More light than heat. Music on Mondays. Education everyday. Substack for longish thoughts. Founded https://nitter.cf/t.co/lug88ZdzXV - DM me for booking.
East Nashville
Joined September 2010
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On a recent college visit, my family learned that the annual cost of attendance was more than $98,000.
Four years at that school exceeds $400,000.
For me, it raised a question bigger than “Can families afford college?”
What happens to the choices graduates can afford to make afterward?
I explore that question in my new piece for The Preamble. @sharon_says_so
buff.ly/NV6idxU
New three-year data from Missouri’s MOScholars program:
ELA scores rose from the 46th to the 51st national percentile.
Math scores rose from the 47th to the 49th.
By year three, MOScholars students were performing at or above national averages in both subjects.
Early results worth watching.
buff.ly/UU8NPDf
@MOTreasurer
One reason I like the structure of the EFTC is that it doesn't assume every child needs the same thing.
One family might choose a private school.
Another might stay in public school and use scholarship funds for tutoring.
Another might need technology or other educational services.
The EFTC emphasizes that students aren't all the same.
This morning I got to take the stage at @QualityCharters after Dr. Brenda Jones, the founder of Invictus Nashville Charter School, to talk about the many parts of the charter school community that must coalesce so that students have the opportunity to shine. I can't wait to share the videos when they're out!
Shaka Mitchell retweeted
Ask strangers from opposite parties about the Second Amendment and you get talking points. Ask them for a song from a hard season of life and you get a story.
Join @shakamitchell , Braver Angels & @DerateTheHate Monday, 10/26.
Details + registration: braverangels.substack.com/p/…
Virtual education doesn't work because someone buys the right technology.
Leadership has to believe in the model. Then it has to resource it.
Teachers and families can tell the difference between something an institution believes in and something it's simply tolerating.
The best virtual education isn't defined by the technology.
It's defined by whether students are learning.
I explore the difference between virtual schools and emergency remote instruction in my latest piece:
buff.ly/npVRSRd
Shaka Mitchell retweeted
The @parthurgraff report keeps on delivering:
"The federal Treasury Department estimates the program could bring in $26 billion over the next four years. The American Federation for Children estimates the program could generate $60 million for Alaska schools per year if 10% of eligible taxpayers contribute."
Shout out to Dalia Contreras for bringing so many people together in San Antonio to discuss what the Education Freedom Tax Credit (and new federal rules) could do for students throughout the region.
I'm hopeful that San Antonio will be ready when the donations begin pouring in. How's your city doing? If the above was gibberish - it's not too late to learn and implement a cross-sector scholarship plan.
Cities that do this well (like San Antonio & Denver) are poised to award scholarships to students in public, charter, and private schools.
Exhausting as the travel has been, I’m thrilled to play a small part in making this policy more clear for civic and school leaders and, eventually, families. @dyrnwyn
Do people from outside Nashville spend a lot of time in the airport thinking about who to ask to turn the gain down on the intercom music? @FlyGRFord
It's only a week away!
I look forward to joining charter school leaders, authorizers, and education innovators for conversations about how charter schools can incorporate the new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit into the work they’re already doing to give families better educational options. It's beginning to get clearer with the recent release of the Treasury's Rules.
I’ll be joining a panel discussion on this topic—exploring what the federal tax credit could mean for charter schools and the families they serve.
And I’ll also have the opportunity to kick off the conference as the October 28 keynote speaker.
Can't wait to see you there!
NACSACon 2026 | October 27–29 | Nashville, TN
A great decision yesterday from a three judge panel in TN dismissing the lawsuit against the Education Freedom Scholarship. Plaintiffs claimed the general assembly cannot support students by giving them options beyond the public schools. Wrong!
Glad this decision happened now as families will start to make decisions about next year’s schools in the coming months. @afcpress edchoice.org/wp-content/uplo…
The Education Freedom Tax Credit is no longer just a policy idea.
Treasury has now issued the rules for its 2027 launch.
But what matters most is that this isn't really a tax story. It's a student opportunity story.
Millions more students can access a scholarship and an educational option they didn't have before. @schoolchoicenow
Five observations from Treasury's new EFTC rules:
1. Most students may meet the income test.
2. Married couples can claim up to $3,400.
3. Income verification is manageable.
4. States can't simply narrow the program.
5. Scholarships can support more than tuition.
The common thread?
**Schools need to start preparing now.**
The goal shouldn't be to build an education program and declare it finished.
Look 10 months ahead.
Look 10 years ahead.
Ask what can be changed, improved or redesigned.
Good education systems should be built for continuous improvement.
@QMCast
Online education requires more structure, not less.
Who supports a struggling student?
How does the family stay informed?
What happens when a student starts slipping?
Those questions need answers before a student disappears from the system.
@QMCast
For those in the Nashville area. @codyfry and @JeffCoffin are picking the songs of their lives next Wednesday. This is the first time someone has picked a Christmas carol.
Four questions, eight songs, and an audience invited to the conversation.
TEDx Mixtape, Wednesday 21 October, 7pm, Analog at the Hutton Hotel in Nashville.
$20, free for TEDxNashville members.
RSVP --> buff.ly/SlN6V9D
Not in Nashville? This becomes a podcast episode so stay tuned.
If you posted about the evils of data centers but circulated AI videos of candidates or former candidates dancing to Kendrick and 50 Cent, you might want to check for internal consistency.
Shaka Mitchell retweeted
UPDATE: New Analysis of Treasury Rules Shows 42 Million Married Couples Can Claim $3,400 Through Education Freedom Tax Credit
Statement by Tommy Schultz (@Tommy_USA), CEO, American Federation for Children (@SchoolChoiceNow):
“The Education Freedom Tax Credit has the potential to transform education for millions of children, and Treasury’s latest guidance brings us one step closer to realizing its full impact. By allowing married couples filing jointly to contribute up to $3,400, more Americans will be able to support K-12 scholarships. AFC's new analysis shows that 42 million married couples could benefit from this provision, generating an estimated two million additional scholarship opportunities for students across the country. As we prepare for the January 1 launch, we're committed to ensuring this historic tax credit delivers for families nationwide through our continued advocacy efforts and the AFC Scholarship Fund.”
According to Julie Young, a virtual school shouldn't measure success by:
→ How many courses it offers
→ How many students enroll
→ How long teachers spend at a computer
Instead it should measure learning.
Are students completing their courses?
Are they learning?
Are we getting useful feedback quickly enough to improve?