Category: Accountability

Are we holding our schools and ourselves accountable for educating all kids and giving every one of them a chance at a successful, fulfilling life?

Accountability, Nashville

Learning Heroes Help Parents Bridge The Gap Between Report Cards And The Truth

At a Friday morning coffee meeting with a new friend who works at a highly respected Tennessee education policy organization, I was happy to share information about a project I’ve been married to for the past year. Equally excited and bummed about the findings from months of research, one of the things that I had not been able to justify, I admitted, was that more … Continue reading Learning Heroes Help Parents Bridge The Gap Between Report Cards And The Truth

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Accountability, Nashville, School Choice

Charter School Operators Must Lead With The Survival Of Charters In Mind

Bernie. SMH. Two-time presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders separated from the fat pack of Democratic POTUS wannabes by [quite literally] taking a page out of the NAACP anti-charter school playbook and inserting it into his 10-point education plan. Two weeks ago, Sen. Bro. Sanders called for an end to the unpopular for-profit charters that are unlawful in most states. According to the National Alliance for … Continue reading Charter School Operators Must Lead With The Survival Of Charters In Mind

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Accountability, Black Community, Nashville, School Choice, Tennessee

Tennessee Clumsily Waltzes Into The World Of Private School Tuition Assistance

Say the word voucher without a hint of vitriol in the company of hardcore Democrats and you have effectively declared war. Last week, my timeline was littered with white people calling other white people racist in response to the Great Voucher Battle of 2019 at the Tennessee State Capital. I understand the anger, but, uh, some of the name-callers should absolutely refrain from pulling the … Continue reading Tennessee Clumsily Waltzes Into The World Of Private School Tuition Assistance

Vesia Hawkins2 Comments
Accountability, Nashville, School Choice, Tennessee

To The Rabble Rousers, A Good Friday Message

“He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against him. They called him a rabble-rouser. They called him a troublemaker. They said he was an agitator. He practiced civil disobedience; he broke injunctions. And so he was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. And the irony of it all is that his friends turned him … Continue reading To The Rabble Rousers, A Good Friday Message

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Accountability, Black Community, Nashville

During Black History Month, A Community Works To Keep Black Excellence A Thing Of The Past

Even though Black History Month is a whopping twenty-eight days, I had to take a break. As adults across the country Google “black history” to find popular quotes and identities of successful Black thinkers, athletes, and performers, black students sit in schools with little chance to achieve the heights of those they’ve been told is worthy of celebration. I’m taking a break from BHM because … Continue reading During Black History Month, A Community Works To Keep Black Excellence A Thing Of The Past

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Accountability, Black Community, Nashville, School Choice

3 Books and a Podcast, Stocking Stuffers For The Parent Who Needs To Know Everything

2018. Woo boy. Lots to unpack, but we’ll circle back to the year that was – next week. In the spirit of Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa, I’d like to offer readers the gift of information. Sure, it’s like opening up your carefully hung stocking to a neatly rolled pair of thick socks on Christmas morning, but when have you ever not needed socks? Like socks, (ok, stay with … Continue reading 3 Books and a Podcast, Stocking Stuffers For The Parent Who Needs To Know Everything

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Accountability, School Choice, Tennessee

Schooling In America: While Some Scream Against Choice, More Quietly Choose

What do you think about our public schools? The answer to that could vary widely depending on whether you’re a parent, a teacher, or a taxpayer without a personal connection to the public education system. A new report by EdChoice shines some light on parent and teacher attitudes about the direction of the K-12 education, accountability, and choice programs. In Schooling in America, the most … Continue reading Schooling In America: While Some Scream Against Choice, More Quietly Choose

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Accountability, Nashville, School Choice

Why Is It So Hard For Families To Get The Respect They Deserve?

“We build relationship systems.” — Mia Howard, founder and CEO of Intrepid Schools in Antioch, TN. Last year, I had the pleasure of visiting Intrepid Schools, a Tennessee Reward school (top five percent) and charter school. The interview with the school’s fearless leader Mia Howard has been on my mind as of late because of what she listed as Intrepid’s secret to success. Relationships and … Continue reading Why Is It So Hard For Families To Get The Respect They Deserve?

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Accountability, Nashville

A Look Back At The Nashville School Board, Same As Today

A controversial and expensive decision affecting thousands of students. A contentious director of schools. A divided and belligerent school board. Racial tensions. Tens of thousands of students in struggling schools in a district ready for state takeover. The year was 2007. Fast forward eleven years to a near-identical situation, only the players have changed. Playing Director of Schools was Dr. Pedro Garcia surrounded by 4 … Continue reading A Look Back At The Nashville School Board, Same As Today

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Accountability, Tennessee

Will Shelby County Schools Leader Be Tennessee’s Next Commissioner of Education?

UPDATE: It has been reported that Hopson is leaving the district for a corporate gig – presumably to practice law. I’m an unreliable source for unsubstantiated information, so if you’re looking for gossip I’m typically not your girl. But today I’m dying to dish on the circumstances surrounding an announcement coming out of Memphis, TN. Remember when Shelby County Schools (SCS) superintendent Dorsey Hopson out … Continue reading Will Shelby County Schools Leader Be Tennessee’s Next Commissioner of Education?

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