Wednesday marked the deadline for charter school applicants to submit their packages to local school boards in counties where they wish to establish a new charter school, and American Classical Education (ACE) has submitted applications in five Tennessee counties.
ACE board member and former Tennessee State Senator Dolores Gresham, who retired while serving as Senate Education Chair in 2020, told The Tennessee Star the charter school operator submitted paperwork to Rutherford, Clarksville-Montgomery, Jackson-Madison, Maury, and Robertson Counties.
“Since last autumn, we’ve heard from more than 7,000 Tennessee families that desire a classical public charter school and have more than 500 letters of support from families across our five applications,” Gresham said. “We remain committed to parents, students, and teachers who desire a high-quality classical public charter school option in their county.”
On their website, ACE describes their schools as “places where students receive a well-rounded education in the liberal arts and sciences. All students study literature and mathematics, history and the sciences, fine arts, Latin, and physical education. They believe that the successful development of literacy and numeracy and a solid foundation in the core subjects is necessary before advanced or specialized training and study.”
Last year, after ACE applications were denied by the Rutherford County, Clarksville-Montgomery, and Jackson-Madison school systems, they submitted an appeal that was later withdrawn.
A statement sent on behalf of ACE explained the charter school operator “asked for a delay to further address concerns and clarify confusion and misconceptions raised by the Commission staff in each of the public hearings earlier this month.”
A spokesman for ACE added, “We understand that the delay request was not granted. Additionally, when the Commission created additional public comment time for its meetings in October — we heard from many parents and students who will be on fall break during the newly reformatted Commission meetings and would be unable to travel to Nashville. This made us concerned that the Commission would not hear directly from the voices that really matter — the parents and students in these communities.”
Even though it’s been less than six months since the school withdrew its applications, there are signs that they may get a warmer reaction this go around. Governor Lee, long a supporter of the Hillsdale Schools and their affiliates, is no longer facing reelection. He has since reappointed Alan Levine to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission and submitted two more names for approval as members – Michael Carter of Davidson County and Chris Tutor of Shelby County.
As the General Assembly kicked off this year’s session, Governor Lee, along with Tennessee House Leader Cameron Sexton (R- Crossville) and Education Committee Chair State Senator John Lundberg (R–Bristol), have openly stated that they are very open to expanding school choice options in Tennessee. Lundberg told The Star, the way he saw it, when it comes to schools, “They should share a common goal, better education outcomes and opportunities for students. No matter how we get there.”
The next step is a review of the applications by the local school boards which must rule by resolution, at a regular or specially called meeting, to approve or deny a public charter school application no later than ninety (90) days after receipt of the completed application. The grounds for denial must be stated in writing and specify objective reasons for the denial.
Upon receipt, the applicant has 30 days to submit an amended application showing the deficiencies have been corrected. The local board has 60 days from the receipt of the amended application to deny or approve the amended application. Failure to meet the 60-day deadline results in the amended application being considered approved.
If the amended application is denied, the applicant still has the opportunity to appeal with the State Charter School Commission, which has the power to overrule local decisions. In October 2022, the Commission heard its inaugural round of charter school appeals. Of the 13 charter appeals that came before the commission, three were approved for Nashville and six were denied in Memphis, Clarksville, Brentwood, Hendersonville, and Fayette County. Applicants behind the other four appeals, including three related to College in Michigan, pulled out of the process before a decision could be delivered.
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TC Weber is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. He also writes the blog Dad Gone Wild. Follow TC on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]. He’s the proud parent of two public school children and the spouse of a public school teacher.
