Summer Archives

Ryan McKenney Nashville, TN - Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS)

This summer, I stayed in Nashville to work with Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) to further study the issue of disciplinary disparities within Nashville. I gathered data about the effects of the implementation of zero tolerance policies regarding suspensions and expulsions in addition to working with community groups like the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and the Nashville Family Supper Collaborative in order to work with underserved communities in Nashville and try to better understand the role of the school in the community and offer empowerment and resources to parents and students to navigate all aspects of MNPS in addition to conducting research on the ways in which disciplinary disparities affected them. Though I expected to do more work with policy recommendations and focus groups, this summer helped me come to the realization that, when working with bureaucratic organizations like MNPS, nearly all major reforms require culture change and that is extremely difficult. I very much enjoyed learning the intricacies of the school system and learned so much about disciplinary disparities and the wide scope that education has on communities.