Tennesseans for Student Success Launches Independent Evaluation of Public Charter School Applications

NASHVILLE — Tennesseans for Student Success (TSS) is excited to announce the launch of this year’s Quality Charter Review. TSS created the review last year to provide a first-of-its-kind analysis of new start charter applications across the state. That work continues this year with evaluations of nine applications to open public charter schools in three school districts.

This independent review holds each application’s academic, operations, and financial plans under a microscope to determine if they meet the high standard of success Tennessee students deserve. Each evaluation includes an overall recommendation for or against authorizing, based on the initial application, and an outline of strengths and needed improvements.

“We launched the Quality Charter Review with the goal of empowering both communities and potential charter operators with feedback to improve applications and ensure any school that’s approved is ready to deliver proven, effective, education strategies,” said incoming TSS President and CEO Lana Skelo. “High-quality public charter schools are an important part of our state’s dynamic public education landscape, and we hope the nine reviews we conducted this year help guide community and parent choices towards a future where every Tennessee child has an equal opportunity to succeed.”

State law requires each charter applicant to file an application by February 1st and this year proposed operators filed nine applications including:

Metro Nashville Public Schools

• Encompass Community School
• LEAD Cameron Elementary
• LEAD Southeast Elementary School
• Nashville School of Excellence
• Nurses Middle College Nashville

Memphis-Shelby County Schools

• Journey Northeast Academy
• Blueprint College and Career Prep
• Memphis Grizzlies Prep STEAM School for Girls

Rutherford County Schools

• Novus SMART Academy (K-8)

A Quality Charter Review of each application is viewable online at https://tnsuccess.org/tristar-reads

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