Five Metro Nashville Public Schools will be “fresh started” for the 2009-2010 school year with employees in each school being asked to reapply for their positions in that school or request placement to other open positions within the district. MNPS has been working this week to notify staffs in the affected schools and explain the fresh start process to them prior to the start of summer break.
The five schools include Napier Enhanced Option Elementary, Shwab Elementary, John Early Middle, Cameron Middle and Whites Creek High School. Each was selected by the district to receive a fresh start based on the academic needs of students and because they have struggled for a number of years to show significant progress in student achievement. With the fresh start, administrative, teaching and support staff positions at the schools will be reopened for application. All employees have been notified through staff meetings at the schools, where they received information on the fresh start process and received the paperwork needed to reapply for their positions.
“We have visited these schools, analyzed the data and reviewed their history of progress,” said Dr. Jesse Register, Director of Schools, “and we have concerns their students are not making the progress that is needed. These fresh starts are a proactive effort to put in place a strong, transformational leadership team at these schools, supported by highly-qualified, fully-certified staff.”
“Our first priority is to build highly-effective instructional teams that can meet the needs of students. In some cases, that means looking at a school that has been struggling and giving it a new focus that only a change like this can bring. I’ve fresh started schools in other districts and it works.”
In the coming weeks, Dr. Register will appoint new principals to the schools, who will then work with the director and associate superintendents to build transformational leadership teams (school level administrators and leaders). At that point, all teaching and support staff positions will be filled under the direction of the newly placed transformational leadership teams. Teachers and support staff will be selected based on school needs and who the instructional leadership teams feel are best suited to help lead the school, and students, in a positive direction.
MNPS has previously fresh started schools, with examples including Alex Green Elementary and Maplewood High Schools. Alex Green is now in Good Standing and Maplewood is in Improving Status under No Child Left Behind requirements.
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