The Ties That Bind: Building Civic Capacity for the Tennessee Achievement School District

Abstract

The Tennessee Achievement School District (ASD) is among several state-run districts established to turn around underperforming schools. Like other such districts, the ASD removes schools from local control and is not accountable to local political institutions. Despite its authority, the ASD has encountered opposition within Memphis where its schools reside. For those inclined to its market orientation and suspicious of traditional districts, the ASD is an innovative effort to improve outcomes for disadvantaged students. For those that see educational failure in Memphis as the result of social and economic isolation, the ASD appears motivated by profit, paternalism, and racism. A third narrative, largely hidden from view, encompasses people who reject state takeover but seek to confront structural causes of poor performance.

Incentivizing improvement or imposition? An examination of the response to gubernatorial school takeover and statewide turnaround districts

“…State takeover appears to lead to further detachment of communities via the disenfranchisement of educators. Similar to prior studies that have highlighted that resistance from the community at various junctions-whether at the outset or the first round of intervention results -have characterized state-run turnaround districts (Anderson & Dixson, 2016;Glazer & Egan, 2018), our findings suggest that state takeover may contribute to the dissolution of schoolcommunity relations. State takeover does not cultivate a collaborative environment among educational stakeholders.…”

“…Our results indicate that state takeover policy and the threat of state takeover takes a toll on educators. Even though the academic gains of state takeover in places such as New Orleans and Tennessee have been contested (Welsh, 2018), there is consensus on the toll that state takeover has taken educators and the community (Anderson & Dixson, 2016;Garda, 2011;Glazer & Egan, 2018). For instance, in post-Katrina New Orleans, Black teachers and school personnel lost their jobs, Black school board members were displaced (Anderson & Dixson, 2016;Garda, 2011).…”

“…Although school takeovers were initially largely due to fiscal mismanagement, in recent decades, academic performance has become the driving force behind recent waves of school takeover (Glazer & Egan, 2018;McDermott, 2007;Ziebarth, 2004). As federal legislation and educational stakeholders demand improvement in student achievement and accountability, mayors and states increasingly employed school takeover as a means of district and school reform (Kirst & Edelstein, 2006;Wong & Shen, 2003.…”

“…Studies investigating responses to state takeover have found reactions to the policy can be organized into two categories: (a) community-led opposition that challenges the social legitimacy of state takeover (Henig et al, 2001;Morel, 2018;Orr, 1999;Russakoff, 2015), and (b) politicians, unions, and other interest groups that challenge the legal standing of state takeover (Burns, 2003;Morel, 2018). In general, lawsuits to deter state takeover have been unsuccessful whereas community driven opposition that challenges the social legitimacy of state takeover on the grounds that it disproportionately targets and detrimentally harms minority communities appears to be more effective (Burns, 2003;Glazer & Egan, 2018;Henig et al, 2001;Morel, 2018;Orr, 1999;Russakoff, 2015;. One response to state takeover is the filling of lawsuits where plaintiffs (those who oppose state takeover) argue that the policy in unconstitutional.…”

“…For instance, opposition to Bloomberg's plans to expand his mayoral influence over education in New York led to the creation of organized community groups that advocated for increased transparency, local control of schools, and limits to the mayor's and chancellor's authority over education related issues (Henig et al, 2001). Similarly, the EEA in Michigan faced community-driven ''sustained political opposition'' that led to shifting mandates, leadership churn, multiple pieces of legislation and eventually to its disbanding (Glazer & Egan, 2018;Mason & Arsen, 2014).…”