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Contributed commentary from Maggie Pearson:
It was once astutely declared by American essayist and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, “There is no knowledge that is not power.” Perhaps this explains the plethora of recent media coverage concerning the proposed entrance of charter schools within several counties in Tennessee.
In response, I am writing to show my support for such, and more specifically for American Classical Education (ACE) and their application to open a new charter school in Clarksville. I believe strongly in the need to ensure that all students are prepared for success in high school, college and their careers. I also believe that every single student deserves to choose an educational option that best suits their needs, including opportunities to work with educators who challenge them to fulfill their highest potential.
In response to those positing that the efforts to introduce a charter school reflects an aim at creating a two-tiered education system with the goal of “cherry-picking” students within targeted demographics, thus widening the gap in educational equity, nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, in a recent policy study undertaken by the Political Economy Research Institute at MTSU, Dr. Carey DeAngelis of the Educational Freedom Institute indicates his support for the restructuring of school funding formulas to allow education dollars to follow any student to the school best suited to their needs. He concludes this action “would lead to more equity and strong incentives for schools to meet the needs of children by providing meaningful education services.”
Moreover, given the strong track record of classical education-focused charter schools, any conjecture surrounding the proposed charter school’s potential to fail appears to mask the real questions. For example, what is the benefit to impeding a public charter school from coming alongside those public schools already in existence? And why limit parents’ and students’ choices when so much is riding upon a student’s educational foundation? Let’s truly level the playing field for all students and simply allow the results to speak for themselves.
Maggie Pearson
MORE: 2 charter schools apply to open in Clarksville-Montgomery County for 2023-24