Enhanced Option Schools

Nashville's "Enhanced Option" schools cost a million dollars per year each and are intended to improve the educational performance of at risk students. They include many of the expensive changes some education activists have recommended, including small class sizes (15) and an extended year -- although the latter was corrupted by Board action making it optional rather than part of the program. However, an article on the struggles of the schools to get students to attend in the summer is accompanied by another article where Dr. Claire Smrekar of Vanderbilt says the extra days aren't the issue. Interesting, isn't it, that the extra days aren't viewed as that important here, but our Board is fighting to take planning time away from teachers (a move that will cost the system money in a year when we're laying off teachers due to budget problems). Frankly, the Board's distrust of teachers and devaluation of teaching is stunning.