability.”
