Jackson-Madison families deserve public school options
American Classical Education is in the Jackson-Madison community for one reason – because families have expressed an overwhelming desire to have us here. Since last fall, we’ve heard from more than 7,000 Tennessee families who want a public classical charter school for their children.
In Jackson specifically, we’ve talked with dozens of families individually in their homes – literally walking door to door in neighborhoods in East Jackson – along with several community meetings.
Additionally, almost 70 local families have taken the time to write a letter of support stating that they desire access to a public classical charter school in this community. The overwhelming desire from parents in this community is for more school choice.
While it is clear what real families in Jackson-Madison want, the superintendent and school board have different ideas.
It’s disappointing that we likely already know the outcome of the school board’s upcoming vote. To-date we’ve seen a lot of political theater. The superintendent tweeted #winning after denying our application and signing a 51-point checklist which is nothing more than an empty publicity stunt. Celebrating denying school choice to kids who need it is a failure to lead in a manner consistent with the needs of many students, and that kind of failure is certainly not something to brag about. We’ve addressed every single one of their concerns, and if this was really about students and their families, that would make a difference. Instead, we fully expect there to be “new concerns” about the application that were never previously raised or pointing out a few typos in a 500-page document. It’s also concerning when the superintendent hosts Public School Partners – a TEA funded special interest group that opposes charters – and they present their slanted talking points as gospel truth.
It’s clear why the East Jackson families we have visited with over the last year are looking for solutions.
According to the most recent data released by the Tennessee Department of Education, Jackson-Madison has three schools on the priority list – which means they are in the bottom five percent of all schools in the state. #Winning, huh?
Additionally, a recent poll finds that more than 60 percent of Tennesseans support public charter schools, including 73% of Tennesseans from West Tennessee.
The facts tell charter schools’ true story of growth and progress. SCORE, a Tennessee-based non-profit, issued a recent report that shows that charters serve a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged and minority students than their traditional public school counterparts. These same charter schools also significantly outpace zoned public schools in both graduation rates and academic growth. A winning result for public charter school students.
Similarly, a new national study from Stanford shows that charter students outperformed their traditional public school counterparts in both math and English over the past 15 years. Charter schools hold great promise for families looking for options, including those who feel like their child is stuck in an underperforming school.
At American Classical Academy Madison, we want to partner with the local school board and community to provide a high-quality public school option for students. Especially those who desire another option than their zoned public school. Instead, we’ve been met with hostility and falsehoods from day one. It’s time the superintendent and the school board listen to families who want this option and quit denying families a choice. Why are they afraid of offering families options to meet their needs?
Instead of denying options to families, we should be empowering and trusting families to select the option that best fits their children’s needs. If parents and students are happy with their current zoned public school – then they will stay.
We have options in most other areas of our lives. Why should the board and superintendent deny it in one of the most important choices?
As HBCU and Ivy league graduates who have both taught in a variety of public schools – we know that American Classical Academy Madison will serve the students of Jackson-Madison well. It’s time the board and superintendent do their jobs, listen to families and side with kids instead of the anti-school choice education establishment that will oppose any option other than zoned public schools.
Phillip Schwenk currently serves as vice president of Schools for American Classical Education in Tennessee. He served as an administrator and history teacher at various schools in Los Angeles, Cleveland and Toledo.
Alexandria Spry currently serves as a principal for American Classical Education. She served as a head of school, dean of students and assistant principal for multiple schools in Florida.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Jackson-Madison families deserve public school options
