🏫 Inside school whistleblower complaints

MNPS Whistleblower Complaints

At Tuesday’s school board meeting, former Metro Nashville Public Schools Teacher of the Year Samira Hardcastle spoke for the third time about being asked to change a student’s grade and academic unfairness. “Stop managing your reputation and start protecting our kids,” she told school board members. [Nashville Banner]

• Hardcastle also claims MNPS’ failure to follow school policies causes behavioral issues, and the district has allowed students with known violent tendencies to remain in school with disastrous results, like the Antioch High School shooting last year. [WPLN]
• She’s not the only teacher accusing MNPS of academic dishonesty. Several other former teachers have come forward, though some have problematic histories with the district, such as one former special education instructor who was fired after a violent incident in her classroom. [WKRN]

State Response

In response, the Tennessee Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has launched an investigation into academic dishonesty at Stratford High School and MNPS. At the center of many complaints is the district’s credit recovery program, which has been in use for decades. [WSMV; Nashville Banner]

• There are also calls for the state to conduct a full forensic audit of MNPS. A recent state audit of Memphis-Shelby County Schools uncovered $119 million in questionable spending. As a result, the state took over the Memphis school system, although a lawsuit is challenging that takeover. [WKRN; Chalkbeat Tennessee]

MNPS Defends Policies

MNPS is cooperating with the state investigation. Dr. David Williams, the MNPS deputy chief of academics, said grades don’t drive school funding and that the district uses a state-defined formal procedure, initiated by a teacher or principal, for any grade changes. According to Williams, “Grade change requests require thorough documentation, not simply editing or changing the grade book.” [Nashville Banner]

• Tuesday was Freda Player’s last day as school board chair. In her final statement, she said, “Accountability is important, and that is something we have worked hard to build throughout this organization … And while that work may not always match the false narratives you see reported on social media or elsewhere, we have worked hard to put policies and procedures in place that consistently follow and ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability.”

🎭 Nashville’s Best Puppet Show Is for Everyone

On today’s podcast, we’re taking you behind the scenes of the Nashville Public Library's beloved puppet troupe. Program manager Bret Grigsby Wilson tells us about the last 80 years of Wishing Chair Productions and what he hopes the next eight decades will bring. Plus, he gives us a sneak peek into the magical and spooky shows they’ve got planned for October. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🎻 The Nashville Symphony’s Financial Crisis

According to a Tuesday statement, the Nashville Symphony “does not have sufficient cash on hand to sustain operations at its current level.” It’s unclear what that will mean for future programming, but it’s not the first time the local institution has faced financial troubles. The news comes after multimillion-dollar blows dealt by the 2010 flood and COVID-19 pandemic losses, which snowballed into recent layoffs and the restructuring of the loan covering the Schermerhorn Symphony Center’s $20 million mortgage. [🔐 Nashville Business Journal]

• We recently sat down with new music director Leonard Slatkin to talk about what’s next for the symphony. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🧑‍⚖️ Lawsuit Against Dolly’s Nephew

A Nashville judge has granted a restraining order against Dolly Parton’s nephew, Brian Seaver, who calls himself an “international arms dealer.” She’s Alive, the company long entrusted with managing Parton’s estate, accuses Seaver of intimidating staff, demanding money, and threatening to destroy Parton’s legacy. "Mr. Seaver has been relentless," the lawsuit states. “Many of these people [She’s Alive employees] are now afraid to come to work or have resigned entirely because they do not feel safe.” Seaver must stay 1,000 feet away from any employees of She's Alive. [🔐 The Tennessean; People]

🏗️ Super Bowl Timeline Snafu

The East Bank Development Authority is trying to hasten work by the Fallon Company in preparation for Super Bowl LXIV in 2030. However, at a recent meeting, CEO Michael Fallon said that moving up the timeline for its massive hotel by the stadium would pose prohibitive risks to the project, and it won’t be open in time for the Super Bowl. Fallon added he’s confident the East Bank can still accommodate the game, and that the city’s infrastructure responsibilities need to be completed before the developer can break ground. [Nashville Scene]

• We interviewed a Fallon representative last year about what’s in store for the East Bank, though that was before the Super Bowl announcement. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]