Charter Commission Applauded for Granting Nashville Families a Needed High-Quality Education Option

NASHVILLE — Tennesseans for Student Success (TSS) released the following statement following the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission’s decision to grant the appeals from KIPP Nashville to open two new public charter schools in Antioch.

Last July the Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education wrongfully denied applications for KIPP Southeast Nashville College Prep Elementary and KIPP Southeast Nashville College Prep Middle School.  Today’s unanimous vote by the charter commission remedies that decision and allows KIPP Nashville to fully expand its high-quality education model to Antioch and Cane Ridge.

“Decisions like the one today in favor of more high-quality options for students are why the Tennessee General Assembly created an appeal process through the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission. School board members in Nashville with ideological and philosophical objections to charter schools would have attempted to deny students of the right to pursue a public school option that best fit their needs. The charter appeal process worked for Nashville families who want another choice for a high-quality education,” said Adam Lister, President, and CEO of Tennesseans for Student Success.  “All children deserve to attend the public school that’s best for them and KIPP has a 17-year history of providing that option for families in Nashville.  KIPP’s public charter schools are among the best in the district and I’m confident these two new schools will only add to that success.”

The charter commission will also decide appeals from Middle Tennessee and West Tennessee later this month along with a final appeal from Nashville. The Tennessee Nature Academy promises a high-quality nature-based education to students in southeast Davidson County, a model currently not offered anywhere in Tennessee.

Tennesseans for Student Success is a statewide network of parents and caregivers, teachers, community leaders, volunteers, and advocates dedicated to championing and supporting Tennessee’s students and their futures.