On December 14, district, community, and charter school leaders signed the District-Charter Collaboration Compact. Supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the compact is an agreement between traditional district schools and public charter schools to work together to share best practices and provide all children in their communities with a public school education that prepares them with the skills and knowledge to succeed in college and the workforce. Nashville joins nine cities from across the U.S., Baltimore, Md., Denver, Colo., Hartford, Conn., Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Minn., Nashville, Tenn., New Orleans, La., New York City and Rochester, N.Y , in signing the compact.

By signing the compact MNPS has agreed to

• formalize a partnership to work together to improve all schools by providing an opportunity for teachers and schools to learn from each other and build upon successful practices, whether those practices are found in traditional or charter public schools.
• replicate high-performing models of traditional and charter public schools while improving or closing down schools that are not serving students well.
• address equity issues that often lead to tensions between district and charter schools, such as whether district and public charter school students have equitable access to funding and facilities and whether charter schools are open to all students, including those with special needs and English Language Learners

Click here to read the full Compact.