Teachers with Rutherford County Schools Publicly Battle American Classical Academy Charter School

A number of school teachers in Rutherford County took advantage of a public comment form in order to speak out against what would be a competing charter school in the county. 

In the open public comments, 255 of 311 comments were in favor of Rutherford County Schools, meaning that about four in five of the commenters said they did not want the American Classical Academy, a Hillsdale College affiliated school, to open in the county. 

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Rutherford County Parents Ask Tennessee Public Charter School Commission to Approve American Classical Academy Charter School Application

The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission held a hearing in Murfreesboro Wednesday morning on the appeal by American Classical Academy Rutherford of the denial by the Rutherford County School Board earlier this year of their application to open a charter school in the county.

Twelve Rutherford County parents told TPCSC Chair Tom Griscom and TPCSC staff members in attendance they wanted the TPCSC to approve American Classical Academy Rutherford’s appeal, and grant the school a charter to begin operation in the fall of 2023, initially for grades K through 5.

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Company Allegedly Sought More Than $300,000 in Fraudulent Incentive Payments from TVA Through Software Installation in Rutherford County Schools

A seven-count indictment unsealed this month charged two Danville, California men with conspiracy to defraud the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) of more than $300,000. This, according to a press release that staff with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Middle District of Tennessee published on their website.

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Rutherford County School Board Considers Giving School Director $60K Pay Raise

At an April 8 budget meeting of the seven-member Rutherford County School Board, the topic of a $60,000 pay increase for the Director of Schools was discussed. The director’s salary discussion consumed nearly 20 minutes of the meeting that lasted just over an hour. The current Director of Schools, Bill Spurlock, having been officially in the position since July 1, 2018, has less than a year on the job and has not yet had his first performance evaluation. Spurlock came into the position after having been a high school principal in the Rutherford County Schools since 2008. Spurlock replaced retiring Director of Schools Don Odom, who spent 50 years in the Rutherford County School system. Prior to spending his last six years as Director of Schools, Odom spent nine years before that as the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, five years as Attendance Coordinator and an elementary school principal for 22 years, according to a report in the Daily News Journal. During Odom’s tenure as Director, Rutherford County Schools district was twice named “exemplary” by the Tennessee Department of Education – the highest designation a school district can receive. Meanwhile, graduation rates and standardized test scores were improved while…

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