Tag: Zack Barnes

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, Black Community, Nashville, School Choice, Tennessee

As Summer Fades, Education Stories in Tennessee Heat Up and Urban Districts Are on the Hot Seat

And all at once summer collapsed into fall. – Oscar Wilde I seriously cannot keep up with all the stuff going on in edu-world today – like Wednesday today, not the universal today. I’ve scrolled through a number of articles that forced a pause only to be preempted by the next pause-worthy story. It seems a perfect storm of good-to-great and bad-to-worse is converging upon … Continue reading As Summer Fades, Education Stories in Tennessee Heat Up and Urban Districts Are on the Hot Seat

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Black Community, Nashville, School Choice

After A Week of Angry Blogging, Time for Cooler Heads to Prevail – Zack Barnes

A few of us have spent the week responding to an article in The Tennessean that generously offers up space and ink to empty accusations and other witch hunt-like activities intended to eradicate charter schools from the Nashville landscape. Maybe not the most effective use of our time, but the kids, you know? Below, the very cool (and super smart) Zack Barnes of TN Ed Report curates a roundup … Continue reading After A Week of Angry Blogging, Time for Cooler Heads to Prevail – Zack Barnes

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School Choice

Nashville (and Memphis) School Choice Advocates Make Appeal to School Board – Vote No Moratorium on Charters

The pro-school choice community in Nashville and even Memphis has spoken! We understand that charter schools are providing a need and without them as viable options we are hijacking opportunities from families in vulnerable circumstances. Check out these voices for choice in Nashville: Thank you, Memphis! But we are listening. And we are praying. And we are standing tall with our fellow Tennessee families in Nashville. Maya … Continue reading Nashville (and Memphis) School Choice Advocates Make Appeal to School Board – Vote No Moratorium on Charters

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School Choice

Shouldn’t Parents Get a Say Before School Board Blocks Charter Schools?

According to the school board agenda for this week’s meeting, they are voting on a moratorium of any future charter schools in Nashville. Never mind the political agendas at work behind this resolution. The bigger problem is that the agenda from last week gave no notice to the public about the appearance of the resolution. And the text of the resolution itself didn’t appear until … Continue reading Shouldn’t Parents Get a Say Before School Board Blocks Charter Schools?

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School Choice

Yes, You Should Be Afraid to Run for Nashville School Board. But You Should Do It Anyway!

Don’t get me wrong, I am good friends with most of the school board members. I do believe most of them are good people who really do love the babies. Maybe it’s too early for board members whose terms are up in 2018 to decide whether they will run again. But it’s a great time for prospects to scavenge the landscape. And yes, I mean … Continue reading Yes, You Should Be Afraid to Run for Nashville School Board. But You Should Do It Anyway!

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School Choice

I’m Not the Only One Who’s “GotYourBack”, Dr. Joseph

Admittedly, I was little worried. After Monday’s Volume and Light post calling attention to Diane Ravitch’s “ill-advised” (taking a line from her hymnal) blog about Nashville’s director of schools, Dr. Shawn Joseph, the future began to look bleak for the illogically defamed director. At first, I was relieved to see some others take the time to join me in expressing their outrage and/or support. I got your back @MNPSDirector https://t.co/8iW6Wa0myf — … Continue reading I’m Not the Only One Who’s “GotYourBack”, Dr. Joseph

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School Choice

Ignore the Righteous Haters, Dr. Joseph, Because I’ve Got Your Back

“Autocratic, power-hungry, tone-deaf bureaucrat.” These are the venom-laced words written by Diane Ravitch, reverend of edu-righteousness, in an October 8th blog post about Nashville’s director of schools. Ravitch, a “born-again” anti-reformer, has decided to use her lofty pulpit to raise up the Nashville naysayers on the 100-day-old contract for director of schools Dr. Shawn Joseph. Taking her cues from a local public school parent (for … Continue reading Ignore the Righteous Haters, Dr. Joseph, Because I’ve Got Your Back

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