Charter commission overturns two local denials, approves Jackson Museum School and Rocketship Tennessee #4

The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission voted on Oct. 16 to overturn local-denial decisions and approve two new-start charter applications: Jackson Museum School, for Jackson Madison County, and Rocketship Tennessee No. 4, for Rutherford County.

Commission Executive Director Tess Stovall recommended approval of both amended applications after the commission’s independent review process, which included the application, a capacity interview and a public hearing. “I have determined that the application in my assessment does meet or exceed the state scoring rubric, and I do believe it would be in the best interest of the students, the LEA, or the community to approve the application,” Stovall said about Jackson Museum School. She made a similar recommendation for Rocketship Tennessee No. 4, citing the operator’s network experience and the application’s recruitment and operational plans.

The Jackson Museum School application drew critiques from Jackson Madison County Schools about startup budget and facilities readiness. Dr. Teresa McSweeney, chief innovation and portfolio officer for Jackson Madison County…