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  • 2012-2013 Academy VIP Tours Give Leaders an Inside Look into Metro High Schools

    Over the past 18 months, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce has hosted a series of VIP Tours for community leaders to see firsthand the transformation of Metro’s 12 zoned high schools into the Academies of Nashville. Four of the six scheduled VIP Tours for the current school year have taken place, with a March tour of Overton High School and an April tour of Hunters Lane High School completing the series in 2013. For this year’s tours, we’ve issued a special invitation to principals of elementary schools, middle schools and optional schools. So far, 31 MNPS principals have participated in the four tours this school year.

    In addition, Nashville business leaders shared the details of their academy partnerships with tour participants. Bill Lee, CEO of Lee Company, and Dawn Rudolph, CEO of St. Thomas Hospital—both members of the Chamber’s CEO Champions—talked about their work with Cane Ridge High School and Maplewood High School, respectively. Danielle Taylor of Warner Music talked about the country’s first student-run record label at Pearl-Cohn High School. Faith community leaders as well as elected officials were visible tour participants, with 11 Metro Council members, five school board members and three state legislators attending the fall 2012 tours. If you are interested in participating in one of the final two Academy VIP Tours at Overton or Hunters Lane, contact Rita McDonald at 743-3000.

    To view a quick video or download pictures from each of the 2012 tours, click on the links below.
    Hillwood High School: Photos | Video
    Cane Ridge High School: Photos | Video
    Maplewood High School: Photos | Video
    Pearl-Cohn High School: Photos | Video



    Cane Ridge academy ambassador Mazi Byrd leads a tour while CEO Champion Bill Lee listens.


    District Lead Principal Elaine Fahrner talks with Pearl-Cohn students Gerald Harris and Treasure West.

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  • 2012-2013 Academy VIP Tours Set

    Educators and policymakers from across the country are visiting Nashville to see how we are transforming the traditional high school experience. They are drawn by the extensive involvement of the business community in supporting the Academies of Nashville, with more than 170 academy partnerships across the district. They are also drawn by the results to date—the number of students proficient in high school math has increased dramatically, and the dropout rate has been cut in half, to only 2.3 percent.

    The district rolls out the red carpet for our visitors so they can see the Academies of Nashville model firsthand, and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce decided to do the same for community leaders in our own city. Last year, more than 250 Nashville elected officials, faith community leaders, business executives and PTO presidents attended one of six Academy VIP Tours at McGavock, Antioch, Stratford, Whites Creek, Hillsboro and Glencliff. Since there are 12 zoned high schools implementing academies in Metro Schools, this year’s tours will feature Hillwood (September), Cane Ridge and Pearl-Cohn (November), Maplewood (December), Overton (March), and Hunters Lane (April).

    To view a brief video highlighting last year’s VIP tours, see below. To attend one of this year’s Academy VIP Tours, contact Rita McDonald at 743-3152 or rmcdonald@nashvillechamber.com.


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  • Chamber Announces Nominees for Inaugural Academies of Nashville Awards



    The first-ever Academies of Nashville Awards, sponsored by Altria and Deloitte, are intended to celebrate the success and excellence in Metro Schools’ reform efforts for each of its 12 zoned high schools. A nominating committee composed of leaders from the school district, Chamber and PENCIL Foundation developed the list of nominees after soliciting input from high school teachers, administrators and staff. In making their decisions, the nominating committee considered the extent to which nominees exhibited qualities consistent with the National Standards of Practice for academies. With over 1,000 educators working in MNPS high schools and 100 academy partnerships, there was strong competition for the limited number of available nominations. We expect the competition for these nominations to be even more difficult next year, as a number of schools who have only started academies this current school year are expected to deepen their implementation and academy partnerships in 2011-2012.

    In April, all nominees will be listed on an online ballot with a description of their accomplishments. The more than 600 members of “The Academy” will each have one opportunity to vote in all the awards categories through a secret ballot managed by Deloitte. High school principals, academy coaches, and teacher team leaders will all have a vote, as will academy business partners and partnership council members. The winners in each of the awards categories will be announced at an invitation-only event on May 12. In addition, one student in each of the 12 high schools implementing academies will receive an “academy student of the year” award at the PENCIL Foundation’s Bravo luncheon on May 4.

    At the Chamber CEO Champions meeting this morning, Paul Coakley from Altria and Fran Bedard with Deloitte announced the list of honored nominees for 2011:

    Academy Teacher of the Year (CTE/Thematic Pathway)
    • Deborah Crosby, Business, Glencliff’s Academy of Business with Ford PAS
    • Jennifer Gatlin, Marketing, Hunters Lane’s Academy of Business and Marketing
    • John Marshall, Engineering, Overton’s Academy of Engineering
    • Jana Myrick, Health Science, Hillwood’s Academy of Health
    • Barclay Randall, Electronic Media, McGavock’s Academy of Digital Design and Communication
    Academy Teacher of the Year (General Education)
    • Hank Cardwell, Science, Glencliff’s Academy of Medical Science and Research
    • Dr. Clifford Cockerham, Science, Whites Creek’s Academy of Public Service
    • Naomi Williams, Math, Antioch’s Freshman Academy
    • Kalee Willingham, Science, Hillwood’s Academy of Business, Entertainment, Hospitality, and Tourism
    • Launa Wood, English, Maplewood’s Freshman Academy
    Academy Team Leader of the Year
    • Tara Baker, English, Glencliff’s Freshman Academy
    • Martha Mitchell, Math, McGavock’s Academy of Digital Design and Communication
    • Jay Salato, French, Hillwood’s Freshman Academy
    Academy Partnership of the Year, Arts, Media, and Communications Partnership Council
    • CMT and McGavock’s Academy of Digital Design and Communication
    • Nashville Education, Community, and Art Television and Hillwood’s Academy of Art, Design, and Communication
    • SAE Institute and Pearl-Cohn’s Academy of Entertainment Communication
    Academy Partnership of the Year, Business, Marketing, and IT Partnership Council
    • Deloitte and Antioch’s The Tennessee Credit Union Academy of Business and Finance
    • Permanent General Companies and McGavock’s Academy of Hospitality and Finance
    • The Tennessee Credit Union and Antioch’s The Tennessee Credit Union Academy of Business and Finance
    Academy Partnership of the Year, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Industrial Technology Partnership Council
    • Earl Swensson Associates and Glencliff’s Academy of Environmental and Urban Planning
    • LP Corporation and Overton’s Academy of Engineering
    • Vanderbilt University Center for Science Outreach and Stratford’s Academy of Science and Engineering
    Academy Partnership of the Year, Health Partnership Council
    • Dialysis Clinic, Inc. and Glencliff’s Academy of Medical Science and Research
    • HCA and Hillwood’s Academy of Health
    • Healthways, Inc. and Cane Ridge’s Academy Wellness and Healthy Living
    Academy Partnership of the Year, Hospitality and Tourism Partnership Council
    • Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau and Hillwood’s Academy of Business, Entertainment, Hospitality, and Tourism
    • Gaylord Entertainment and McGavock’s Academy of Hospitality and Finance
    • Holiday Inn Vanderbilt and Hillwood’s Academy of Business, Entertainment, Hospitality, and Tourism
    Academy Partnership of the Year, Human and Public Services Partnership Council
    • Nashville State Community College and Antioch’s Academy of Health and Human Services
    • Trevecca Nazarene University and Antioch’s Academy of Health and Human Services
    • YMCA and Cane Ridge’s Academy of Wellness and Healthy Living
    Academy Coach of the Year
    • Pam Appleton, Antioch
    • Paula Barkley, McGavock
    • Alison McArthur, Glencliff
    Externship Project of the Year
    • CMT and McGavock’s Academy of Digital Design and Communication
    • LP Corporation and Overton’s Academy of Engineering
    • The Tennessee Credit Union and Antioch’s The Tennessee Credit Union Academy of Business and Finance
    Academy Assistant Principal of the Year
    • Dr. Adrienne Battle-Koger, Glencliff’s Academy of Medical Science and Research
    • Jennifer Bell, McGavock’s Academy of Aviation and Transportation
    • Debbie Booker, Antioch’s Freshman Academy
    Executive Principal of the Year
    • Tony Majors, Executive Principal, Glencliff
    • Robbin Wall, Executive Principal, McGavock
    • Aimee Wyatt, Executive Principal, Antioch
    Counselor of the Year
    • Tiffany Littlejohn, McGavock’s Freshman Academy
    • Jennifer Marciano, Glencliff’s Academy of Hospitality and Marketing
    • Houston Ragan, Maplewood’s Freshman Academy
    Freshman Academy
    • Antioch’s Freshman Academy
    • Glencliff’s Freshman Academy
    • McGavock’s Freshman Academy
    Academy of the Year
    • Antioch’s The Tennessee Credit Union Academy of Business and Finance
    • Cane Ridge’s Academy of Architecture and Construction
    • Glencliff’s Academy of Business with Ford PAS
    • McGavock’s Academy of Health Science and Law
    • Stratford’s Academy of Science and Engineering

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