Will Pinkston makes the Washington Post for trashing Bill Lee's Ed reform proposal.

Will Pinkston

by Rod Williams - The Washington Post ran a story a couple days ago, Tennessee’s governor seeks school vouchers and charter expansion. A Nashville school board member says that would be a disaster.  That school board member is Will Pinkston. He is making a name for himself way beyond Nashville as a consistent opponent of education reform and school choice.

The article reports on Governor Lee's education proposal which calls for a modest voucher program to help students in the lowest performing schools take the amount of money it takes to educate them in public schools and use that money in private schools. A unique feature of this programs is that the local school system would not lose money that they would normally get for educating the student when they lost the student.

Another part of Governor Lee's proposal is a plan to permit charter schools directly from the State rather than requiring them to seek approval of the local school board. Charter Schools can only operated as an alternative for failing schools but many school boards oppose any competition to their failing schools.

The Washington Post story quotes Will Pinkston in calling charter schools "taxpayer-funded private schools."  They are not, of course. They are public schools that operated independent of the local school board, giving principles more autonomy to manage their school. While not all charter schools outperform traditional public schools, some have shown phenomenal success in educating children that were being failed by local schools.

In his critique of charter schools, Will Pinkston gives some examples of problems encountered with charter schools such as New Vision Academy which recently closed. One of the good things about charter schools is that they can have their charter pulled if they fail to deliver.  They can cease to exist if they fail.  A failing public school goes on and on forever failing the students they are supposed to serve year after year.

Pinkston also brings out the same tired old argument that charters take money away from the regular public school.  That is true only if you think it should cost as much to operated the school system if you had no children to educate as it does with children to educate.  Under charter schools the funding to educated the child follows the child. When the local school system not longer educates the child they no longer get the money to educate that child.  That sounds reasonable to most people exccept Will Pinkston and those who want to maintain a monopoly on education.

In almost all sectors of the economy, competitive markets outperform state monopolies and people generally like consumer choice.  No child should be condemned to being uneducated because of the zip code in which he lives.  I support Governor Lee's effort to improve education in Tennessee. Local school board members are often indebted to the local teachers union who helped elect them and they also become protective of their school system's bureaucracy.  In Nashville our education system is failing our children.  The number of failing schools in increasing. Our local schools are getting worse, not better.  Consumer choice will show local school boards the failure of the system they manage and they don't want that. Will Pinkston has been an opponent of choice and reform since serving on the school board. Educating children is  a state responsibility, those who advocate reform should not let people like Will Pinkston stand in the way of delivering an education to our children.

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As Karl Dean explores run for governor, Will Pinkston goes on the attack, says Dean does not understand public education.

Associated Press ,NASHVILLE, Tenn. —...Dean has been traveling the state and taking its measure in recent months. ... Dean said he will decide whether to become a gubernatorial candidate in the first quarter of 2017. He said the early start of a bid to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Bill Haslam would be necessary to overcome the fundraising and organizational challenges Democratic candidates face in Tennessee.

“Obviously Republicans have a lot of advantages,” Dean said.

Dean acknowledged that a successful gubernatorial bid would have to attract a large number of Republican voters. ...

Longtime Democratic operative Will Pinkston, ...  said Dean’s policies were at odds with public school families in Nashville.

“He fundamentally did not understand public education and, as a result, Nashville saw eight years of turmoil in our school system,” Pinkston said.

Dean is unapologetic about his pro-charter position, which he said is in line with other big city mayors and with President Barack Obama. “The important message for me is that charter schools are public schools,” he said. “It’s a different way of management, it’s a way that gives parents more choices and has produced very positive results in Nashville.”

“I don’t regret my support for charter schools and I think it’s consistent with being a good Democrat, and in line with some very, very good Democrats,” he said. (read it all)

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A response to Will Pinkston's attack on the Chamber by Mark Rogers

Mark Rogers

Mr. Disgruntled,


I read your post on Pinkston. Here is my Facebook comment on Will and his opinion of the Chamber.

 Is the Chamber of Commerce really an enemy of Public Education in Nashville? If one believes School Board member, Will Pinkston, then the only conclusion is that the Chamber has a not-so-secret plan to keep Nashville's public school children uneducated.

Pinkston, it will be remembered, is the School Board member who's hostile behavior toward those who dare disagree with him is legendary. His bid for re-election resulted in a wafer-thin victory, suggesting that he does not speak for as many citizens of Nashville who care about public education as he thinks. His attack on the Nashville Chamber, in the form of a response to the Nashville  Education Report {a valuable publication that is worth regular reading} embodies the ugliness of Pinkston's 'my way or the highway' attitude. Worse, it may be reflective of the views of other School Board members and leading members of Metro government, something that could lead to worsening in any consensus for improving Metro Schools.

In his own words: "I am more convinced than ever that the Chamber is an enemy of public education — and frankly, it has been for a long time."

Right. Because greedy capitalists only need uneducated workers with low incomes. Companies like Bridgestone and HCA and Nissan look forward to the glut of $7 per hour workers they are creating by undermining public education. "The fact is the Chamber, through its lack of understanding of public education and lack of leadership in this community, helped to enable poor-performing superintendents for the better part of two decades — while at the same time trying, mostly ineffectively, to destabilize the school board in local elections."

The Chamber lacks an understanding of public education? In my experience, business people, particularly successful ones, understand a great deal about education and about the people in their communities. That is to say, their employees and their customers. "Thankfully, the Mayor, the Metro Council, and the school board are finally on the same page. We’re all working together to lead public education forward, no thanks to the Chamber." I am really excited to see if a reporter will ask Her Honor, the Mayor, if she agrees with her political ally, Mr. Pinkston, about that. "MNPS is going to succeed despite you, not because of you."

I want Metro Public Schools to succeed. But my guess is that Pinkston's ideas, more money and more bureaucracy and less accountability, won't work. More to the point, if the major problems facing Education in Nashville are related to the home, the School Board isn't going to be able to deal with the fundamental problems.

Perhaps, instead of fighting political and ideological wars with people who want to help, Pinkston and his allies ought to reach out and target poverty and homelessness and poor parenting. And they might find that the Chamber can be helpful there too.

Mark Rogers is a prominent Nashvillian active in Republican Party politics and public affairs.

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Will Pinkston calls the Chamber of Commerce, "an enemy of public eucation."

The following is an unedited Facebook post from  District 7 School Board member Will Pinkston.  I am not posting this to magnify the voice of Will Pinkston or because I agree with him; I most certainly do not.  I think  his words speak for themselves and illustrate how a reactionary opponent of education reform attacks the bearer of bad news and how he views involvement as meddling and interfering.  In my view, it is because we have people like Will Pinkston on the school board that our schools are not considerably better than they otherwise are. 

by Will Pinkson - After digesting the news accounts of yesterday’s 2016 Education Report Card staged by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, I am more convinced than ever that the Chamber is an enemy of public education — and frankly, it has been for a long time. Consider this passage in Nashville Public Radio’s report, taken directly from the Chamber Report Card:

Over the past two decades, Metro Schools has launched various district reading and literacy initiatives, with no discernible impact on overall reading results.

This is true. However, this line could easily be rewritten to read:

Over the past two decades, the Chamber has meddled constantly in the affairs of Metro Nashville Public Schools, with no discernible impact on overall results. 

The reality is: The last two directors of MNPS — Jesse Register (2009-15) and Pedro Garcia (2001-08) — were the Chamber’s hand-picked superintendents who presided over stagnant growth in reading proficiency and, in Register’s case, a proliferation of struggling schools and lack of innovation to assist English learners, who represent the fastest-growing segment of our student population. I know this because I serve Nashville School Board District 7, where 43% of our students are struggling to learn English. Our lack of progress in helping these kids was a big reason why I led the charge in 2014 to exit Register from the school system and install new management that can think and act strategically. What was the Chamber’s response? Not surprisingly, the Chamber did not step forward and agree that a leadership change was needed at MNPS. To the contrary, the Chamber and its rubber-stamp Report Card Committee instead attacked me and other board members who actually were confronting problems, versus turning a blind eye to the situation. The fact is the Chamber, through its lack of understanding of public education and lack of leadership in this community, helped to enable poor-performing superintendents for the better part of two decades — while at the same time trying, mostly ineffectively, to destabilize the school board in local elections.

Adding insult to injury, the Chamber has advocated to strip the school board of local control while vigorously endorsing vouchers and the unabated growth of charter schools, which drain finite resources at a time when MNPS is now universally considered to be an under-funded school system. If the Chamber and the Report Card Committee aren’t happy with the lack of progress, perhaps they should take a look in the mirror and do some soul-searching. I daresay they won’t see any profiles in courage.

All that said: I’m optimistic that MNPS is finally headed in the right direction. This year, the school board exerted overdue independence and sidelined the Chamber during the search for our new MNPS director. In typical passive-aggressive fashion, Chamber leaders pouted throughout the months-long search process, then tried to take credit for the favorable outcome, and then attempted (albeit unsuccessfully) to oust from elected office one-third of the school board — members who played key roles in ushering in the new leadership. Our new director of schools, Dr. Shawn Joseph, now is doing yeoman’s labor getting his arms around years of problems that have been either created or exacerbated by the Chamber.

Thankfully, the Mayor, the Metro Council, and the school board are finally on the same page. We’re all working together to lead public education forward, no thanks to the Chamber. So now let me send the same message to Ralph Schulz and the Chamber that I sent to former Tennessean columnist Frank Daniels (whose sycophantic and obsequious support of the Chamber helped perpetuate some of this mess): MNPS is going to succeed despite you, not because of you.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

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Will Pinkston defers indefinitely charter school moratorium

by Jason Gonzales, The Tennessean - Board member Will Pinkston asked to indefinitely defer a vote that would place a moratorium on any new charter schools after alleging the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce interfered.

Pinkston also said pro-charter groups Stand for Children, Nashville Rise and the Tennessee Charter School Center interfered with the vote. During the meeting, however, he particularly called out the chamber.

... The language of the policy, also deferred, called for the superintendent to require every application to include the exact address and owner of the proposed school site. The policy also would require detailed information on renovation costs, construction costs and proof of financing for the facility. (read more)

My Comment: Will, The Chamber or other groups of citizens "interfering" is not like the Russian's interfering. The last time I checked we were still a democracy and citizens had the right to petition their government.  I think you have let your position go to your head.  It is a shame that you continue to want to condemn children to failing schools and protect the teachers union and the bureaucracy.  Children should come first.  We need more choice; not less.

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Will Pinkston is a bully!

Will Pinkston has reputation for hostility, intimidation

by Jason Gonzales, The Tennessean, July 31, 2016 - Abrasive social media messages, email and in-person interactions with Metro Nashville Public Schools board member Will Pinkston created a hostile work environment that made employees fearful of losing their jobs, a number of former and current workers have alleged.

...  Alan Coverstone, said Pinkston “threatened me saying I had better watch myself, and eventually saying that I had better barricade myself in the office because he would come up there and get me.” ... former Metro Schools Superintendent Jesse Register, who retired in good standing in 2015: “If you disagree, you become (Pinkston's) adversary.” .....Register said district staff complained to him about emails and voicemails from Pinkston, as well as face-to-face confrontations....  “He called me other times when he was enraged about something and called me incompetent, manipulative, or a liar,” Coverstone said.

 Vesia Hawkins, a former district employee and board administrator, said she felt singled out by Pinkston after she began working for David Fox’s mayoral campaign in 2014. She said she asked to be re-assigned to another job because Pinkston frequently told others the administrators were “incompetent.” (link)

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Jackson MIller's ex-wife releases a statement in response to nasty campaigning by the Will Pinkston.

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Look who is supporting Will Pinkston

I am supporting Jackson Miller for School Board. I am not posting this to promote Will Pinkston but I am always interested in who is supporting who in political races and thought my readers may find this interesting.

 

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Will Pinkston and Jackson Miller square off in forum focused on discipline

by Jason Gonzales, The Tennessean- Will Pinkston and Jackson Miller met in a public forum for the first time since each declared his candidacy for Nashville schools District 7 more than five months ago. ... "Budgets really are a reflection of our values. If we value certain outcomes then we need to put the money behind it to make it happen," Pinkston said. ... Miller, however, has called for increased freedom for principals to do what is right for their schools and communities. ..., he said numerous times the district doesn't need more top-down mandates, but the ability for schools to change the working culture and environment. "Just having money in the budget isn't enough." (link)

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Will Pinkston, Amy Frogge and Jill Speering boycott Project Renaissance candidate forum

by Jason Gonzales, The Tennessean, June 14, 2016 - Three incumbent board members are boycotting a candidate forum scheduled by Nashville Rise — a parent group led by nonprofit Project Renaissance — due to concerns about a perceived charter school agenda. The charge is being led by board member Will Pinkston, ....  ...Amy Frogge and Jill Speering also will not be participating. ...  ..forum scheduled for June 23 ... Pinkston has been one of the most vocal critics of Project Renaissance, founded by former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean. .... The Tennessean's opinion engagement editor David Plazas will moderate Nashville Rise's candidate forum. (link)

#

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SE Nashville Breakfast Club: Will Pinkston & Jackson Miller on District 7 Sch. Bd race; and, Mae Beavers on RNC convention. 5/21/16

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Will Pinkston continues his fight against school choice

KIPP Is Here To Stay, At Least For Another Decade 

By Amanda Haggard, Nashville Scene, on Wed, Jan 27, 2016 - Just a five months after a contentious Metro Nashville school board vote to reject adding two new KIPP charter schools to the district's roster, the board voted easily to renew the charter network's first school for another 10 years Tuesday night. Board members Amy Frogge ... voted against the KIPP renewal. .... had also voted against approving two new KIPP schools in August, which was followed by KIPP winning an appeal with the Tennessee State Board of Education to open the schools in Davidson County anyway, but under the umbrella of the state board.  Board Member Will Pinkston — who, too voted against opening two additional KIPP schools in August, saying at the time the district was giving KIPP carte blanche — abstained from Tuesday's vote based on what he called "a lack of confidence" in Alan Coverstone,...(link)

My Comment: This is an example of how Will Pinkston, Amy Frogge and usually Jill Speering have attempted at every turn to derail education reform and stop quality public charter schools from opening in Nashville. In the August 4th election I will be voting for Jackson Miller to replace Will Pinkston on the School Board.

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Look who are the "Friends of Pinkson."

Make no mistake, this is not an endorsement of Will Pinkston for School Board. I am supporting Jackson Miller. I am posting this simply because some may find it interesting, especially they may find interesting those who are "Friends of Pinkson."  I support school reform and school choice and Will Pinkston has stood in the way of reform. He is among those who want to continue doing things the way we have always done them and opposes public charter schools at every opportunity.

Among the Friends of Pinkston, I am not surprised to see many of the Democrat Party establishment and court house crowd. I am not surprised by Amy Frogge who is his close ally on the School Board nor by some of Nashville's most liberal politicians such as Bill Freeman or Councilman Fabian Bedne or Vice Mayor David Briley.  I am disappointed to see Republicans such as Davette Blalock and Robert Duvall supporting Will Pinkston. I have highlighted a few of the names that jumped out at me.

You're Invited

The Campaign Kickoff to Re-Elect

WILL PINKSTON

to the Nashville School Board

featuring

THE GLENCLIFF HIGH SCHOOL MARIACHI BAND

at Casa Azafrán

Home of the Casa Azafrán Early Learning Center

2195 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211

The FOPs (Friends of Pinkston)

Kim Adkins
Maura-Lee Albert
David Baggott
Chelle Baldwin
Ashley Ball
Honorable Brady Banks
Krissa Barclay
Marc Barclay
Representative Bill Beck
Councilman Fabian Bedne
Councilwoman Davette Blalock
Art Bodenhamer
David Bone
Vice Mayor David Briley
Ellen Britton
Mark Brown
Adora Bruce
Stuart Brunson
Gene Bryant
Judith Byrd
Kenny Byrd
Mary Campbell
Jennifer Chalos
Mark Chalos
Kathy Chambers
Representative John Ray Clemmons
Barb Clinton
Dana Coleman
Erin Coleman
Councilman Sam Coleman
Doug Collier
Dave Cooley
Melanie Cooley
Honorable Bob Cooper
Councilman At-Large John Cooper
Bob Corney
Shannon Corney
Chris Cotton
Dick Darr
Councilman Anthony Davis
Reverend Vernon (Sonnye) Dixon
Ken Duncan
Maggi Duncan
Honorable Robert Duvall
Kathy Edson
Councilman Jeremy Elrod
Karen Estevez-Gill
Anne-Marie Farmer
Jonathan Farmer
Glenn Farner
Paula Foster
Stephen Fotopulos
Tricia Frantz
Beecher Frasier
Bill Freeman
Councilman Mike Freeman
School Board Member Amy Frogge
Brenda Gadd
Honorable Tim Garrett
Steven Gill
Robert Gowan
Andy Gullahorn
Jill Phillips Gullahorn
Niketa Hailey-Hill
Honorable Lorinda Hale
Sheriff Daron Hall
John Harkey
Honorable Kathleen Harkey
Honorable Chris Harmon
Melissa Harmon
Rick Harris
Mohamed-Shukri  Hassan
Caleb Hemmer
Lori Hemmer
Mollie Henry
Stephen Henry
Jerry Hertenstein Jr.
Jerry Hertenstein Sr.
Adam Hill
Honorable Jamie Hollin
Bette Horton
Pete Horton
Lyn Hoyt
Honorable Walter Hunt
Erick Huth
Andrew Jackson
Kayla Jackson
Lady Jackson
Councilwoman Karen Johnson
Representative Sherry Jones
Bobby Joslin
Jocelyn Kasper
Jonathan Kasper
Irene Kelley
Laura Kelley
William (Tinker) Kelly
Councilman Ed Kindall

Drost Kokoye
Kalee Kreider
Chris Lance
Linda Lance
John Lasiter
Alix Laurain
Ethan Link
Representative Harold Love Jr.
Jean Marquis
Sarah Martin
Bill Mason
Cindy Mason
Honorable Jerry Maynard
Gaylon Mays
Sherry McCall
Benton McDonough
Rob McGuire
Pat Miller
Representative Bo Mitchell
Lee Moneta-Koehler
Liane Moneta-Koehler
Honorable Sandra Moore
John Morgan
Chris Moth
Nicole Motzny
Tom Motzny
Honorable Betty Nixon
Susan Norwood
Ari Obrohta
Bob Obrohta
Lance Obrohta
Tony Obrohta
Emily Ogden
April Orange
Honorable Anna Page
Emily Passini
Eric Patton
Martin Penny
Freda Player
Honorable Gracie Porter
Councilman Jason Potts
Heather Powell
Representative Jason Powell
Lex Price
Tamara Price
Christine Hatchett Pulle
Matt Pulle
Councilman Russ Pulley
Terry Quillen
Gregg Ramos
Councilman Kevin Rhoten
Andie Roberts
Marilyn Robinson
Tony Rose Jr.
Tony Rose Sr.
Councilman Dave Rosenberg
Alma Sanford
Gray Sasser
Becky Sharpe
School Board Member Anna Shepherd
Councilman Colby Sledge
Sherry Sloan
Juvenile Court Clerk David Smith
Jennifer Croslin Smith
Melissa Smith
Honorable Janis Sontany
Andy Spears
School Board Member Jill Speering
Lora Stevenson-Obrohta
Representative Mike Stewart
Gerard Stranch
Patty Daniel Stranch
Shirzad Tayyar
Saralee Terry Woods
Bobby Thomas
Abby Trotter
Doug Trotter
Bob Tuke
Honorable Mike Turner
Meg Underwood
Ryan Underwood
Councilwoman Tanaka Vercher
Terrie Wagner
Henry Walker
TC Weber
Kay West
Chick Westover
Al Wilkins
Phyllis Williams
Rick Williams
Ken Winter
Jerry Winters
Larry  Woods
Linda Wyatt
County Clerk Brenda Wynn
Debbie Young

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Pinkston, Miller set for school board showdown

Pinkston, Miller set for school board showdown 

Will Pinkston

 The Tennessean - The highly anticipated election showdown between outspoken Metro school board member Will Pinkston and challenger Jackson Miller is set. Pinkston, a lightning rod on the board and vocal critic of charter schools, announced on Monday he plans to run for re-election in August for the South Nashville-area District 7 seat.
Less than two hours later, Miller — a small-business owner, Pinkston rival and past co-chairman of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce's Education Report Card — issued a media advisory confirming he will challenge Pinkston. (Read more)

Jackson Miller

Pinkston’s Challenger Positions Himself As Uniter In Nashville School Board Race by Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio - Metro Schools parent Jackson Miller says he will run for the board of education, with a formal announcement planned for Tuesday afternoon. He will challenge the panel’s most vocal member, saying Will Pinkston has led to dischord on the nine-member panel and within the central office. .... Charter school advocates appear to be galvanizing around Miller, who once worked at Maya Angelou Schools, a charter organization in Washington D.C. .... There's a fundamental difference between Miller and Pinkston, and both agree. Miller says he welcomes experimentation and small-scale reforms while Pinkston says he prefers universal, district-wide initiatives that might help every student.

School Board's Hellraiser Wants Another Four Years | Pith in the Wind Nashville Scene‎ 

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School board stalemate means state will authorize KIPP

The Tennessean, .... The board voted 4-4 three times to either defer, deny or approve KIPP's elementary school. It then voted 4-4 again on whether to approve KIPP's middle school.
With no clear majority and no action taken on the two charters, the state will take control of the schools and be able to issue the charter after Nov. 23. The district had 30 days to make a decision on the schools.

Board Chair Sharon Gentry, Amy Frogge, Will Pinkston and Jill Speering voted in favor of taking no action. (link)

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Will Pinkston loves a good fight. What drives his public battles with old friends, charter school ‘zealots’

By Sam Stockard, The Ledger, October 02, 2015 - Bulldog or bully. Metro School Board member Will Pinkston draws both labels as Nashville debates education issues and elects its top leaders.

Most pointedly, charter schools proponents call him everything from a “monopolist” to combative to polarizing, while supporters say he has passion for the community and education, as well as the willingness to challenge people intent on “dismantling” traditional public schools. (link)

The above is a good profile of Will Pinkston. It comments on some of his angry facebook post, his combative nature, his influence on the mayoral election, his falling out with David Fox, his potential for running for higher office, and what other important opinion makers think of him. It tells you more about Will Pinkston than you probably want to know. 

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School Board approves Charter School for Donelson-Hermitage area in contentious meeting. (Updated Report)

Last night was a victory for school choice! This one-hour-and-twenty-minute meeting is devoted solely to consideration of the approval of a charter for STRIVE Collegiate Academy. This is one of the most interesting Metro School Board meetings I have ever watched. Ellissa Kim shines in this meeting and Will Pinkston looks like an ass.

A few months ago the school board adopted a policy that said new charter schools would only be approved if they were taking over failing schools or it they relieved overcrowding.  A couple months ago a new school applied for a charter from the School Board to open a school in the Donelson-Hermitage area and it did not meet one of those criteria. The School Board turned them down. They reapplied and last night were approved. Had they been turned down, they would have been the first charter to appeal and apply for approval under a new state authorizer provision.

Mr. Alan Coverstone, the Executive Director of the Office of Innovation, tells the board that a decision to deny would most likely be overturned on appeal (See time stamp 8:56). School Board member Jill Speering argues to reject the application (10:26), her main point being that in conformity with Roberts Rules of Order, the board should follow an established police. Speering is followed by Elissa Kim who makes a passionate argument (15:06 -22:54). She says she is not an expert on Roberts Rules but when only 30% of third graders can read on grade level that "overwhelms everything" including the finer points of Robert's rules. She says, "I'm excited by this application." She points out that of 18 schools in Metro cited by the state as being superior schools, seven of them were charter schools. That is 39% of the best schools are charter schools, yet charter schools only make up 12% of the schools. 

Will Pinkston appears obviously angry at Coverstone and Register. He puts Dr. Register on the spot and makes his state his position on the application.  Previously Register had not stated a position but he says he recommends approval. Pinkston  attacks Coverstone and Register for recommending approval saying the Board policy was developed with their input and something happened to change their mind. He says he is thinks he knows what it was but is not going to cast aspersions today, he will wait for another day. (see 1:11:00) I don't know what he means by that and wish he would have explaining himself. When one says they are not going to cast aspersions, they are casting aspersions.

Anti-school choice zealot Amy Frogge makes essentially the same argument as Jill Speering but with more hostility. "This entire process has seemed very dishonest to me. I've lost trust in our administrators," she says.

Departing Board Member Michael Hayes speaks in favor of approval saying, "charters have elevated our scores as a district" and, "this is an opportunity to bring in an incredibly high performing school."

The final vote is 5-3 for approval with Elissa Kim, Michael Hayes, Jo Ann Brannon, Anna Shepherd and  Cheryl Mayes voted in favor and Will Pinkston, Amy Frogge and Jill Speering voted against it.

Below is the Tennessean's report on the meeting:

Metro school board OK’s charter for Donelson-Hermitage

by Joey Garrison, August 21, 2014 - STRIVE Collegiate Academy received the go-ahead Thursday to open in Nashville after the Metro school board decided a new school option in Donelson-Hermitage outweighed the board’s stated priorities on where new charter schools should locate.

The board, after spirited debate, voted 5-3 to approve STRIVE’s revised charter on appeal, just two months after it had unanimously rejected the school’s initial proposal.(link)

Here is the Nashville Scene's report on the meeting: School Board Approves STRIVE Charter On Appeal

               

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Frogge 'betrayed' by Register speech on charter schools. Pinkston also unhappy.

Amy Frogge

by Joey Garrison, The Tennessean, July 11, 2014- In a speech that surprised everyone watching Thursday night, Metro Director of Schools Jesse Register told the Metro Council he wants to bring civility back to the conversation about charters and replace what he called an "us versus them" mentality.

But he's disappointed at least one school board member.

Amy Frogge, who just last month raised concerns over the fiscal transparency of charters, said that she felt "betrayed" by Register's remarks, ....She said it's made her "lose trust." ..... (link)

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School Board meeting of 6/24/2014: The another-battle-over-charter-schools meeting.

The school board produces great agendas that contains all of the reports and handouts that are given to the school board members. To get your own copy of this 248-page agenda, follow this link.

In case you missed it, Nashville has now joined a program where all children will get free breakfast and free lunch. Of course we know there is "no such thing as a free lunch" but it will be free to the consumers of the lunch. Will Pinkston commends the administration for joining this program. One of the reasons for this change is to remove the stigma of those who accept free lunch.  In my view this is a mistake.  The stigma of accepting free lunch provides an incentive for people to earn enough money so they are no longer eligible for free lunch. It may encourage children to do better than their parents so their children do not feel the stigma of a free lunch. Stigma is not a bad thing. When we removed the stigma of having children out of wedlock, out of wedlock births soared.  If free lunch is a right rather than charity given to the disadvantaged, then people feel entitled to it.  Free lunch, free healthcare, free phones, make people feel entitled to the wealth of others and makes them ungrateful for the assistance they get. This is one more step along the path that is turning America into a European style welfare state where everyone is a ward of the State.

Charter School Motion discussion starts at time stamp 10:14.  Dr.Alan Coverstone , Executive Officer of the Office of Innovation, recommends two brand new charter schools for approval and one conversation charter and two high schools which are "pathways" from existing charter schools, meaning the new high schools are a continuation of a  K-8 charter for the students of the existing charter who enter grade 9. Three applicants are recommended to be denied. The recommendations are followed but the vote is close on some of them.

One of the criteria for approving new charter schools is that they relieve overcrowding. Another criteria is a conversion charter where a charter takes over a failing school. Mr. Coverstone makes the case that it is less costly to approve a new charter rather than build a new school in a high growth area. To see agenda information on the schools denied and approved go to page109 of the agenda.

Amy Frogge attacks the renewal of Rocketship's charter and her attack is refuted by Michael W. Hayes (see time stamp 50.05). Their charter is renewed with Frogge voting "no." I think Ms Frogge votes against all charter applications. There is "no" vote on almost all of the charter applications and I assume that "no" vote is from Frogge but it is not a recorded roll call vote and the video does not clearly show who the "no" vote came from but I am almost sure it was Frogge. 

There is an attempt on the part of Pinkston to amend the terms of the approval of a new charter school.  Valor Collegiate applies for a K-8 charter to start with grade 5 and then add lower grades. Next year they would add K and grade 1. Pinkston says this is a "Trojan horse" for a middle school. He wants them to start with grade K. This application is approved but just barely with four "no" votes. The "no's" are Speering, Pinkston, Frogge, and I could not determine the other person who voted "no."

The school calendar is approved. For parents wanted to view the calendar see page 7 of the agenda.

Below is more information from the school board. It seems that if a charter school cannot be defeated by a vote to deny them a charter, that some members of the school board want to bog them down with so much bureaucracy and regulations so they are no more efficient than a regular public schools. 

School board member: Charters must be more transparent

by Joey Garrison, The Tennessean, June 24, 2014 - Nashville charter schools would be required to document and publish their finances, funding sources and conflicts of interest more thoroughly under a policy overhaul floated by a Metro school board member. 

But the measure is already getting pushback from critics questioning the purpose behind the effort, arguing that it would establish a double standard apart from the district’s traditional public schools. (link)

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Why is the school board's loudest rabble-rouser turning his back on Jesse Register?

by Andrea Zelinski, The Nashville Scene, May 22,2014-  Will Pinkston isn't known for his patience. But for months, the school board member says he has bitten his tongue while privately warning Metro Nashville's director of schools that his fuse is running short.

Pinkston says he would forward concerns from people in the community to Metro Schools' Central Office. And one by one, the queries would disappear into a "black hole" and take months to emerge, if they were resolved at all. (link)                                                                             

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