NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP, abc24.com) - Tennessee's Achievement School District is authorizing seven charter management organizations to open several new charter schools in Memphis and Nashville next year.
Superintendent Chris Barbic heads the statewide Achievement School District, which was created as part of Tennessee's response to the federal Race to the Top initiative. The district authorizes charter schools, and also directly runs low-performing schools.
Barbic announced Monday that the approved charter groups will open nine schools in Memphis and Nashville next year, with plans to open a total of 41 schools by the 2019-2020 school year. He said the nine schools will serve as many as 3,000 students.
The goal of the Achievement School District is to move the bottom five percent of schools to the top 25 percent in five years.
