What is the intent of Tennessee’s charter schools legislation?
The stated purpose of the Tennessee Public Charter Schools Act of 2002 is to: (i) improve learning for all students and close the achievement gap between high and low students; provide options for parents to meet the educational needs of students in low performing schools; (ii) encourage the use of different and innovative teaching methods, and provide greater decision making authority to schools and teachers in exchange for greater responsibility for student performance; (iii) measure performance of pupils and faculty, and ensure that children have the opportunity to reach proficiency on state academic assessments; (iv) create new professional opportunities for teachers; and (v) afford parents substantial meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children. TCA § 49-13-102.
