Elaine Fahrner and Larry Saunders have an exciting job this summer -- recruiting students for the district’s two new adult high schools, The Academy at Old Cockrill and The Academy at Opry Mills. Students 17-21 years of age are eligible.
“This is an important initiative and a great opportunity for our students,” said Dr. Jesse Register, Director of Schools, who is bringing the model for these schools to Nashville based on a successful program he began as Superintendent in Hamilton County. “The students these schools will serve may not otherwise be able to graduate high school. We are very proud to offer this opportunity that will help many more of our youth graduate.”
Fahrner and Saunders are in the initial recruitment phases. Their efforts will search for students who dropped out of high school for any number of reasons, as well as students who are considered at risk of dropping out of their current school.
“This is an excellent opportunity for these young adults to work and go to school at the same time,” said Fahrner. “It is our sincere hope that every person in Davidson County (who meets the criteria) will take advantage of this opportunity to earn a high school diploma.”
Fahrner will lead the school at the Old Cockrill building, which will accommodate approximately 200 students. Saunders will lead the school housed at the career training center at Opry Mills mall, which will accommodate approximately 100 students. The schools will operate on a nine-week rotation with classes being three hours in length. One class will be held in the morning, one in the afternoon. Depending upon need, the schools may also offer a class from 4 – 8 p.m. Students will be able to receive two credits every nine weeks, for a total of eight credits per school year. The schools will offer traditional classroom settings, as well as an A+ virtual lab that allows students to work online. Recruiting students for these new adult high schools will be an ongoing project.
“We are looking at numerous avenues for recruitment,” Saunders said. “Our goal is to identify any and all potential students, contact them, and do whatever we can to help them graduate from high school.”
These two new adult high schools were approved by the Board of Education at its May 26 meeting. They are part of a district-wide high school reform, which is one of eight areas of transformational change initiated by Register this past spring. The schools will provide a no-frills high school education and the opportunity to earn a regular high school diploma. These two schools will be a welcome addition to the opportunities MNPS offers high school students to keep them in school and on track to graduate, and the district expects to see a positive effect on the graduation rate during their first year of operation.
Students and parents interested in learning more should contact the MNPS Customer Service Center at 259-INFO (4636), or click here.
