What’s Right With Our Schools: Chattanooga Prep leads to Knoxville Prep
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – A tuition free charter school for boys. Chattanooga has one. Knoxville is getting one. Our neighbors to the North think the Chatt Prep model is a great example of what’s right with our schools.
Brad Scott is the CEO of Prep Public Schools.
He explains, “We have very big news. Prep Public Schools is excited to add an additional school to our team and family of prep schools, Knoxville Prep. The Knoxville County school board approved our Charter application for Knoxville Prep last week, and so we’re really excited to continue our engagement with families and bring a Chattanooga Prep model to Knoxville and expand our impact for young men.”
Scott continues, “Knoxville only has one charter school, now two. Having choice in Knoxville just like in Chattanooga is important to families. We’ve been working with the Boys and Girls Club in Knoxville, about purchasing a facility there. The Boys and Girls Club center, it’s a 90 000 square foot building built in 2016; so still fairly new. It has two basketball gyms a swimming pool, classrooms, and so we’re really excited to offer a state-of-the-art academic learning facilities that’s Innovative, that will house our STEM labs, our Innovative classrooms, our computer labs; just as we’re doing here at Chattanooga Prep. We continue to hear from Knoxville families that they want more choice; tuition-free choice and that’s something of Public Charter School gives families. And that’s something unique to Chattanooga that now Knoxville families will have access to.”
Carlos De La Cerda teachers Advanced Placement Biology at Chatt Prep.
De La Cerda says, “My understanding that here in Tennessee there’s a lot of questions and maybe even fears about public Charters. And I think that’s natural just because of the fact that you know it’s unknown. Just based off of what I’ve experienced here, I see no question. I know doubts in my mind that it’s going to provide something that… this community, that community in Knoxville is going to just benefit from so much. Once we start graduating and pumping of students into college or just into the workforce in general.”
Scott concludes,” We believe our prep service here at Chattanooga Prep and soon to be Knoxville Prep, our future leaders are in community. They’re future Governors, their future lawyers, future Mayors, future Business Leaders, future teachers. And so in order to prepare the leaders of tomorrow they need excellent education. So that’s what we offer at Prep Public Schools both here in Chattanooga and Knoxville.”
