NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — During the presidential election returns this week, Hermitage, Donelson and Old Hickory residents elected a new metro school board member: John Little, who says he’s going to push for the ideas he heard from parents while campaigning in the last several months.
"One of the messages that really resonated with a lot of parents and grandparents is the need to focus on vocational," Little said. "In Nashville, with so many buildings we need plumbers, pipefitters, electricians, HVAC."
In a school district with a majority of Black and brown students, Little says he wants to serve as an example to students in Metro Schools, especially those who’ve been in trouble.
"With so many discipline problems we have in the district, I want children to be able to see someone who has been to jail, who has also graduated from college and worked for a former governor of Tennessee," said Little.
He has been part of the parent advocacy group PROPEL that has recently pushed for a better virtual school curriculum that will serve students during COVID. Little also has ties to charter schools, and some wonder if that may push him to support them on the board. But Little says the focus should be more on student success rather than what kind of school they go to.
"I'll show you two kids a hundred times in a row, and if you can guess which went to a public charter school or traditional school, I'll give you a prize, because it's about looking at the kid, to make sure we are serving them the best way possible, and that’s what I really want to focus on," Little said.
