Nashville Alliance for Public Education: Our History

2001 THE VISION

Nelson Andrews creates a vision to support public education in Nashville and forms a brain trust of important community leaders to help realize his vision.

2002 THE CREATION

Andrews engages the expertise of community leaders Thomas Sherrard, Harvey Sperling, Ralph Shulz, Ken Roberts and Pete Byrd to implement his vision.

The Frist Foundation, the HCA Foundation and the Memorial Foundation provide seed money to make the Nashville Alliance for Public Education a reality.

2003 THE REALITY

The leadership of the Nashville Alliance for Public Education is established. A board of directors is formed and an executive director is in place.

2003 - 2004 MILESTONES

In its first full year, over 200 individuals, corporations and foundations make donations to the Nashville Alliance for Public Education which results in over $700,000 dollars raised in gifts and multi-year commitments.

A $500,000 challenge grant is presented to purchase new musical instruments.

2005 MILESTONES

June 30, 2005 marks the end of the second full year of operations with over 850 individuals, business and foundations raising $2 million dollars in gifts and multi-year commitments.

The Nashville Alliance for Public Education begins a partnership with the Country Music Association, and launches “Keep the Music Playing” to purchase new musical instruments for schools. In its first year, CMA donates over $1,000,000 new musical instruments. For the 1st time in 20 years, new musical instruments are purchased for the schools.

The first annual Nashville Public Schools Hall of Fame raises all of the operational costs for the Nashville Alliance for Public Education so that all other donations are designated to the schools. Inductees include Distinguished Alumni Awards, H. Jackson Brown, Vice Admiral William P. Lawrence, Perry Wallace and Annette Eskind, Distinguished Service Award.

Scheduled to open in 2008, the Nashville Alliance for Public Education develops key donors to build the Martin Professional Development Center, a $ 6.1 million dollar, state-of -the -art training center for teachers; the first of its kind in the district.

2006 MILESTONES

The second annual Nashville Public Schools Hall of Fame raises all of the operational costs for the Nashville Alliance for Public Education so that all other donations are designated to the schools. Inductees include Distinguished Alumni Awards, T. B. Boyd, III, Buzz Cason, Chad Holliday, Jr., and Jean Gray Litterer, Distinguished Service Award.

2007 MILESTONES

CMA’s Keep the Music Playing program continues and grows and in another successful year the CMA generously donates $1,011,294 to the Nashville Alliance for Public Education to buy musical instruments for 31 Metro schools. To date, the program has raised $2,245,000 for new musical instruments.

The School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt welcomes its first enrollment of Metro Nashville Public School student researchers. Funding is provided by the Nashville Alliance for Public Education, National Institute for Health, and Metro Nashville Public Schools.

The third annual Nashville Public Schools Hall of Fame raises all of the operational costs for the Nashville Alliance for Public Education so that all other donations are designated to the schools. Inductees include Distinguished Alumni Awards, Judson Graves Randolph, M.D., Senator James Sasser, Wm. Barry Scott and Nelson C. Andrews, Distinguished Service Award.

2008 MILESTONES

For the first time in the history of the school district, the new Martin Professional Development Center opens, a state-of-the-art teacher training center funded by a $6.1 million private/public partnership.

The Nashville Alliance reaches the $20 million mark in donations.

Over $4 million dollars was raised by the Patricia C. and Thomas Frist, Jr. Foundation and the community to renovate Julia Green Elementary school for opening of the 2008-2009 school year.

2008 Hall of Fame Award recipients: Bill Purcell, Earl Swensson,
Coach Marynell Meadors, Dr. Antonio Gotto

The fourth annual Nashville Public Schools Hall of Fame raises all of the operational costs for the Nashville Alliance for Public Education so that all other donations are designated to the schools. Inductees include Distinguished Alumni Awards, Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., M.D., Marynell Meadors, Earl Swensson, and Former Mayor Bill Purcell, Distinguished Service Award.

2009 Hall of Fame Award recipients: Denny Bottorff, Patsy Bradley,
Dr. Kevin Churchwell, Tom Sherrard

2009 MILESTONES

The fifth annual Nashville Public Schools Hall of Fame raises all of the operational costs for the Nashville Alliance for Public Education so that all other donations are designated to the schools. Inductees include Distinguished Alumni Awards, Dennis C. Bottorff, Patsy Bradley, Kevin B. Churchwell, M.D., and Thomas J. Sherrard, Distinguished Service Award.

The Nashville Alliance reaches the $22 million mark in donations.

The Nashville Alliance for Public Education provides funding to Vanderbilt’s Center for Science Outreach to open The Science Support Center Laboratory at the Martin Professional Development Center for research and professional development for Metro Nashville Public Schools teachers.

Vanderbilt’s Center for Science Outreach opens The Science Support
Center Laboratory at the Martin Professional Development Center.