FOCUS ON QUALITY, NOT POLITICS, WILL IMPROVE OUR SCHOOLS
It’s been a big week for public education in Tennessee, and there’s plenty of news to go around. The Tennessee High Quality Charter Schools Act has passed and is awaiting signature, ongoing TNReady testing is underway, teachers are getting shown lots of appreciation, and it’s National Charter Schools Week. But at the heart of all those milestones, missions and celebrations lies the one thing that should be most important to us all — our students. So, instead of focusing on the critics or the controversy that often attempt to distract or discredit the innovation of public charter schools, let’s take the time to recognize the 107 public charters, 33,000 kids and hundreds of educators who are truly making a difference in the lives, schools, districts and cities across our state for a change.
Let’s celebrate the students. Nashville boasts some of our state’s strongest charter schools, and charters like Purpose Preparatory Academy are paving the way for best practices and sustainability. Until Purpose Prep arrived in the low-income neighborhood of North Nashville, access to excelling quality public school options was few and far between. Yet, the young minds at Purpose Prep are shattering state and national averages on reading and math tests. Last year 100 percent of the school’s kindergarten class was reading at or above grade level.
These are the same kids who have always lived in and near the Jones-Buena Vista neighborhood and make up the 74 percent low-income and 98 percent students of color that Purpose Prep has enrolled, educated, empowered and retained. Listen, before someone claims that charter schools are skimming the easiest students to educate or kicking kids out to achieve those results, why not consider instead that it’s more likely charter schools are actually working for districts and families to help serve low-income students of color better.
Let’s set the standard. East Tennessee is a hotbed of innovation and opportunity when it comes to how charter schools can drive the next generation of public education. Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy represents a real-life Cinderella story — rising from the bottom 5 percent of schools to a shining example of curriculum and culture best practices. There is something to be looked at more closely here. How did they do it? How can we learn from it? How can we replicate it? If we spent half as much time figuring out how to embrace charters versus how to beat them, not only would all of our public schools collectively transform but so would our progress towards innovation in the classroom and beyond.
Overall, public charter schools in Tennessee are making a real contribution. Their value lies in their ability to introduce new ways of learning to students underserved (in some cases) by conventional schools, empowering parents to engage and choose the best school for their child, and creating opportunities that are literally changing the trajectory of families for generations to come.
Far too often these are the stories that get lost when critics claim “the sky is falling,” spread misinformation about charter schools and levy unwarranted attacks. So I challenge critics and advocates alike, let’s focus on the “quality” that charter schools are accomplishing, let’s celebrate all wins as a team victory for the districts and families being served, and let’s ensure all students get the education they deserve.
Maya Bugg is the chief executive officer for the Tennessee Charter School Center, the state’s primary charter school support organization.