A controversial charter school hearing in Rutherford County drew a crowd of parents and politicians Wednesday morning. This meeting will influence whether a state-appointed commission overturns the local school board’s decision to reject American Classical Academy, which has ties to the conservative Hillsdale College in Michigan.
Rutherford County Schools say that the operators of American Classical Academy (ACA) failed to show it would succeed if allowed to open.
Why RCS says it rejected ACA
Proposed charters are graded on a rubric to assess whether they’re a good option for the community. The district’s school choice and charter coordinator Caitlin Bullard said the school’s application missed the mark in two out of three categories.
During her presentation, she said the application included “blatant, disingenuous use of [Rutherford County Schools] survey data to support their enrollment projections.”
The district also said the school wouldn’t meet state academic standards and raised concerns about how it would serve students with disabilities. Bullard also said the charter application failed to show how they would reach and recruit diverse families to the school.
Parents like Smyrna mother Angela Wynn showed up to the meeting to oppose the charter school.
Alexis Marshall WPLN NewsSmyrna mother Angela Wynn showed up the the public hearing in Rutherford County Wednesday to oppose American Classical Academy.
“All they wanna do is say, ‘Hey, we’re a good school, we’ve got great promise.’ Well, we don’t allow schools to come into our district based on a feeling that they’re going to do great,” Wynn said. “If the facts do not state that you’re going to be successful, we do not want you here.”
Wynn also criticized the school’s history curriculum for focusing on American exceptionalism. She said, “We can’t do better if we don’t know where we came from.”
ACA’s defense
Representatives from the Hillsdale-affiliated school defended their application and emphasized the benefits of a classical education.
Dennis Pearson, who serves on the board for the charter operator, said the school’s curriculum would be content-rich, with an emphasis on “moral character and civic virtue.”
Alexis Marshall WPLN NewsPublic comments during the hearing were filled with speakers in support of the charter school.
All of the limited slots for public comment during the hearing were filled with charter school supporters, though opponents also filled the room.
Some attendees criticized the timing and setup of the meeting, noting that a 9 a.m. hearing on a weekday prevented many parents, teachers and students from participating.
Local parents who spoke in support of the charter on Wednesday said the district unfairly rejected ACA, and accused the district of restricting parent choice.
Rutherford County school board member Tammy Sharp pointed to overcrowding in her district, which includes Smyrna and La Vergne, as one reason to reconsider their application. Sharp emphasized that she supports public school teachers, but that the district needs more creative solutions to deal with such high levels of growth.
“We’ve got a great system, and everybody wants to move here,” she said.
One thing that remains unclear is where the proposed charter would be located. An ACA representative says they’re actively looking for a site in Rockvale as well as in northern Rutherford County.
Tennessee Democrats rally before the hearing
Alexis Marshall WPLN NewsRep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville speaks to crowd of community advocates and media outside the Rutherford County Schools building. Several other politicians are also present.
Several Democratic elected officials and candidates gathered with community members outside before the meeting began. Gubernatorial candidate Jason Martin criticized his opponent Gov. Bill Lee for granting a state-appointed board the ability to overturn the local school board’s decision.
“[Parents and community advocates] feel like the governor and his bureaucrats are taking away their local control,” he said.
What’s next?
The meeting was the first of three public hearings this week regarding Hillsdale-affiliated charters. Similar hearings are planned in Madison and Montgomery Counties on Thursday and Friday. The charter commission is accepting written comments about the Rutherford County appeal until 1 p.m. on Sept. 21. The commission will review the hearing and comments before voting on a final decision next month.
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