Author: Shawn Joseph

GAITHERSBURG, MD — Former Superintendent of Metro Nashville Public Schools, and current President of equity and education consulting firm Joseph and Associates, Dr. Shawn Joseph, is applauding BET’s Disrupt & Dismantle for raising awareness of a massive crisis that continues to unfold in Nashville, TN: the city’s devastating school-to-prison pipeline. The contentious issue was explored during the March 3, 2021 broadcast of Disrupt & Dismantle, which is a groundbreaking new series hosted by iconic journalist Soledad O’Brien, and airs each Wednesday at 11:00pm EST/10:00PM CST.   “We have seen decades of disinvestments in communities, and if it weren’t for some…

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By Dr. Shawn Joseph As I close my tenure as the Director of Schools, I want to thank this great community for what you do to support children. Nashville is a special place, and I truly believe we have the potential to be one of the fastest improving districts in America in the short-term, and one of the best urban school districts in America in the long-term under the proper conditions. First, we cannot be afraid to acknowledge and address equity issues. On February 5, 2008, Dr. Pedro Garcia, former MNPS Director of Schools, wrote “Schools should not be left…

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Thank you Dr. Gentry for giving me this opportunity to speak to the board and the public. It was 25 years ago on this day, I committed to a life of service and to the values of Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance, and Uplift at Lincoln University.  As my time in Nashville begins to wind down, I hope that our children, our employees, and our community have witnessed these traits manifested in every public and private interaction that I have had with you. It is important for our kids to see the adults who work from a value system. It really has…

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By Dr. Shawn Joseph, Director of Metro Schools If you are like me, you may be the first person in your family to graduate from high school or even from college. It is an achievement that I worked hard for and I know that so many others have as well.  Last November, we witnessed some very contentious political races. We saw individuals with messages of hope, togetherness and common purpose. We saw others who perpetuated fear and divisiveness. Personally, I was inspired by the messages of resiliency, compassion and drive among folks like Stacey Abrams who ran for governor in the…

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By Shawn Joseph, Ed.D. Director of Metro Nashville Public Schools When I first arrived in Nashville just a little over two years ago, I met dozens of people. Of the many wonderful people I have had the pleasure of meeting and building relationships with, there is no one I admired and respected more than David Williams II, former vice chancellor and athletics director at Vanderbilt University. On Friday, Feb. 8, 2018, we unfortunately lost David, but not the enduring legacy he leaves behind. During my first few months of living in Nashville, I knew I had a big task in moving…

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