West Nashville school teaches basics in real-world settings - WSMV Channel 4

West Nashville school teaches basics in real-world settings

It's time for many Middle Tennessee students to head back to school. But this school year, Metro Nashville Public Schools hopes to get more students across the graduation stage with the help of a new initiative.

It's called the Cohn School and is based in the Cohn Adult High School building, originally built in 1928.

On Monday, English teacher R.W. Groom drilled a hole in the wall of his new classroom. He was setting up a teaching aid for students, but it's no chalkboard.

"That's where my sentence string is going. So I'll have a string strung from one wall to another, and they'll build sentences on the string," Groom explained.

Sentences are not the only things students will build in his classroom. Groom said the goal is to build up the credits of eighth, ninth and 10th graders who have fallen behind in school.

"Small classes - we're going to work on basics, project-based education. It's going to be fun, and they're going to learn. And, most importantly, they're going to the next step of the process - of their educational process," Groom said.

"We want real world, so it's no more math over there, English over there," said Principal Debbie Booker. "We're putting it together, so they can see the connection."

It's a connection to education and students that brought Booker to the Cohn School. She, like Groom, applied to work at the school. Students must also apply to walk through the front doors. Booker said it's another chance for students to learn the three Rs, in a not-so-conventional classroom setting.

"We have to do something, and I do this to catch them," Booker said. "We'll be the ones to catch the kids and get them up to par where they need to be, so they can graduate from high school."

The Cohn School only has 150 students and 13 teachers.

To see if your child fits the guidelines to go attend the Cohn School, visit: http://www.bellshirees.mnps.org/Page90933.aspx

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