Metro School Board Chair Cheryl Mayes leaving Friday's meeting.NASHVILLE, Tenn. -
Metro School Board Chair Cheryl Mayes was not in a talkative mood Friday afternoon after she left a high stakes meeting at the office of Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman.
When the school board chair was asked if she would like to say anything about the meeting over the loss of $3.4 M in state funds, Mayes replied, "No thank you."
Later, she released a statement that said, "We appreciate Commissioner Kevin Huffman's willingness to sit down in a spirit of concern for Nashville's students. It was a good meeting based on our mutual commitment to improving student outcomes. We have no change in status at this time. We will continue to talk with the State."
She and Commissioner Huffman met for about an hour in what was believed to be a one on one meeting between the two.
Huffman's staff said he would be making no comment on the meeting.
Mayes requested the meeting Wednesday after Commissioner Huffman said he was withholding state education money because of the Metro School Board's "failure to follow the law."
Huffman says he assessed the penalty because the Metro School Board twice refused to approve the controversial charter school called Great Hearts Academies.
The school board chair said in her letter to the education commissioner that she wanted to "revisit" this matter and "avert" the state's action.
A slim majority of the board members feel Great Hearts did not have a proper diversity plan.
The charter school has maintained its diversity plan not only "mirrors" Metro's, but is actually better.
Previous Stories:
- Sept. 20, 2012: Metro schools director hopes for 'common ground' with state
- Sept. 19, 2012: Metro, state to try high level meeting on funding loss
- Sept. 18, 2012: State withholds $3.4M from Metro Public Schools
- Sept. 12, 2012: Great Hearts looks again to state for help
- Sept. 11, 2012: School board votes against Great Hearts academies
- Sept. 4, 2012: Board meets to discuss Great Hearts charter school
- August 14, 2012: Metro school board defers Great Hearts indefinitely
- July 27, 2012: State tells Metro to approve Great Hearts charter school
- June 26, 2012: Metro School Board approves 2 additional charter schools
- May 29, 2012: Metro School Board approves 2 new charter schools
