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Metro School Board overrides staff recommendation, rejects Rocketship charter application

.rocketshipschools.org

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (OSBORNE) -- For the second time in a month The Nashville School Board has voted against a Metro charter operator.

Tuesday night the board rejected an application by Rocketship Education to open a charter in Antioch. The vote followed a recommendation from the Board’s own staff supporting the application.

Supporters note that Rocketship schools are outperforming Metro on academic assessment tests. Board member Amy Frogge questioned those scores and blasted Rocketship for what she considers excessive use of computer instruction.

“Students as young as Kindergarten are regularly plopped down in front of computer screens and are expected to stay silent and still for learning lab time. Learning labs often serve fifty, sixty or seventy students who are supervised by a few or only a couple of people often without full teacher training.”

The Tennessean quotes Rocketship officials saying they’ll appeal the rejected application to the state.

In late August, the school board voted to close three Knowledge Academy charter schools also operating in South Nashville. 

 

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