Race, Class, and Interagency Collaboration in Tennessee's Achievement School District

• In Event: Can't We All Get Along? Conflicting Perspectives, Racial Politics, and the "Human Side of Reform"

Abstract

Introduction

This paper examines the way in which interpretations of a state-run school district in Tennessee—the Achievement School District (ASD)—are shaped by historical, racial, and social class divisions that characterize the social landscape of Memphis. Whereas the stated goal of the ASD is to catapult failing schools to the top quartile within five years, many local residents perceive underlying motivations that are informed by profit motive, weakening African American control of the schools, and White paternalism. These variant interpretations of the ASD contribute to a considerable degree of local backlash and a volatile political climate which, in turn, complicate the ASD’s efforts to collaborate with key agencies and organizations in its environment.

Study context

The Tennessee Achievement School District was (ASD) was created in 2011 to assume authority over and improve a segment of the lowest performing schools in Tennessee. Once the ASD has assumed legal responsibility for a school, it appoints a Charter Management Organization (CMO) to operate it. Operators are expected to realize dramatic improvement within five years as measured under a stringent system of accountability. The vast majority of schools taken by the ASD are located in the high poverty neighborhoods of Memphis. Despite its authority, the ASD depends on a high level of cooperation with the Shelby County School district (which includes Memphis and surrounding suburbs), community groups, and non-profit organizations. For example, the ASD must collaborate with the district and other organizations on the selection of schools into the ASD, the provision of services for special needs students, capital investments in school buildings, enrollment policy, charter school authorization policy, and more.

Methods and sample

We employ a longitudinal case study approach to explore how a combination of political, social, and educational dynamics shape the capacity of a state-run district to turnaround the most under-performing schools in Tennessee. Data collection was designed to enable a multi-perspective analysis. First, we collected comprehensive data on the school turnaround strategy from a sample of six CMOs. Second, we collected extensive data from the leadership of the ASD, including the superintendent and another 9 members of the leadership team. Third, we collected data from the leaders of local NGOs, state legislators, district officials, school board members, and key figures in the state DoE.

Results and significance

The different interest groups and constituencies that comprise the ASD’s environment have sharply divergent interpretations of the ASD agenda. These differences rest on historical narratives that are heavily mediated by racial and social class divisions. The leaders and supporters of the ASD see the strategy as a bold attempt to improve failing schools, introduce competition into the system, and raise the bar on performance. Conversely, local residents perceive the ASD as a hostile takeover of schools engineered by outsiders, and motivated by a desire to weaken community control, reap profits, and engage in reckless social engineering. These differences represent significant obstacles in the ASD’s effort to catalyze a broad-based effort in support of its reform agenda, and to productively collaborate with key agencies and organizations in its environment.

Authors

• Joshua L. Glazer, The George Washington University

• Diane Massell, University of Michigan