By Greg Thompson - The Tennessean -

Last week, I attended the National Charter School Conference in Atlanta. Colleagues from across the country shared best practices, celebrated achievements, and discussed strategies to address common challenges.

This was the first opportunity for the Tennessee Charter School Incubator to make its presence felt at this annual event, and I traveled south with two primary goals in mind: to help put our state’s charter school efforts on the national radar and to learn from representatives from other states.

As I listened to experts from states with longer charter school histories discuss the challenges they face, I was filled with optimism for Tennessee’s emerging charter school movement. I believe Tennessee is poised to become a leader in education reform, not only because we are the beneficiary of the lessons learned in other
states, but also because our charter school movement is being nurtured by collaborative, citywide strategies designed to create excellent schools for our students.

The influx of funding sparked by Race to the Top, recent legislative changes that lifted the cap on charters, and the
development of strategic partnerships with organizations such as The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Building Excellent Schools have created fertile soil in which to grow quality schools. But they are not enough to guarantee success. For Tennessee to find the success eluding many other states, four things must happen:

Policymakers and educators must have the courage to be a voice for quality, tirelessly advocating for schools that close the achievement gap and prepare all students for college and beyond.

Our school districts and charter school organizations must continue to work together to develop a common way to define and evaluate the quality of both district-run and charter-run schools.

Tennessee must actively recruit and develop excellent teachers. Political will and funding do not create the hundreds of teachers, administrators and staff members needed to achieve our goals. To create the schools our students need, Tennessee needs more passionate, talented and committed teachers to step up and be a pioneering force in this movement.

Tennessee must support new and existing schools in pursuit of academic excellence by providing services that help them achieve their goals and support to overcome challenges.

These are the necessary ingredients for success, the elements that will make Tennessee the country’s next epicenter of education reform. We’re already closer than you might think. In Atlanta, I’m proud to say that our booth was one of the most popular destinations on the entire convention floor. People are interested in what’s happening in Tennessee, and they expect great things from us. We must make the most of this window of opportunity.

Greg Thompson is CEO of the Tennessee Charter School Incubator. For more information on the incubator and its role, visit www.charterexcellence.org.