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from the MNPS Communications Office

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools

Media Contact:
Olivia Brown, MNPS, 615-259-8405
olivia.brown@mnps.org

Joe Bass, MNPS, 615-259-8405

joseph.bass@mnps.org

Metro Schools Sets a Detailed Schedule to Develop and

Implement a Plan to Improve Priority Schools
Community Advisory Committee members named, first meeting Nov. 12
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Nov. 6, 2014) Two months ago, Director of Metro Schools Dr. Jesse Register set the bold goal of
having no priority schools in the district by 2017. After wrapping up the final priority school faculty and parent meetings
this week, today the district released a detailed timeline outlining how it will develop and implement the plan to reach
that goal.
The initial community input we have received has been enlightening, said Dr. Register. We keep a close watch on
whats happening in our schools, but having these conversations with teachers and parents helped us gain a better
understanding of the challenges and needs in our lowest-performing schools, as well as what they are doing well that
could benefit from more time or support. We are now ready to start making plans for each of these schools.
The district will move forward with its response to the priority schools list on a two-part timeline, which balances the
need for more community input on complex decisions with the urgent need to make improvements that will support
student achievement this school year. The two-part timeline will include:
Near-term actions to be taken by January of 2015
Long-term decisions to be made by May 2015 after extensive community engagement
Immediate actions include developing individual turnaround plans for each of the 13 priority schools. Part of every
schools turnaround plan will be staffing decisions to ensure great leaders and teachers are in place. This will be
supported by the MNPS Turnaround Corps, which has already attracted more than 125 applications in 10 days from
within the district and around the country.
Other near-term actions include conceptualizing a transportation plan to provide equitable school choice in East
Nashville, as well as making final decisions on the previously-planned charter conversions with KIPP and the
Achievement School District. The KIPP conversion was approved by the Board of Education in June, and an
announcement of the selected elementary school will come no later than Dec. 1. The Achievement School District is
expected to decide its middle school for charter conversion in early December, as well.
There are steps we can take right now to improve schools this year and next, said Dr. Register. Not everything can be
done that quickly. Some decisions will take a lot more thought and planning, but these are things we can do immediately
to give students better opportunities.

Because of the great ambition in the goal of having no priority schools by 2017, schools will be expected to meet
academic benchmarks each year to ensure they are on track for rapid improvement. These benchmarks will also be
decided by January 2015.
In planning for the future, district officials will thoroughly engage the community through a process developed in part by
the community itself. Long-term decisions will be made after the district completes this engagement and receives input.
These decisions include:
future school closures, consolidations and repurposing;
an overall plan for East Nashville feeder patterns, school themes, academic programming and grade
configurations;
fully developing and implementing a transportation plan for equitable choice in East Nashville; and
possible conversions and other decisive actions to be taken when schools are not meeting necessary
benchmarks
These are ideas that need to be considered and carefully planned with the community starting right now, Dr. Register
said. What we plan for this year could set the stage for decades of school and community growth. That means we have
to be deliberate and very careful in making these decisions.
At the center of this community engagement process will be the East Nashville community advisory committee, made
up of 23 parents, students, teachers and community leaders chosen by their peers.
It only makes sense to have the advisory committee play a central role in developing these long-term plans, Dr.
Register said. To be successful, we need to give East Nashville families high-quality school choices that meet their
childrens needs and that fit the vision they have for their growing community.
The advisory committee members are:
Tonya Alexander, Kirkpatrick Elementary School Teacher
Evelyn Jasper, Kirkpatrick Elementary School Parent
Carrie Padgett, Inglewood Elementary School Teacher
Jai Sanders, Inglewood Elementary School Parent
Jarred Amato, Jere Baxter Middle Prep Teacher
Lenita Stevenson, Jere Baxter Middle Prep Parent
Julie Hasfjord, Bailey STEM Magnet Middle Prep Teacher
Angelica Cooks-Lucas, Bailey STEM Magnet Middle Prep Parent
Miriam Harrington, Jere Baxter Middle Prep Principal
Kim Robinson, Charter School Representative
Amy Phelan, Maplewood Cluster Parent Appointed by Board Member Jill Speering
Jayla Roberts, Maplewood Cluster Student Appointed by Board Member Jill Speering
Ashley Baxter, Stratford Cluster Parent Appointed by Board Member Elissa Kim
Cherish Woodard, Stratford Cluster Student Appointed by Board Member Elissa Kim
Anita Drake, Community Member Appointed by Council Member Peter Westerholm
Anthony Davis, Council Member and Self-appointed Community Member
Rose Covington, Community Member Appointed by Council Member Scott Davis
Bill McKee, Community Member Appointed by Council Member Karen Bennett
John Haubenreich, East Nashville United Representative
Kathryn Rizzone, East Nashville Believes Representative
John Gregory, Community PTO Representative
Jeremy Ganzevoort, Maplewood Cluster Parent Advisory Council Chair
Jarius Edens, Stratford Cluster Parent Advisory Council Chair

The advisory committee meets for the first time on Wednesday, Nov. 12. One of its first agenda items will be to help the
district develop a community engagement process that extends through May 2015 to gather additional input on the
long-term decisions.

Metro Nashville Public Schools

The Optional Schools Application deadline is Friday, Dec. 5 at 5:30 p.m.
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools is the nations 42nd largest district, preparing more than 85,000 students to excel
in higher education, work and life. With the goal of being the first choice for Nashvilles families, Metro Schools is
committed to providing a high quality education to every student. The district is earning a national reputation for urban
school reform, its commitment to social and emotional learning and rising academic achievement, and currently ranks in
the top 27 percent of districts in the state for academic performance. Its new strategic plan, Education 2018: Excellence
for Every Student, sets the goal of becoming the nations top performing urban school system by 2018. The governing
body for Metro Schools is the Metropolitan Nashville Board of Public Education, a nine-member elected body. For more
information, visit www.mnps.org.

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