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 29