In its only July meeting, the Metro Nashville Public Schools board on Tuesday passed several policy changes, considered the impact of the state’s third-grade reading law and considered three amended charter school applications.
During a governance committee meeting that took place before the evening's MNPS board meeting, board members considered several policy changes, most of which were made to align with new state laws. (All policy changes are highlighted in the meeting agenda.) Several codify new state school safety standards, including one that requires students younger than 18 to provide signed permission in order for students to participate in school clubs — a change some board members were uncomfortable with.
“I'm also concerned about the way that this policy can disenfranchise students from participating in clubs and organizations and activities,” said District 4 representative Berthena Nabaa-McKinney. “I hope the state understands the implications that it has.”
Once the board meeting itself began, Director of Schools Adrienne Battle provided updates on new principal appointments, summer professional development for MNPS staff and the district’s rising fourth-graders. A relatively new law requiring that third-grade students pass the English language arts portion of the TCAP went into effect this year. Students who don’t must receive summer school, tutoring or both (depending on their score) in order to be promoted to the fourth grade. Preliminary numbers from MNPS, which include district-run schools but not charter schools, show that 1.4 percent of MNPS third-graders will be retained because of the law. An additional 20.1 percent of students will be promoted, but must receive tutoring in fourth grade and show proficient growth on the next TCAP in order to move to the fifth grade. Battle noted that she expects these numbers to increase once data from charter schools is finalized. The district is recruiting volunteer tutors for fourth-graders and other students across the district — those interested can learn more at acceleratingscholars.org.
“What I'm trying to make sure that parents understand is that, even if their child completed Promising Scholars, that they're still not in the clear unless they passed that fourth-grade TNReady test, or they may face retention next year,” said District 5 representative Christiane Buggs.
The public participation portion of the meeting consisted entirely of people voicing support for the Invictus Nashville charter school and pointing out issues they had with the district’s assessment of the application.
Invictus was one of three charter school applications that were denied in April, alongside Pathways in Education and Nashville Collegiate Prep High School. Each charter submitted amended applications, which the district’s charter office reviewed and presented on Tuesday so the board could vote again.
The board unanimously denied Pathways in Education and Nashville Collegiate Prep High School’s amended applications, though District 6 representative Cheryl Mayes did not attend the meeting or vote.
Invictus was denied 7-1, with District 1 representative Sharon Gentry voting against the motion to deny Invictus.
“As a fifth-generation North Nashvillian, I support you but I cannot support the opening of a brand-new school,” said Buggs of Invictus and its founder Brenda Jones. “I struggle to pull money from my own child’s school, from the other 32 schools in my own district, because that is where money will be coming from.”
“Of the three we've just said no to, there's a strong possibility that one's going to be a thing,” said Gentry, nodding to the state charter commission that hears (and often green-lights) denied charter applications.
