It is so sad to see what little support there is in Tennessee for such an important mechanism for educational reform: that is, charter schools. I have seen what can happen when these entrepreneurial educators get the support they need and deserve. Tennessee is ranked 32 out of 39 in states that allow charter schools by the Center for Education Reform for several reasons.
First, the state needs to strip away the regulatory barriers. This has proven to be one of the main sources of success and innovation in other states. Second, the issue of eligibility needs to get cleaned up. This is an issue of school choice, so a process is needed that truly lets families choose! Finally, the state needs to take control for granting charters out of the hands of the local districts due to their conflict of interests.
Once the process of granting charters is fixed, the state needs to support these entrepreneurs with training and education. I found from my work in this area in Minnesota that such training is critical to the success of these schools.
