Category Archives: MNPS

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Concerning Numbers

Education blogger TC Weber looks at the stagnant graduation rate in Metro Nashville Schools – and a concerning decline:

A recent TDOE report shows MNPS recording its second-highest graduation rate ever. Several historically disadvantaged groups—economically disadvantaged students, Black students, and students with disabilities—posted their highest rates on record.

Sounds impressive.

Until you look at the details.

The district’s overall graduation rate: 83%.

Hispanic students? Their rate dropped 6.1 percentage points in the 2024–25 school year, landing at 73.2%.

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But Is Every Child Valued?

Nashville education blogger TC Weber offers a critique of MNPS’s “Every Child Known” slogan in light of the district’s policies and actions.

“Every child known” may actually be more accurate than “every child valued.”

That shift in wording—just one verb—changes everything.

Because when a district knows a child is in danger, knows their history, knows their struggles, knows the warning signs… and still fails them, what does that tell us about the hierarchy of value? What does that tell families? What does it tell students?

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Troubling Numbers

A Nashville education blogger raises the alarm over the MNPS graduation rate:

This week, the Tennessee Department of Education released graduation rates for public schools. The statewide number was a record-breaking 92.3%, up from 92.1% the previous year. A total of 69,124 students graduated, nearly 1,900 more than the year before.

Those numbers sound great—unless you live in Nashville.

For schools under the MNPS banner, the results were, to put it mildly, atrocious. The district’s graduation rate came in at 83.6%—a full percentage point behind Memphis.

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Relationships, Data, and MNPS

Nashville education blogger TC Weber takes a look at “Every Child Known.”

 Relationships drive effort and loyalty. But relationships can’t be graphed on a data dashboard or condensed into a performance metric, and that’s where the system breaks down.

The modern education machine loves data points—graduation rates, proficiency scores, chronic absenteeism percentages. What it doesn’t love are messy, unquantifiable things like trust, rapport, and empathy.

It also loves micromanagement, often as much as it loves its spreadsheets.

This year MNPS doubled down on its scripted lesson plans, demanding that every class at every grade level in every school be on the same page, every single day. Besides flying in the face of nearly every best practice ever written, it strips teachers of the flexibility—and time—needed to form authentic connections with their students.

The best teachers have always known the importance of relationships. They’ve built them instinctively, often despite the system rather than because of it.

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An End to Public Education in Tennessee

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Nashville Teachers: Teacherpreneur Apps Close Nov. 12

The Nashville Public Education Foundation’s (NPEF) Teacherpreneur applications close soon – from an email:

Teacherpreneur is a professional learning experience for Nashville public school educators designed to harness teacher expertise and innovation. Teacherpreneurs participate in 5 sessions over January and February to build out ideas that help advance positive outcomes for students. 

Teacherpreneurs will identify an issue they want to address, research root causes of the issue, learn about change management theory, and use design thinking strategies to create solutions that help students thrive. In March, Teacherpreneurs will pitch their ideas for a chance to win cash prizes and seed funding to pilot their idea.

Application information

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Career Explorations

NewsChannel5 reports on a program connecting high school students with career opportunities:

High school students in Nashville got a head start on their professional futures this week, participating in a career exploration event that connected them with representatives from different fields and industries.

The event, organized with help from Courtney Morgan, brought together freshmen students to learn about various career paths they might never have considered before.

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A School Without Teachers

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Scripted Success?

A Nashville education blogger takes on the use of scripted learning:

At a time when recruiting and retaining teachers is harder than ever, scripted instruction is a surefire way to push more of them out. After all, who needs trained professionals when you can browbeat employees into reading from a script?

This relentless pacing will ultimately cost the district its most talented educators. As one high-school teacher told me, “We’re getting to a point where I need to evaluate how much teaching I’m actually doing. Maybe it’s time to do something else.”

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What Time Should School Start?

Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) is studying school start times – perhaps with a look toward changing them to better meet the needs of students and families.

From the MNPS website:

Nashville Public Schools, in partnership with Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s Office and the Metro Nashville Board of Education, is conducting a districtwide review of school start and end times to better align with student well-being, family needs, and transportation efficiency.

This process is just beginning. No decisions have been made. The goal is to gather feedback, data, and community input to make informed decisions about potential changes that will be considered in the early part of 2026.

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Nashville’s 2025 Blue Ribbon Teachers

A press release from the Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) highlights Nashville’s 2025 Blue Ribbon Teachers:

Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) designated 25 educators as new Blue Ribbon Teachers at a ceremony hosted by Vanderbilt University on October 30. Each Blue Ribbon teacher received a $2,000 cash prize, professional headshots, a trophy, media mentions and two round-trip airline tickets, courtesy of Southwest Airlines. Since 2014, the Blue Ribbon Teacher awards have recognized and celebrated more than 475 of Nashville’s top teachers.

The 2025 winners are:

  1. Courtney Antonello, H. G. Hill Middle
  2. Brooke Adler, Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet
  3. Tony Berg, Wright Middle
  4. Deanna Boorsma, Meigs Middle Magnet
  5. Hudson Christian, Stratford STEM Magnet High
  6. Christopher Collins, Hume-Fogg Magnet High
  7. Sarah Diaz, Maplewood High
  8. Abbie Gunkel, Charlotte Park Elementary
  9. Manda Hackney, Tusculum Elementary
  10. Heather Hall, East Nashville Magnet High
  11. Samira Hardcastle, John F. Kennedy Middle
  12. Dr. Brittany Harrington, Cockrill ES
  13. Maegan Hickey, Cambridge Early Learning Center
  14. Joshua Latham, Republic High
  15. Matthew Laurence, Hume-Fogg Magnet High
  16. Valerie McAnally, Cole Elementary
  17. Jennifer Murray, Hume-Fogg Magnet High
  18. Meredith Musgrove, Paragon Mills Elementary
  19. Marti Profitt, Nashville School of the Arts
  20. Likisha Rhodes, Cane Ridge High
  21. Alex Robinson, John Overton High
  22. Zakeisha Appleton Smith, Tusculum Elementary
  23. Mary Alice Strickler, KIPP High School
  24. Debbie West, Waverly-Belmont Elementary
  25. Courtney Williams, Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet

“Teaching is an admirably tough profession that requires creativity, patience and unwavering commitment. We are so proud to honor the top teaching talent in our city each year and show Nashville how educational excellence can help students thrive, said Dr. Diarese George, NPEF President & CEO. “The Blue Ribbon Teacher designation recognizes the hard work of these teachers and shines a spotlight on the innovation and leadership that happens daily in MNPS classrooms.”

NPEF Blue Ribbon Teacher Awards held at the Wyatt Rotunda

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Celebrating Blue Ribbon Teachers

The Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) is celebrating 25 teachers in a “Blue Ribbon Teachers” event.

More from an email:

Please join us in congratulating the 25 educators named Blue Ribbon Teacher award winners this year! These talented and dedicated teachers demonstrate an exceptional commitment to ensuring all students thrive and have earned the Blue Ribbon Teacher designation in this year’s award categories of
 leadership, instruction, and student success and opportunity. We are thrilled to honor them and are grateful for all they do for our public schools and community!

Meet the winners here.

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