The state House will consider creating an entirely new panel for authorizing charter schools at the state level. It’s part of a compromise set to be heard in an education committee Tuesday.
House Democrats Back MNPS Board in Great Hearts Dispute
Democrats in the state House want a meeting with the Education Commissioner to ask that he rethink penalizing Metro Schools by $3.4 million. If the state follows through with the fine, they say the penalty should be “challenged, possibly in court.”
Metro Council Calls Special Meeting Over Charter Trigger Law
The chair of the Metro Council’s education committee has called a special meeting to discuss a state law allowing parents to essentially take over school. The never-before-used trigger law permits petitioners to convert a public school into a charter.
Charter Advocates Say Great Hearts Exposes Need for State-Level Authorizer
Charter school advocates say the repeated denial of Great Hearts Academies shows a need for a state-level authority to approve charter applicants. The current process still requires the local school board to sign off.
Great Hearts Backs Down After Fourth MNPS Rejection
Great Hearts Academies is done trying to open a charter school in Nashville for now. The Arizona-based organization says in a statement that at this point “a successful school opening would be impossible.”
New MNPS Board Says No to Great Hearts Charter Again
Tuesday night the Metro school board once again disregarded a mandate from the state and denied the charter application of Great Hearts Academies. The nine-member panel voted 5-to-4, defying a directive from the state board of education.
Haslam Backs Off Threats to Withhold State Money from MNPS
Governor Bill Haslam is walking back the suggestion Metro Schools could lose state money for not approving a controversial new charter school. This week’s board vote is being followed at the highest levels of state government.
MNPS Board to Formally Approve Great Hearts, 2013-2014 Calendar
After months of intense debate, Tuesday the Metro School board is expected to approve a charter school application from Great Hearts Academies. The vote is a formality since the state board of education trumped Metro’s first decision.
State Board Director Recommends Approval of Great Hearts Charter
The Tennessee Board of Education appears poised to overturn a controversial decision by the Metro school board.
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