Supporting Effective Teaching in Tennessee: Executive Summary | Page 30
Expanded Learning Opportunities
Tennessee, with ten more scheduled to open in Fall 2009.
Throughout the better part of the 20th century, there was a
significant push in American education to
Charter schools are one of the most
create large, comprehensive high schools
politically controversial education topics
that provided a single academic path for
in Tennessee. However, charter schools
all students. Over time, however, there has
are not nearly as controversial in many
been an increased focus on expanding the
T h e c h a l l e n g e for
other states including Arizona, which has
types of learning opportunities available
464 charter schools, Michigan, which has
to students. This section discusses four
T e n n essee is e n s u ri n g
229 charter schools, and Ohio, which has
of those learning opportunities: charter
315 charter schools. Tennessee’s debate
schools, career and technical education,
it co n ti n u es d eve l opi n g
about charter schools became so intense
online courses, and Governor’s schools.
in the 2009 legislative session that U.S.
h i g h - q ua l it y o n l i n e
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
Charter Schools
called several leaders in the General
Assembly advocating for an expansion
Charter schools are public schools that
co u rses a n d expa n d i n g
of charter school eligibility. In the end,
receive funding directly proportional
a bipartisan agreement was reached that
to the number of students they enroll.51
t h e ava i l a b i l it y o f s u c h
expanded charter school eligibility to
Charter schools tend to have more
students on free or reduced price lunch in
autonomy than public schools, are
co u rses statewi d e .
districts with more than 14,000 students
often exempt from many state and local
and at least two high schools on the highregulations, and are schools of choice in
priority list. This includes six districts:
which parents must actively choose to
Davidson County, Hamilton County,
enroll their children.52 As Figure 3.13
Knox County, Memphis City Schools, Sumner County, and
shows, there are currently 16 charter schools operating in
Figure 3.13
Tennessee Charter Schools
City
2008-2009 Existing Charter School
2009-10 New Charter School
Chattanooga
None
Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy
Ivy Academy
Nashville
KIPP Academy Nashville
LEAD Academy
Smithson Craighead Academy Elementary School
Smithson Craighead Middle School
Nashville Global Academy
Memphis
Circles of Success Learning
City University School of Liberal Arts
KIPP Diamond
Memphis Academy of Health Sciences
Memphis Academy of Health Sciences High School
Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering
Memphis Business Academy
Memphis Business Academy High School
Power Center Academy
Promise Academy
Soaring Toward Academic Readiness
Southern Avenue Charter School
The Soulsville Charter School
Freedom Preparatory Academy
City University Boys Academy
4 existing Memphis City Schools
Source: Tennessee Charter School Association
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