Tennessee Voices, Episode 272: Ricki Gibbs and Ali Jenkins, The Warner Exchange
When Warner Arts Magnet Elementary School's leadership noticed a problem with attendance, they found an innovative way to attract students — and their families — and keep them coming to class.
They paid families "Warner Bucks," which they earned, to buy clothing, hygiene products and other needs at The Warner Exchange.
The exchange serves students who are financially disadvantaged as well as those in families who are struggling to make ends meet.
On this episode of the Tennessee Voices video podcast, Principal Ricki Gibbs and Communities in Schools Site Coordinator Ali Jenkins spoke to me about The Warner Exchange and about the programs at the school.
The school is in historic Edgefield, in East Nashville, which has seen massive demographic shifts over the years, going from a predominantly Black and lower-income neighborhood to a community with more middle-class and affluent white families.
The school, which once served students who were 99% Black, now has a mix of 76% Black, 20% white and 4% Hispanic.
As an arts school, educators focus on teaching experiences from music to choir and from Chinese drumming to, next year, a drama department.
Gibbs and Jenkins talked about their sense of purpose and how school systems need to go from reactive to proactive in order to serve children better.
Op-Ed by Ricki Gibbs and Ali Jenkins: How The Warner Exchange brought our community together
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About Tennessee Voices
The Tennessee Voices videocast is a 20-minute program, which started in March 2020 and invites leaders, thinkers and innovators who have written guest columns for a USA TODAY Network Tennessee publication to share their insights and wisdom with me and our viewers.
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David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee and an editorial board member of The Tennessean. Tweet to him at @davidplazas.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Voices: The Warner Exchange with Ricki Gibbs and Ali Jenkins
