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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools elections (2016)

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Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Elections
General election date:
August 4, 2016
Enrollment (13–14):
82,806 students

Five of the nine seats on the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Board of Education were up for by-district general election on August 4, 2016.[1] District 1 incumbent Sharon Dixon Gentry defeated challenger Janette Carter to win another term. In District 3, incumbent Jill Speering also won another term by defeating challenger Jane Grimes Meneely. Norman Merrifield originally filed to run for the District 3 seat, but he withdrew from the election. Christiane Buggs, Miranda Christy, Corey Gathings, and Erica Lanier ran for the District 5 seat, which was left open when board member Elissa Kim did not file to run for re-election. Buggs was elected to the seat. Prior to the election, her District 5 residency was challenged, but the Davidson County Election Commission unanimously voted to dismiss the challenge and keep her name on the ballot. The District 7 race featured incumbent Will Pinkston and challenger Jackson Miller. Pinkston was re-elected to another term. District 9 incumbent Amy Frogge faced challenger Thom Druffel. She was also elected to another term.[2][3][4]

This race was no exception to a recent district trend of attracting high numbers of candidates. The 2016 election, as well as the district's 2014 and 2012 elections, attracted an average of more than two candidates per seat. To see how this race compared to past elections in both the district and the state, check out the "Election trends" section below. Four candidates in the 2016 race participated in Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey. Click here to read their responses.

A candidate forum held in June 2016 highlighted the charter school debate in the district. Incumbents Pinkston, Frogge, and Speering refused to attend the event due to concerns that the organization hosting the forum promoted "unabated charter school growth." Only the candidates seeking the District 5 seat were able to face off at the event.[5]

Winners of the district's 2016 board of education election inherited a lawsuit against the state over education funding. In June 2016, the school board voted to approve the lawsuit, saying the state had not provided enough funding for the district's English language learners for the 2016-2017 school year.

See also: Issues in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools

Elections

Voter and candidate information

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools logo.jpeg

The Metropolitan Nashville Board of Education consists of nine members elected by district to four-year terms. Elections are held on a staggered basis every August of even-numbered years. The District 2, 4, 6, and 8 seats were up for election on August 7, 2014, and the District 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 seats were up for general election on August 4, 2016. There was no primary election.[6][7]

To get on the ballot, school board candidates had to file their qualifying documents by April 7, 2016. The deadline to withdraw from the election was April 14, 2016.[1]

To vote in this election, residents of the district had to register by July 5, 2016.[1] Photo identification was required to vote in this election.[8]

Candidates and results

District 1

Results

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools,
District 1 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Sharon Dixon Gentry Incumbent 55.56% 4,114
Janette Carter 44.20% 3,273
Write-in votes 0.24% 18
Total Votes 7,405
Source: Metro Government of Nashville & Davidson County Election Commission, "August 4 Election Results," accessed January 12, 2017

Candidates

Sharon Dixon Gentry Green check mark transparent.png Janette Carter

Sharon Dixon Gentry.jpg

  • Incumbent
  • Member from 2008-2016
  • Graduate, Xavier University of Louisiana and Tennessee State University
  • Director of clinical informatics strategic development, innovation, and integration, HCA

Janette Carter.jpg

  • Graduate, Tennessee State University and Trevecca Nazarene University
  • Graduate student mentor, Trevecca Nazarene University

District 3

Results

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools,
District 3 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Jill Speering Incumbent 58.19% 2,593
Jane Grimes Meneely 41.20% 1,836
Write-in votes 0.61% 27
Total Votes 4,456
Source: Metro Government of Nashville & Davidson County Election Commission, "August 4 Election Results," accessed January 12, 2017

Candidates

Jill Speering Green check mark transparent.png Jane Grimes Meneely

Jill Speering.jpg

  • Incumbent
  • Member from 2012-2016
  • Former teacher

Jane Grimes Meneely.jpg

  • Graduate, Stephens College and Belmont University
  • Special event consultant, Martha O'Bryan Center

District 5

Results

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools,
District 5 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Christiane Buggs 58.27% 2,812
Miranda Christy 27.31% 1,318
Corey Gathings 7.09% 342
Erica Lanier 7.02% 339
Write-in votes 0.31% 15
Total Votes 4,826
Source: Metro Government of Nashville & Davidson County Election Commission, "August 4 Election Results," accessed January 12, 2017

Candidates

Christiane Buggs Green check mark transparent.png Miranda Christy

Christiane Buggs.jpg

  • Graduate, Tennessee State University and Vanderbilt University
  • Assistant director of TRIO Programs, Tennessee State University

Miranda Christy.jpg

  • Graduate, Kentucky Wesleyan College, Vanderbilt Divinity School, and the University of Tennessee College of Law
  • Director and counsel, UBS Investment Bank
Corey Gathings Erica Lanier

Corey Gathings.jpg

Placeholder image.png

District 7

Results

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools,
District 7 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Will Pinkston Incumbent 50.14% 1,834
Jackson Miller 49.13% 1,797
Write-in votes 0.74% 27
Total Votes 3,658
Source: Metro Government of Nashville & Davidson County Election Commission, "August 4 Election Results," accessed January 12, 2017

Candidates

Will Pinkston Green check mark transparent.png Jackson Miller

Will Pinkston.jpg

  • Incumbent
  • Member from 2012-2016
  • Graduate, University of Tennessee
  • Strategic communications consultant

Jackson Miller (Tennessee).jpg

  • Business owner

District 9

Results

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools,
District 9 General Election, 4-Year Term, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Amy Frogge Incumbent 63.94% 4,682
Thom Druffel 35.92% 2,630
Write-in votes 0.14% 10
Total Votes 7,322
Source: Metro Government of Nashville & Davidson County Election Commission, "August 4 Election Results," accessed January 12, 2017

Candidates

Amy Frogge Green check mark transparent.png Thom Druffel

Amy Frogge.jpg

  • Incumbent
  • Member from 2012-2016
  • Graduate, Southern Methodist University and the University of Tennessee College of Law
  • Attorney and grant writer

Thom Druffel.jpg

  • Graduate, Florida State University and California State Long Beach
  • General manager, Holiday Inn

Additional elections on the ballot

See also: Tennessee elections, 2016

The Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools election shared the ballot with primary elections for seats on the Tennessee State Senate and Tennessee House of Representatives as well as general elections for offices in Davidson County.[9]

Key deadlines

The following dates were key deadlines for Tennessee school board elections in 2016:[1]

Deadline Event
April 7, 2016 Candidate filing deadline
April 11, 2016 1st quarter campaign finance report due
April 14, 2016 Candidate withdrawal deadline
July 5, 2016 Voter registration deadline
July 11, 2016 2nd quarter campaign finance report due
July 15, 2016 - July 30, 2016 Early voting period
July 28, 2016 Pre-election campaign finance report due
August 4, 2016 Election day
October 11, 2016 3rd quarter campaign finance report due
January 25, 2017 4th quarter campaign finance report due

Endorsements

The following is a list of endorsements made in the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools elections. District 5 challengers Corey Gathings and Erica Lanier did not receive any official endorsements in the election.

Candidate endorsements
Endorsement Sharon Dixon Gentry
District 1 		Janette Carter
District 1 		Jill Speering
District 3 		Jane Grimes Meneely
District 3 		Christiane Buggs
District 5 		Miranda Christy
District 5 		Will Pinkston
District 7 		Jackson Miller
District 7 		Amy Frogge
District 9 		Thom Druffel
District 9
Local media
The Tennesseean[10]
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
Local organizations
Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, AFL-CIO[11]
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
Metropolitan Nashville Education Association[12]
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 205[13]
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce SuccessPAC[14]
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
Women In Numbers (WIN)[15]
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
National organizations
Stand For Children[16]
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
Education activists
Diane Ravitch[17]
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
State officials
State Rep. Bo Mitchell (D-50)[18][19]
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
State Rep. Bill Beck (D-51)[18]
{{{1}}}
State Rep. Mike Stewart (D-52)[18]
{{{1}}}
State Rep. Jason Powell (D-53)[18]
{{{1}}}
State Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-55)[18][19]
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
State Rep. Harold M. Love (D-58)[18]
{{{1}}}
State Rep. Sherry Jones (D-59)[18]
{{{1}}}
Local officials
Nashville Vice Mayer David Briley[18][19]
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
Nashville Metro Councilman Fabian Bedne[18]
{{{1}}}
Nashville Metro Councilwoman Davette Blalock[18]
{{{1}}}
Nashville Metro Councilman Sam Coleman[18]
{{{1}}}
Nashville Metro Councilman John Cooper[18]
{{{1}}}
Nashville Metro Councilman Anthony Davis[18]
{{{1}}}
Nashville Metro Councilman Jeremy Elrod[18]
{{{1}}}
Nashville Metro Councilman Mike Freeman[18]
{{{1}}}
Nashville Metro Councilwomen Sharon W. Hurt[19]
{{{1}}}
Nashville Metro Councilwoman Karen Y. Johnson[18]
{{{1}}}
Nashville Metro Councilman Edward Kindall[18]
{{{1}}}
Nashville Metro Councilwomen Kathleen Murphy[19]
{{{1}}}
Nashville Metro Councilman Jason Potts[18]
{{{1}}}
Nashville Metro Councilman Russ Pulley[18]
{{{1}}}
Nashville Metro Councilman Kevin Rhoten[18]
{{{1}}}
Nashville Metro Councilman Dave Rosenberg[18][19]
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
Nashville Metro Councilman Colby Sledge[18]
{{{1}}}
Nashville Metro Councilwoman Tanaka Vercher[18]
{{{1}}}
Nashville Metro Councilwomen Sheri Weiner[19]
{{{1}}}
Metropolitan Nashville Board of Education Members
Amy Frogge[18][20]
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
Will Pinkston[19][20]
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
Anna Shepherd[18][19][20]
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
Jill Speering[18][19]
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}

Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Campaign finance

Campaign Finance Ballotpedia.png
See also: List of school board campaign finance deadlines in 2016

The pre-general campaign financial disclosure report for this election was due July 28, 2016. Candidates were also required to file quarterly reports for the 2016 election year. Those reports were due on April 11, 2016; July 11, 2016; October 11, 2016; and January 25, 2017.[1]

Reports

Candidates received a total of $492,940.59 and spent a total of $509,570.37 in the election, according to the Davidson County Election Commission.[21]

District 1
Candidate Existing balance Contributions Expenditures Cash on hand
Sharon Dixon Gentry 795.92 $0.00 $150.00 $642.92
Janette Carter $8,572.12 $1,255.00 $9,827.12 $2.07
District 3
Candidate Existing balance Contributions Expenditures Cash on hand
Jill Speering $0.00 $37,135.00 $25,481.44 $11,653.56
Jane Grimes Meneely $0.00 $56,001.00 $56,001.00 $0.00
District 5
Candidate Existing balance Contributions Expenditures Cash on hand
Christiane Buggs $0.00 $40,712.96 $40,685.96 $27.00
Miranda Christy $0.00 $70,871.00 $70,871.00 $0.00
Corey Gathings $0.00 $16,250.00 $16,250.00 $0.00
Erica Lanier $0.00 $1,405.00 $1,104.00 $301.00
District 7
Candidate Existing balance Contributions Expenditures Cash on hand
Will Pinkston $10,112.81 $81,054.00 $88,551.14 $2,615.67
Jackson Miller $16,490.16 $78,717.28 $91,344.93 $3,862.51
District 9
Candidate Existing balance Contributions Expenditures Cash on hand
Amy Frogge $0.00 $40,653.65 $40,503.84 $149.81
Thom Druffel $0.00 $68,886.00 $68,799.94 $86.06

Past elections

What was at stake?

2016

Election trends

School Board Election Trends Banner.jpg
See also: School board elections, 2014

The high number of candidates who ran in the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Board of Education election in 2016 was not unusual for the district. Twelve candidates ran for five seats in 2016, which equaled an average of 2.4 candidates per seat. The district's 2014 election attracted an average of 2.5 candidates per seat, and in 2012, an average of 3.4 candidates ran per seat. An average of 1.94 candidates ran per school board seat in Tennessee's largest school districts in 2014, which was when the state's school boards most recently held elections.

No seats were unopposed in the Metropolitan Nashville Board of Education elections in 2012, 2014, or 2016. Statewide in 2014, 36.78 percent of school board seats on the ballot were unopposed.

Four of the five incumbents whose seats were on the ballot in the district's 2016 race ran for re-election. All four of them had to defeat challengers to keep their seats. In the district's 2014 race, three of the four incumbents whose terms were up for election ran, and two won. That 66.67 percent success rate was lower than the 75.41 percent success rate incumbents experienced statewide in 2014.

Because one incumbent did not file to run for re-election in the district's 2016 race, one newcomer was guaranteed to join the board. Another four could have joined the board if they had been able to defeat the incumbents they ran against, but they were unable to do so. In Metropolitan Nashville's 2014 election, newcomers took two of the four seats on the ballot. One won an open seat, and the other defeated an incumbent. Overall in 2014, newcomers won 45.98 percent of school board seats on the ballot statewide.

Issues in the election

Three incumbents boycott candidate forum

Incumbents Will Pinkston, Amy Frogge, and Jill Speering declined an invitation to participate in a candidate forum held by a parent group called Nashville Rise in June 2016. The three said they would not be participating due to concerns about the group's affiliations and lack of transparency.[22] "We are skeptical of organizations that appear to promote vouchers or unabated charter school growth at the expense of students, parents, teachers and taxpayers," the three said in an email declining to attend the forum.[5]

Project Renaissance logo.jpg

Nashville Rise, which was led by the nonprofit Project Renaissance, maintained that "their sole mission is to help advocate for quality education and accelerate excellence in the district," according to The Tennesseean. Wendy Tucker, co-CEO of Project Renaissance, said Nashville Rise was "a group of very passionate parents from across Nashville who have come together to support each other in focusing on high-quality public schools for all Nashville students." The group launched on May 10, 2016, and listed plans to set up trainings on how to have effective parent-teacher conferences and how to get involved in state and local government. According to district parent Demi Owen, Project Renaissance did not push any specific agenda on the parents involved with Nashville Rise.[22]

Pinkston, however, said that Project Renaissance was led by a number of charter school supporters and that their finances had been used for pro-charter agendas in the past.[22] In the district's charter school debate, Pinkston, Frogge, and Speering pitted themselves against unchecked growth of charter schools within the district. Those on the opposite side said they were pushing for quality schools.[5] The three incumbents were re-elected to their seats on August 4, 2016.[4]

Only candidates from District 5 were able to face off at the forum held on June 23, 2016. Without the three incumbents and District 1 challenger Janette Carter, who was out sick, only one candidate from each of the other four seats up for election attended the event, allowing them to voice their opinions without directly confronting their opponents.[5]

The questions at the forum focused on "school choice, inclusiveness, and increased student outcomes," according to The Tennessean. The forum waited until the last question to highlight the charter school debate in the district by asking, "What keeps the Metro Schools system from seeking to learn from high-quality schools?"[5]

District 5 candidate Christiane Buggs answered that the district did not collaborate well. "The idea of competition in schools means there is a loser, and more often than not it's the student," said Buggs. Her opponent Miranda Christy said that the district's leadership had to make learning from quality schools a priority. "I think we have to take a hard look at leadership because we don't really seem to have strategic goals and people who are relentlessly pushing toward goals and innovating," said Christy.[5]

Corey Gathings, another District 5 opponent, said, "We need to take the politics out of it and focus on children and provide a high-class quality education for all students." The fourth District 5 challenger, Erica Lanier, agreed that politics had gotten in the way of seeking high-quality schools. She also said, "We are terrified of diversity, terrified to the point that we have flight in mass numbers."[5]

District 5 candidate survives residency challenge
Christiane Buggs

The Davidson County Election Commission unanimously voted on June 10, 2016, to keep District 5 candidate Christiane Buggs on the ballot after her residency was challenged. School board candidates were required to live in the district they sought to represent for one year prior to the election, and Buggs said she had lived in her District 5 home for two years. The challenge came from voting records in September 2015, which showed Buggs had voted in a different district.[23]

Buggs explained that she had forgotten to update her voter information after moving. “I’m sorry there’s no grandiose explanation out there,” Buggs said.[23]

The challenge was filed through a complaint letter written by Reba Reedy. Reedy did not show up to the commission's meeting on the matter, which prompted Jamie Hollin, Buggs’ attorney, to ask the commission to throw out the complaint. “We’ve got a phantom complaint that’s probably, possibly, likely an anonymous pawn for someone else,” said Hollin.[23]

Though one commissioner agreed with Hollin, the commission continued with the hearing. Members voted 5-0 against the challenge.[23] With her name on the ballot, Buggs went on to win the general election for the seat on August 4, 2016.[4]

Issues in the district

Board votes to sue the state over education funding
See also: Education reform: State funding battles and local responses (2016)

The Metropolitan Nashville Board of Education approved a lawsuit against the state of Tennessee over public education funding on June 14, 2016. Six members voted in favor of the lawsuit. Two board members—Elissa Kim and Mary Pierce—abstained from the vote, and member Jo Ann Brannon was absent from the meeting.[24] The lawsuit was filed on September 1, 2016, but it was denied by Chancery Court Judge Ellen Hobbs Lyle on September 22, 2016. Lyle said the lawsuit was not actionable as previous cases against the state over education funding had not requested immediate funds as the Nashville lawsuit did.[25][26]

The lawsuit sought additional education funding for the district, specifically for teaching English as a second language. Jon Cooper, director of the Metropolitan Nashville Department of Law, asked the state in a letter why the school district had received less money for English language learners for the 2016-2017 school year. Maryanne Durski, local finance office director for the Tennessee Department of Education, responded to Cooper's letter on June 3, 2016. She said that "the funding allocation through the fiscal year general appropriations act provided adequate funds," according to the The Tennesseean.[24]

Anna Shepherd

Board Vice Chairwoman Anna Shepherd and fellow board member Will Pinkston, who previously advocated for suing the state, expressed frustration at the letter. "This is state law, and they are just being flippant about it," said Shepherd. "And I don't think this is a flippant topic."[24]

"The idea that these schools — which literally sit in the shadow of the state Capitol — are getting intentionally short-shrifted by the state is frankly maddening," said Pinkston. "Local taxpayers are doing our part, and the state Department of Education sends us a blow-off letter."[24]

In August 2016, over 30 members of the Nashville City Council signed a letter supporting the district's lawsuit. The letter urged the district to resist the state's urging to withdraw the lawsuit.[27]

The Metropolitan Nashville school district was not the only district to sue the state over education funding. Two other large urban school districts—Shelby County Schools and the Hamilton County School District—sued the state in 2015.[24] Hamilton County, along with six surrounding county school districts, filed a lawsuit against the state that stated it had not provided sufficient funding for schools. Shelby County's lawsuit said that the state's lack of funding had disproportionately hurt the district's poorer students and that the state's funding model failed "to take into account the actual costs of funding an education." Hamilton County's lawsuit was denied class-action status in 2016, but a judge also ruled against the state's motion to dismiss it.[28][29]

The state did not respond to Shelby County's lawsuit until July 2016, when officials submitted a 25-page response that denied that the state's funding model was the cause of the school district's financial problems. The response also detailed that the funding model met the state's responsibilities to maintain a public school system “that affords substantially equal educational opportunities to all students in Tennessee."[29]

Will Pinkston

Pinkston said about the lawsuits in other Tennessee school districts that, "Hamilton County and the other area districts showed tremendous courage by doing what they did and when they did it and it emboldened other school districts to follow along." He also said that he expected the three lawsuits, and any additional lawsuits filed by other districts, to be rolled into one. Between 1980 and 2016, the state had lost three education funding lawsuits.[28]

At issue in the three lawsuits was the state's funding formula, known as the Basic Education Program (BEP). Metropolitan Nashville, Shelby County, and Hamilton County said they did not receive the funding due to them under BEP. The 2016 budget that was signed into law by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R) marked the second year for "substantial increases" to the state's public education funding, according to The Tennesseean. It added $261 million to the Basic Education Program, $104.6 million of which was dedicated to raising teacher salaries.[24] What the budget did not do, however, was set up BEP 2.0, a program that changed the funding formula to help larger school districts.[28]

Haslam said he was disappointed that the Metropolitan Nashville Board of Education had approved the lawsuit. He said the state had added $14 million in funding for English language learners and that Metropolitan Nashville received the largest share of that funding. Tennessee Commissioner of Education Candice McQueen said the district's "use of taxpayer dollars to sue the state only serves to remove funds from classrooms and the very students the district is attempting to help."[28]

Board votes to join Shelby County's lawsuit against state

See also: Shelby County Schools, Tennessee and Education policy: State funding battles and local responses (2016)

The Metropolitan Nashville Board of Education voted 7-0 on October 17, 2017, to join a lawsuit filed by Shelby County Schools against the state of Tennessee over education funding. Two members were absent from the vote.[30]

Shelby County first filed its lawsuit against the state in August 2015. It said that the state had not adequately funded its schools and had hurt the district's most vulnerable students as a result, according to The Tennesseean.[30] Shelby County said it did not receive the funding it was due under the state's funding formula, known as the Basic Education Program (BEP). Since Shelby County's lawsuit was filed, the state did increase the state's public education funding, but it did not change the funding formula.[31][32]

In September 2018, Davidson County Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman, appointed by Gov. Phil Bredesen in 2003, upheld a previous decision denying the state's motion to dismiss the lawsuit.[33]

Want to see how this election related to state and national trends on this topic? Ballotpedia tracked this issue in the 2016 election cycle so you can see the connections and impact on this race in context.

Click here for The Bite on this topic.


Board appoints district's first African American superintendent

The Metropolitan Nashville Board of Education unanimously appointed Shawn Joseph as the district's next superintendent in May 2016. Joseph became the first African American to lead the district when he assumed the position on July 1, 2016. Before accepting the role, Joseph served as the deputy superintendent of Prince George's County Public Schools in Maryland.[34]

Joseph was chosen by the board out of a final slate of three candidates, all of whom were minorities. “It says a lot about where Nashville is and how far we have come, not only in being able to do things in how we worked out the process, but also in being able to recognize talent is talent,” said Board Chairwoman Sharon Dixon Gentry. “The fact is we didn’t shy away from a slate that had three minorities.”[34]

Board member Will Pinkston said, “The most important thing is he is the right person, at the right time — imminently qualified — and he brings what we need to move the system forward.” Board member Mary Pierce said she was excited about the board's choice. "I think this is exactly where we need to go," said Pierce.[34]

The appointment came nearly a year after former Superintendent Jesse Register retired in June 2015. Register served as superintendent for nearly seven years. Chris Henson, the district's financial officer, served as interim superintendent after Register's retirement.[35] Joseph signed a four-year contract for the position with an annual pay of $285,000.[34]

State's Achievement School District halts school takeovers for one year
Tennessee Achievement School District.jpg

Following the cancellation of the state's TNReady tests, officials of the state's Achievement School District (ASD) announced that they would not seek to take over any additional schools for the 2017-2018 school year. “Extending flexibility to priority schools during this transition mirrors the flexibility we have offered to teachers and students,” Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced in a statement on April 15, 2016.[36]

The ASD is a statewide school district designed to take control of struggling schools. The schools are assigned to charter school networks and taken out of the control of the county school district. According to its website, the ASD "was created to catapult the bottom 5% of schools in Tennessee straight to the top 25% in the state." The ASD opened its first school in 2012. As of the 2015-2016 school year, the ASD operated 29 schools. Two of those schools were former Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, and the other 27 were previously under the jurisdiction of Shelby County Schools.[36][37]

Board member Will Pinkston voiced his support of the ASD's temporary moratorium. “It’s a positive first step toward a series of course corrections that need to happen with the Achievement School District. I’m glad the state is listening,” said Pinkston.[36]

Interim Superintendent Chris Henson said, “given that this is a new test, it is appropriate to give districts the leeway to decide how to use the results for their own accountability purposes. Knowing that the TDOE will also do the same as it applies to the Achievement School District is encouraging.”[36]

Testing suspended in wake of state terminating TNReady contract

After the Tennessee Department of Education terminated the contract with the provider of the state's new TNReady test assessments on April 27, 2016, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools halted its assessments for students in grades three through eight. Education Commissioner Candice McQueen said that the contract was terminated with North Carolina-based Measurement Inc. after it failed to deliver all of the testing materials.[38][39]

Education Commissioner Candice McQueen

McQueen called Measurement Inc.'s performance "deeply disappointing" after months of delivery delays and a failure to roll out the assessment online in February 2016. "We’ve exhausted every option in problem solving with this vendor to assist them in getting these tests delivered. Districts have exceeded their responsibility and obligation to wait for grade 3-8 materials, and we will not ask districts to continue waiting on a vendor that has repeatedly failed us," said McQueen.[40]

Measurement Inc. President Henry Scherich said the contract termination was a disappointment. "It has been a very difficult job, and we were within a couple days or so of having all the tests in the state," said Scherich.[39]

Scherich said that the company had been put in a "difficult, and even impossible, situation" after they were required to switch to a paper test in response to the failed online assessment, according to Chalkbeat Tennessee. McQueen said the state's contract had included provisions for paper tests in the case of technical difficulties.[40] The state first contracted with Measurement Inc. in 2014 in response to displeasure with the Common Core standards. As of the termination, the state had paid $1.6 million toward the $108 million contract.[39]

The state decided to continue testing high school students, as those materials had been received, but it suspended the tests for younger students. School districts that received the needed materials for testing younger grades were allowed to choose between continuing the assessments or suspending them.[38][40]

Due to the suspension, accountability measures related to test scores, such as teacher evaluations, were also delayed for one year. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R) said that despite the delay, the state was still moving forward.[40]

“ The failure of the testing vendor to deliver the tests and meet its own obligations does not take away from the fact that Tennessee has created our own, higher standards, we have an improved assessment fully aligned with those standards, and we remain committed going forward to measuring student performance fairly and ensuring accountability for those results.[41] ”
—Gov. Bill Haslam (R)[40]

Issues in the state

Transgender bathroom bill withdrawn
Rep. Susan Lynn (R-57)

State Rep. Susan Lynn (R-57) proposed legislation in January 2016 that would require public school students in kindergarten through college to use the bathroom and locker room that corresponded with the sex listed on their birth certificates. Four months later, she withdrew the bill. "I am still absolutely 100 percent in support of maintaining the privacy of all students. But I'm going to roll the bill over until next year so we can work on those issues," Lynn said.[42][43]

House Bill 2414 drew criticism from local media and some companies threatened to withhold business from the state if the bill were passed. Lynn said that was not why she withdrew the bill; instead, she put it on hold in order to further study the issue. She said school districts in Tennessee were "largely following what the bill says."[42][44]

While HB 2414 was still in committee, Gov. Bill Haslam (R) expressed concern about the bill. “I’m hearing that our school boards have figured out how to adjust to each situation that arises, and to date, I’m not hearing parents say we have [a] problem in our schools today,” said Haslam.[45]

Attorney General Herbert Slatery (R)

State Reps. Mike Stewart (D-52) and Harry Brooks (R-19) asked for an opinion on the issue from Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery (R). Slatery responded by warning that the state could lose federal Title IX funding if the bill were passed.[46]

“ As things currently stand, we must, as a practical matter, assume that H.B. 2414 would violate Title IX, because the enforcer of Title IX has clearly interpreted — and enforced — Title IX to prohibit as 'discriminatory on the basis of sex' what H.B. 2414 is designed to accomplish.[41] ”
—Attorney General Herbert Slatery (April 2016)[46]

Stewart said Slatery's opinion was the "final nail in the coffin" for the bill. He and State Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-55) said the bill could also hinder the state's goal of creating a business-friendly climate.[46] Executives of dozens of companies had signed a letter to state lawmakers asking them to reject the bill on the grounds that it was discriminatory.[47]

David Fowler, former state senator and president of the Family Action Council of Tennessee, objected to Slatery's opinion. He said the attorney general had used settlement agreements rather than court decisions to warn the state legislature away from passing the bill. "Settlement agreements have no persuasive value as a matter of law, unlike the court decisions that have actually ruled in favor of sex-designated bathrooms," Fowler said.[46]

After the bill was withdrawn, Fowler issued a statement:

“ But we join the thousands of parents across the state who are profoundly disappointed that at this point in the process Rep. Lynn has decided not to proceed with a bill that would have simply protected the privacy of the children they have entrusted to our public schools.[41] ”
—David Fowler (April 2016)[42]

In addition to receiving support from the Family Action Council of Tennessee, the bill was backed by approximately 30 pastors from the Tennessee Pastors Network. At least 67,000 state citizens opposed the bill, as two transgender high school students turned in that many signatures to the governor's office. They were joined by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, the Tennessee Equality Project, the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition, and the Human Rights Campaign.[42]

Candidate survey

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Ballotpedia invites school board candidates to participate in its annual survey.
Click here to view or fill out the survey.

Survey responses

Four candidates in this race participated in Ballotpedia's 2016 survey of school board candidates. The following sections display the responses to the survey questions from District 1 challenger Janette Carter, District 5 challenger Christiane Buggs, District 7 incumbent Will Pinkston, and District 7 challenger Jackson Miller.

Hope to achieve
Janette Carter

When asked what she hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Carter stated:

“ I strongly believe that I am capable of effecting change and enhancing the school board, and making a positive difference in the lives of children. I am passionate and self-driven advocate and a leader who believes in serving people. I have the core and the ability to be an agent of change. I sincerely care about the Educational needs of all children in Nashville Public Schools. I have over 32 years of experience as an educator, serving as a teacher, coach, assistant principal and executive principal. I bring critical experience, leadership and perspective to the board. I know how to be responsive and receptive to parents, students, staff and the community. My record exemplifies hard work, passion and a desire to make our school districts one of if not the best in the country.[41] ”
—Janette Carter (June 7, 2016)[48]
Christiane Buggs

Buggs stated the following when asked what she hoped to achieve if elected to the board:

“ I look to improve and provide platforms for collaboration and communication between all stakeholders. I look to bridge the achievement gap. I look to ensure that the well-being and success of students are the basis for every decision. I look to bring my classroom experience and knowledge of education policy to the board and increase the effectiveness of MNPS policies that govern our schools.[41] ”
—Christiane Buggs (May 20, 2016)[49]
Will Pinkston

Pinkston said he hoped to achieve the following if re-elected to the board:

“ I want Metro Nashville Public Schools to be the fastest-improving urban school system in America.[41] ”
—Will Pinkston (May 21, 2016)[50]
Jackson Miller

When asked what he hoped to achieve if he won election to the board, Miller answered:

“ Nashville will become the #1 urban school district in the nation.[41] ”
—Jackson Miller (July 17, 2016)[51]
Ranking the issues

The candidates were asked to rank the following issues by importance in the school district, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. This table displays their rankings:

Issue importance ranking
Issue Carter's ranking
(District 1) 		Buggs' ranking
(District 5) 		Pinkston's ranking
(District 7) 		Miller's ranking
(District 7)
Expanding arts education
7
4
6
6
Improving relations with teachers
3
5
4
4
Balancing or maintaining the district's budget
1
6
5
5
Improving post-secondary readiness
4
2
3
2
Closing the achievement gap
2
1
1
1
Improving education for special needs students
5
3
2
3
Expanding school choice options
6
Blank
7
7
Positions on the issues

The candidates were asked to answer nine multiple choice and short answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. A link to their responses can be found below.

About the district

See also: Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, Tennessee
The Metropolitan Nashville Public school district is located in Davidson County, Tennessee.

The Metropolitan Nashville Public school district is located in Davidson County in central Tennessee. The county seat is Nashville. Davidson County was home to 678,889 residents in 2015, according to the United States Census Bureau.[52] The district was the second-largest school district in the state in the 2013–2014 school year and served 82,806 students.[53]

Demographics

Davidson County outperformed Tennessee as a whole in terms of higher education achievement from 2010 to 2014. The United States Census Bureau found that 36.5 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 24.4 percent of state residents. The median household income in Davidson County was $47,434, compared to $44,621 for the entire state. The poverty rate was 19.9 percent, compared to 18.3 percent statewide.[52]

Racial Demographics, 2014[52]
Race Davidson County (%) Tennessee (%)
White 65.6 78.9
Black or African American 28.1 17.1
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.5 0.4
Asian 3.4 1.7
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.1 0.1
Two or More Races 2.3 1.7
Hispanic or Latino 9.9 5.0

Presidential Voting Pattern,
Davidson County[54]
Year Democratic Vote Republican Vote
2012 143,120 97,622
2008 158,423 102,915
2004 132,737 107,839
2000 120,508 84,117

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools' 'Tennessee'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools elections (2016) - Google News

See also

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Tennessee School Boards
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Tennessee Secretary of State, "Election Calendar 2016," accessed March 30, 2016
  2. ↑ The Tennesseean, "Who's running for the Nashville school board?" April 7, 2016
  3. ↑ Davidson County Election Commission, "County General Sample Ballot: August 4, 2016," accessed July 12, 2016
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Metro Government of Nashville & Davidson County Election Commission, "August 4 Election Results (Unofficial)," accessed August 4, 2016
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 The Tennessean, "Nashville Rise school board forum focuses on choice," June 23, 2016
  6. ↑ Nashville, Tennessee, "Election Results August 7, 2014," accessed June 10, 2015
  7. ↑ Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, "About MNPS School Board," accessed March 30, 2016
  8. ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "What ID is required when voting?" accessed March 30, 2016
  9. ↑ Davidson County Election Commission, "Current News and Events," accessed April 14, 2016
  10. ↑ The Tennesseean, "Endorsements: Nashville school board election," July 11, 2016
  11. ↑ Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, AFL-CIO, "2016 Metro School Board Endorsements," April 19, 2016
  12. ↑ Metropolitan Nashville Education Association, "Facebook Event: Phone Banking Party," accessed June 12, 2016
  13. ↑ SEIU Local 205, "Local Union Supports Metro School Board Candidates With “Real World” Experience in Public Education," June 29, 2016
  14. ↑ Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, "SuccessPAC endorses candidates for the Metropolitan Board of Public Education," July 1, 2016
  15. ↑ Women In Numbers, "2015 Endorsed Candidates," accessed August 1, 2016
  16. ↑ Nashville Scene, "Who Are the Players in Nashville's School Board Race?" June 17, 2016
  17. ↑ Diane Ravitch's blog, "Nashville: Vote for the Defenders of Public Education for School Board," July 12, 2016
  18. ↑ 18.00 18.01 18.02 18.03 18.04 18.05 18.06 18.07 18.08 18.09 18.10 18.11 18.12 18.13 18.14 18.15 18.16 18.17 18.18 18.19 18.20 18.21 18.22 18.23 18.24 18.25 Pinkston for Schools, "Supporters," accessed May 20, 2016
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 19.7 19.8 19.9 Amy Frogge School Board, "Supporters," accessed May 20, 2016
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 The Tennesseean, "Jill Speering launches Metro school board re-election bid," February 7, 2016
  21. ↑ Davidson County Election Commission, "Financial Disclosures," accessed November 29, 2016
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 The Tennesseean, "School board incumbents boycott Nashville Rise candidate forum," June 14, 2016
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 The Tennesseean, "Buggs can run for school board after residency challenged," June 10, 2016
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 24.5 The Tennessean, "Nashville schools to sue state for education funding," June 15, 2016
  25. ↑ Nashville Scene, "Metro Files Education Funding Lawsuit Against State," September 2, 2016
  26. ↑ The Tennessean, "Judge denies Nashville schools education funding complaint," September 23, 2016
  27. ↑ Nashville Patch, "Metro Council Backs School Board's Suit Against State," August 30, 2016
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 Chattanooga Times Free Press, "More lawsuits expected as frustration grows over Tennessee education funding," June 21, 2016
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Chalkbeat Tennessee, "Tennessee affirms its school funding formula in response to lawsuit over Memphis schools," July 11, 2016
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 The Tennessean, "Nashville schools board votes to join Shelby County Schools in lawsuit against state," October 17, 2017
  31. ↑ Chattanooga Times Free Press, "More lawsuits expected as frustration grows over Tennessee education funding," June 21, 2016
  32. ↑ The Tennessean, "Nashville schools to sue state for education funding," June 15, 2016
  33. ↑ Chalkbeat Tennessee, "After three years, the fight to spend more money on Tennessee schools inches toward trial," September 25, 2018
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 The Tennesseean, "Shawn Joseph is Nashville's new schools chief," May 13, 2016
  35. ↑ The News, "Nashville school board begins search for a new leader," February 24, 2016
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 Chalkbeat Tennessee, "Citing TNReady transition, Tennessee’s school turnaround district to halt takeovers for one year," April 15, 2016
  37. ↑ Achievement School District, "Building the Possible," accessed June 10, 2016
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 WATE.com, "Tennessee Department of Education terminates TNReady testing contract," April 27, 2016
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 The Tennesseean, "Tennessee terminates contract with TNReady test company," April 27, 2016
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 40.3 40.4 Chalkbeat Tennessee, "Tennessee fires TNReady testmaker, suspends tests for grades 3-8," April 27, 2016
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 41.4 41.5 41.6 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 The Tennesseean, "Transgender bathroom bill dead for year," April 18, 2016
  43. ↑ Open States, "HB 2414," accessed April 19, 2016
  44. ↑ Knoxville News Sentinel, "Tennessee lawmakers should stay out of students’ restrooms," April 3, 2016
  45. ↑ Huffington Post, "Tennessee Governor Skeptical Of Anti-Transgender Bathroom Bill," April 13, 2016
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 46.3 The Tennesseean, "Attorney general: Tennessee bathroom bill threatens Title IX funds," April 11, 2016
  47. ↑ CBS News, "Tennessee lawmakers under fire over transgender bathroom bill," April 13, 2016
  48. ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Janette Carter's responses," June 7, 2016]
  49. ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Christiane Buggs' responses," May 20, 2016]
  50. ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Will Pinkston's responses," May 21, 2016]
  51. ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Jackson Miller's responses," July 17, 2016]
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 United States Census Bureau, "Davidson County, Tennessee," accessed April 11, 2016
  53. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "ELSI Table Generator," accessed November 16, 2015
  54. ↑ Tennessee Secretary of State, "Election Results," accessed June 26, 2014
2016 Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Elections
Nashville, Tennessee
Election date:August 4, 2016
Candidates:District 1: • Incumbent, Sharon Dixon Gentry • Janette Carter
District 3: • Incumbent, Jill Speering • Jane Grimes Meneely
District 5: • Christiane Buggs • Miranda Christy • Corey Gathings • Erica Lanier
District 7: • Incumbent, Will Pinkston • Jackson Miller
District 9: • Incumbent, Amy Frogge • Thom Druffel
Important information:What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines
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