"A child's learning is the function more of the characteristics of his classmates than those of the teacher." James Coleman, 1972

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

New Group Forms PAC to Fight Charter Takeover in Nashville

Parents in East Nashville are moving quickly to fight Director of Schools Jesse Register’s far-reaching plan to close low-performing schools, hand others to charter operators and let families in that area choose where their children will attend.

Their request: Start over.

Since Register unveiled his intentions last week, parents and other East Nashville residents have organized a political action committee, East Nashville United, which they say has mobilized parents and teachers at all schools in the Maplewood and Stratford high school clusters.

“We ask that Dr. Register tear up his plan and start from scratch,” said Christine Pulle, a parent in Inglewood and spokesperson for the group. She said a “campaign” is required for that to happen.

“What we demand is a community-driven plan created by listening and responding to the needs of our diverse schools and neighborhoods.”

East Nashville United, which announced its PAC formation on Monday, arrived via social media last week. Organizers hope to meet with Register as well as Mayor Karl Dean, a charter school backer, who in a column in The Tennessean on Sunday called the plan “courageous and highly promising.”
Here is the website for East Nashville United:

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