Talk:Franklin Road Academy

Copyright

For the record you can not place copyrighted material without permission on wikipedia, all articles written must be original and encyclopedic. I butchered the article as a result of copyright violations. please re-write in your own words with proper citations. Barcode 22:43, 16 November 2006 (UTC)

Citation Needed

The following was removed from the article on because of its doubtful and harmful nature, however if a source can be found, then it would be appropriate to place it back into the article. "When, in reality, the lack of diversity was due to it being the most expensive, non-financial aid giving school in the state" Rover007TN 23:23, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

Assessment

I am assessing this article as Start / Low. Quite a long and detailed article with a variety of references used, close to a B though it does have some issues. First, the article only really focuses on the schools history. More information is needed for other topics such as alumni, awards, school curriculum, and the school campus (see WP:SCH#S). Second, the article is a little slanted toward promoting the school - comments such as state-of-the-art science labs and classrooms might be better removed. Third, more references are needed - as much possible needs to be referenced. Finally, the articles info-box is not a proper standard info-box and currently is just a table, it needs to be replaced by one of the selection at WP:SCH. I am giving this article Low importance for now, it does not indicate enough significant on the school for Mid importance at the moment. Camaron1 | Chris 15:45, 24 November 2007 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 12 October 2017

Please follow the instructions; edit request template goes in same section as the request; provide sources for all facts

Athletics Franklin Road Academy is home to an extensive athletic program. Fifty-five teams are fielded each year at the varsity, junior varsity, and middle school levels. In the upper school, FRA fields a team in every sport sanctioned by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA), as well as cheerleading, hockey, bowling, and swimming. Additionally, the middle school fields a team in most sports. Football and track are offered in 5th and 6th grades, and student-athletes also have opportunities to participate in community league sports programs. Seventh and eighth graders have Physical Education and Wellness every other day and are encouraged to pursue their sports interests by participating in middle school competition through the Harpeth Valley Athletic Conference (HVAC). Beginning Fall of 2015, lower school students (K-5), have the opportunity to participate in cross country through the MTAC (Middle Tennessee Athletic Conference). In the past few years the main upset Franklin Road Academy faced was when they played Battle Ground Academy on October 11th and got beat 94-0. After this game they decided that they were going to sit out of the next few games so they could practice the fundamentals. More than 20 FRA graduates are currently playing sports at the college level in seven different sports (baseball, basketball, football, golf, swimming, volleyball, and tennis) across nine collegiate athletic conferences (NCAA and NAIA). State Championships: Baseball: 1984, 1988, 2000 Basketball (Girls): 2011, 2013 Cross Country (Girls): 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005 Football: 1991 Golf (Girls): 2005, 2010, 2012, 2013 Soccer (Girls): 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007 Track (Boys): 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003 Wrestling: 2005 Hockey: 2011, 2012 FRAternity1 (talk) 21:56, 12 October 2017 (UTC)  Not done John from Idegon (talk) 00:11, 13 October 2017 (UTC) Semi-protected edit request on 12 October 2017 Notable alumni Will Wade, Head Basketball Coach of the Louisiana State University (LSU) men's basketball team Adair Tishler, Actress most famous for her role as Molly Walker in "Heroes" Mason Mingus, stock car racing driver Drew Martin, Successful Quarterback at the school went on to play in the JFL, "Japanese Football League" FRAternity1 (talk) 21:58, 12 October 2017 (UTC)  Not done

Reminder: Wikipedia is Not Censored

The segregationist origins of Franklin Road Academy are well documented. Since Wikipedia is not censored, this aspect of the schools’ history needs to stay in the article.

If anyone has any issues with any sources, please discuss them on this talk page. Billhpike (talk) 17:39, 30 December 2017 (UTC)

An encyclopedia article

Hello NeilN, Billhpike, Ldglenn, Arjayay, John from Idegon, MikeJos, and various interested IP editors -- It has been two weeks since I touched this article; I feel sufficiently separated to make some observations. For those who know the rules, pardon me for needless repetition.

It is our shared objective to write an encyclopedia article here: brief, cogent, with documented assertions that distinguish the topic from other examples. There are minor deviations from each of these requirements, but who cares? The fundamental issue here is one of WP:NPOV. To make the conversation simpler, let us assume arguendo that for the first twenty-three years of operation of the school, Dixie was the theme; Kumbaya since then. The school's history as a segregation academy is a distinguishing feature. It is a valid assertion in an encyclopedia article. It belongs in the lede. Burying that fact by filling the lede with trivia is not fair to the reader.

One approach would be to rename the History subsections: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and so on.

Accreditation is not a distinguishing for a school, unless the school is not accredited or the accreditation body is in some way notable. The Southern Association of Independent Schools can go in the infobox without comment. The school probably also complies with building codes, too. If the school were accredited by the Mississippi Private School Association, that would deserve a line.

Results from Niche.com have no place in an encyclopedia. It's Yelp for schools. It is not a WP:RELIABLE source.

Flowery language, such as state-of-the-art conveys no useful information to the reader. Science labs would notable if they were not equipped with smoke hoods and eye-wash stations. Excessively wordy phrases, such as, was made possible through, are the stuff of brochures and thank-you letters. That students helped move the books between libraries is color. If the size of the library (number of volumes) were exceptionally large, that would be encyclopedic.

WP is not an extension of the school catalog. Nor should it a sociology essay. I am quite sure that we can together build the article that fairly represents the school, warts and wonder both. Rhadow (talk) 13:23, 1 January 2018 (UTC)

Christian, non-denominational, non-sectarian

In a recent edit, NeilN asserted without citation that FRA is "non-denominational". An independent third party, the NCES, reports that the school is "Christian (no specific denomination)". This observation was likely extracted from a survey from the school itself. On its website, the school reports that it is "Christian," with daily convocations and regularly-held chapels.

At least for the first ten years for the school's existence, it was closely tied to the First Christian Church. In contrast to schools established at the same time in Virginia, there was never a legal requirement for the school to describe itself as "non-sectarian." The school is clearly denominational. It is Christian and Protestant. The best definition in Wikipedia is probably Nondenominational Christianity, which, in the overall scheme of things, is a pretty small percentage of believers. Rhadow (talk) 01:58, 2 January 2018 (UTC)

@Rhadow: Are you sure you have the right editor? --NeilN ^{talk to me} 02:03, 2 January 2018 (UTC)

I think @Rhadow: intended to refer to this edit by MikeJos (talk · contribs). Billhpike (talk) 03:10, 2 January 2018 (UTC)

My error (a not infrequent event). It was MikeJos Rhadow (talk) 11:58, 2 January 2018 (UTC)

Paid Editors

It looks like the school has hired a PR firm to whitewash this article. See this edit summary. Billhpike (talk) 18:01, 2 January 2018 (UTC)

Hello Sarah.Englebert.Finalsite-- You wrote, " Franklin Road Academy is a client of mine. They reached out to me stating the information that was added yesterday about the school’s involvement with segregation is completely inaccurate and slander. They asked the information be removed."

A few points: (1) Nothing extraordinary was added yesterday. You deleted forty years of history substantiated by reliable sources. What, specifically is inaccurate? (2) Slander is an utterance. Perhaps you meant to write libel, in which case this is a charge Wikipedia takes seriously. The truth is an absolute defense. (3) If the subject of the article is a client of yours, then you have a conflict of interest (WP:COI), which changes the nature of your privilege to edit the article. Rhadow (talk) 18:44, 2 January 2018 (UTC)

Hello,

The FinalSite company is a hosting site for thousands of schools and is not a PR firm. Steveninnashville (talk) 15:06, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Lede

Hello Steveninnashville -- Thank you for your thoughtful comments at User_talk:Billhpike#Franklin_Road_Academy_2.

The lede is intended to summarize the article in a paragraph or two. It is, by intention, duplicative. It would be a violation of WP:NPOV to neglect to mention the school's history in the lede, or to give it more emphasis than in the article as a whole.

The mission of an organization is, by Wikipedia convention, an irrelevant assertion. A mission statement is a form of quotation. It may be relevant, but it is fundamentally unprovable. I disagree that it belongs in the lede. Where it does appear, it should appear inside quotation marks, or as you have suggested, a quote without marks ("he said that ...").

I have worked with many articles on schools. My personal interpretation is that a single school is an institution with a history of a progressively changing faculty and student body. In the easiest interpretation, a school has the same name and location. A school can move or change names, but if the teachers and students move, it's the same school. If the people are subsumed into another existing school, the old one ceases to exist. I can provide examples of both and other models. A new 'charter or a new name does not make a new school.

I am personally uncomfortable with explanations of the reasons for creation of a segregation academy beyond the definition given at Segregation_academy#IRS_involvement_and_definitions. If I were editor in chief, the lede line would say simply. "Acme Academy was founded in 1971 as a segregation academy." No weasel words, explanation, or purported context. Parents may have had an objection to Brown, to busing, or to the secular syllabus at public schools. We will never know exactly what motivated people. We can know their actions and what they said. The definition we are using is falsifiable.

In this series of articles (approximately 120 at last count), I believe that approach has been consistent. You may check the categories that include this article. There are other articles that describe the opposition to busing, which came from all sectors. Advocates agree that being bused to a better school is a good thing. Opponents, even today, argue that diversity cannot be proven to improve education outcomes. All seem to agree that an hour's bus ride is less attractive than a fifteen-minute ride. It is impossible to prove that the primary objection to busing is to the ride or to the mixing of students. The definition we are using de-emphasizes busing by both date and by the testable conditions.

The result of the strict definition we have adopted is that there are some schools that get a pass. The preponderance of circumstantial evidence may say segregation academy. The timing is right. Anecdotal descriptions of an all-white student body (or graduating class photos) are supportive. In Wikipedia terms, this is synthesis. As a result, there are schools like Forsyth Country Day School, which made the requisite filings with the IRS and escape the segregation academy tag.

You point out the danger of cherry-picking quotations in an encyclopedia article. Editing Wikipedia would be so much easier if there were no biographies of living persons or quotations. Where companies are concerned, we frequently eliminate all company sources from articles.

I am quite certain that with cooperative effort we can rework this article in a way that tells the whole story of Franklin Road Academy and reflects a neutral point of view (WP:NPOV). Thank you for your contribution. Rhadow (talk) 11:22, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

I think the lede looks appropriate overall, maybe with one addition. On the above mentioned user talk page, there is mention that the school is on the site of a civil war battleground and artifacts have been found on site. That certainly seems worthy of mention in the article, possibly merited in the lede.Jacona (talk) 12:30, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

The assertion that money was the reason minorities did not attend was a common ploy used by segregation academies to hide discrimination behind a wall of plausible deniability. The financial hurdles were often in the form of posting a bond upon application that was non-refundable when the school refused admission based on non-objective criteria. That was the practice in my home town. Minorities were free to apply, knowing that they would just be turned down and wind up $1000 poorer.Jacona (talk) 12:39, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Mission statements are never appropriate content in any Wikipedia article. It should appear on the school's website, in it's promotional literature, on it's social media or wherever the school chooses to use it. Mission statements are nothing but self generated propaganda. If a secondary source, on its own volition, not off a press release, decided that the school's mission statement was worthy of journalist note, we could talk about what they say. John from Idegon (talk)

Suggested Edits

Hello,

I'm reading the Wikipage of Franklin Road Academy. There are edits that I'm suggesting which better reflect the time period and specific history, especially as it relates to race and segregation. I welcome multiple editors to make the page better and a neutral point of view.

States: Franklin Road Academy (FRA) is a private, college preparatory, co-educational, Christian school for students in grades Pre-K3-12. FRA was founded in 1971 as a segregation academy in response to the court ordered desegregation of public schools.

Suggested edit: Franklin Road Academy (FRA) is a private, college preparatory, co-educational, Christian school for students in grades Pre-K3-12 located in Nashville, TN.

Inline reply by to SteveinNashville FRA has been described as a "white flight school" in academic sources. (Dyer 2007), so I think this should remain in the lead. Billhpike (talk) 17:40, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Billhpike. The article you are referring in 2007 that refers to FRA and other schools that way is quoted in the article as "white flight" in quotes with no reference. That term was not available during that time period and only recently used to describe that time period and has been called a misnomer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_flight I would say it should not be in the lead and since the history is included in the article the lead simply should state as Franklin Road Academy (FRA) is a private, college preparatory, co-educational, Christian school for students in grades Pre-K3-12 located in Nashville, TN. Steveninnashville (talk) 18:31, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

The page states:

The 1970s Franklin Road Academy was founded in 1971 as a segregation academy in response to the court ordered racial integration of public schools.[1] FRAs leader's claimed the school was established to provide a sound, Christian education in a safer environment, but the sociologist Jennifer Dyer has argued that the school's stated objectives were simply a "guise" for the school's actual objective of allowing parents to avoid enrolling their children in racially integrated public schools.[2] FRA’s first mascot was the Rebels and the school prominently flew the confederate flag.[4]

Comment: As the desegregation of schools did happen in 1970's and FRA started during this time it is good to put this in the history. However, to state as a fact that the school formation was due to the response to the court is subjective given Mr. Bradshaw, who was the founded of the school,stated otherwise in the article. You can't prove that was the reason. Although it does state via Bradshaw's statement, it is listed as a fact "as a segregation academy". The school states the formation in the article and how it was formed not the person who typed the Wiki page.

Suggested Edit: Franklin Road Academy was founded in 1971 under a charter with the First Christian Church and was rechartered in 1982 as an independent, coeducational, college preparatory school with a Christian emphasis. The school was founded in 1971 during a time of segregation conflict in Nashville, Tennessee. The formation of these schools are of great debate after the federal mandated court ruling to segregate schools in Nashville. "It was a scary time," said student Joy Smith. "There was ugliness. People saying things. ... It's hard to conceive how awful it was for people." https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/education/2017/09/08/desegregation-nashville-schools-and-bombing-followed-60-years-ago/637665001/. FRA states that the formation of the school was to provide a sound, Christian education in a safer environment but the sociologist Jennifer Dyer has argued that the school's stated objectives were simply a "guise" for the school's actual objective of allowing parents to avoid enrolling their children in racially integrated public schools. Regardless of the opinions, the facts are that tensions were high in Nashville as it related to busing and desegregation of schools.

Inline reply by to SteveinNashville Academic sources have described the racial issues related to FRA's founding. The newspaper article you linked to is describes events in 1957, 14 year before FRA was founded. The newspaper article may be useful in a future article about Education segregation in Nashville. Billhpike (talk) 17:40, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

(talk). Racial issues have been around for a long time. As we have all said the events of the past do impact the future so it is relevant. It was in fact still ugly and a difficult time. In terms of the resource of Jennifer Dyer, she wrote a dissertation for Vanderbilt in 2007 with a quote of "guise" with no reference which makes it an opinion of a term associated with that time period. At least the quote by Joy Smith is a different quote of someone who give an accurate reflection of racial tensions. I'll see if I can find a more recent quote, perhaps that was during 1971. However, I think Mrs. Dyer's quote should be removed. Perhaps you can also find a quote of someone during that time period as well so that a neutral account can be included. Steveninnashville (talk) 18:31, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Mascot: FRA’s first mascot was the Rebels and the school prominently flew the confederate flag.[4] The mascot and flag were specifically chosen because of Confederate Gen. Stephen D. Lee's defense of Peach Orchard Hill on December 16th, 1984, as part of Gen. John B. Hood's right wing at the Battle of Nashville. Source (The Tennessean August 29th, 1991). However, later in 1991, the school stopped flying the Confederate flag and changed its mascot, realizing the racial impact on the minority community at large.

From the Article: The Tennessean (Nashville, TN): 06 Aug 1980

The page states: Bradshaw acknowledged that the school’s Confederate iconography meant that blacks "may have thought" that they were unwelcome at the school, but that financial concerns were the main reason few black students.

The article states that Bradshaw said "They may have thought that, but in time, that will change.". Leaving out the entire quote out changes the context of the statement. Leaving out the "but in time, that will change.".

My suggested edit: Bradshaw acknowledged that the school's Confederate iconography meant that the black community "may have thought" that they were unwelcome at the school "but in time, that will change."

Inline reply by to SteveinNashville This is a good point. I will add more context to the article. Billhpike (talk) 17:40, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

The page states: Bradshaw said a secondary reason for the lack of black of enrollment was the "proven" fact that blacks "have been inclined to stay in their own groups"

Comment: The article states: Bradshaw said" "I think money," is the reason Franklin Road Academy had only one black applicant in its first seven years, said Bradshaw, who added that while the student did not pass an admission test, "We hoped he would." "Also, I think it's been proven that they themselves have been included to stay in their own groups, as was shown here by the Pearl situation. Bradshaw said, referring to black community efforts to maintain that public school.

Inline reply by to SteveinNashville Another good point. I will add more context to the article. Billhpike (talk) 17:40, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Mr. Bradshaw as referring to the merging of Pearl school with Cohn (today called Pearl Cohn). At the time, Pearl was Nashville's only black school. If you go back to that time period and history, many blacks were very upset about the merge of Pearl and Cohn. Many blacks felt that the school should stay as is due to his heritage as Nashville primary black school (https://theundefeated.com/features/the-legacy-of-pearl-high-school-and-its-success-during-segregation/). To say the least, during that time in Nashville was of high tension. As the article states, that was what he was referring, not to imply that all blacks are included to stay in groups. Placing "proven" in quotes is taking the article out of context and missing the historical significance.

In addition, he never stated it was a secondary reason. The article clearly is his opinion that the reason Franklin Road Academy didn't have a black student primary was because of money.

As you know, during the time period of 1970's most private schools didn't have large financial budgets nor the ability to provide buses for transportation of students. This was a contributing factor during this time period. Today, budgets are better including larger financial aid money available. Times have changed. Thankful for that.

My edit suggestion:

Bradshaw stated that the reason for the lack of black enrollment at Franklin Road Academy was money which contributed to FRA only having one black student apply during the first seven years of the school.

Sidebar: If may be good for someone to write a WikiPedia page on Pearl school in Nashville exploring the Pearl and Cohn merge and the tensions of merging as it impacted the black community. I would read it.

Inline reply by to SteveinNashville I agree. The article on Education segregation in Nashville is currently a redirect, but the topic is significant enough to receive its own article. Billhpike (talk) 17:40, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

The 1980s

Inquiries from parents to FRA tripled in 1980 after court rulings expanded desegregation busing in Nashville.[5] At the time, only one of Franklin Road’s 745 students was black.[4]

In March 1981, the entire board of directors and headmaster Bill Bradshaw both resigned in a dispute with First Christian Church, which owned the building used by the school. Football coach Gene Andrews was appointed interim headmaster.[6] On June 3, 1982, Franklin Road Academy became its own separate organization incorporated under the name Franklin Road Academy, Inc. Following its incorporation, FRA received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.[citation needed]

Tennessean Jan 31st, 1980 The article you are referring is taking the topic of segregation out of context. You are saying that the inquiries (which does state in the article) have increased due to the court rulings. All of that is true but the next statement implies that the school's increased enrollment has something to do with the number of students who were black at the school. I have to say the article is weak in that argument. The same article states that "However, the squeeze on private school admissions began before desegregation become a topic of discussion this winter at the school board and subject of controversy in Davidson County." So there are both sides to the argument. If you consider the time period, the increased applications were likely (as stated in the article) due to Davidson County (Nashville Schools) ruling but the reason for lack of minorities were the same reasons as in 1970's--Lack of affordability and culture.

Suggested Edit: Enrollment inquiries from parents to FRA tripled in 1980 after court rulings expanded desegregation busing in Nashville.[5] Much like other private schools in Nashville, Franklin Road Academy's minority enrollment remained non-existent as only one student was enrolled at the school in 1980. According to the article, Mr. Bradshaw stated that the reason was "The Money" was the primary reason for the lack of applications which lead to lack of enrollment.

States: In March 1981, the entire board of directors and headmaster Bill Bradshaw both resigned in a dispute with First Christian Church, which owned the building used by the school. Football coach Gene Andrews was appointed interim headmaster.[6] On June 3, 1982, Franklin Road Academy became its own separate organization incorporated under the name Franklin Road Academy, Inc. Following its incorporation, FRA received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.[citation needed]

Suggested edit: In March 1981, the entire board of directors and headmaster Bill Bradshaw both resigned in a dispute with First Christian Church, which owned the building used by the school. The dispute involved whether the First Christian Church leaders or the school leaders should set school policies. One area of friction was whether the church and school should separate. The school's Football coach Gene Andrews was appointed interim headmaster.[6] On June 3, 1982, Franklin Road Academy became its own separate organization incorporated under the name Franklin Road Academy, Inc. Following its incorporation, FRA received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.[citation needed]

Inline reply by to SteveinNashville The nature of the dispute is covered by the existing sources. I will add more details to the article. Billhpike (talk) 17:40, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

https://www.newspapers.com/image/112515411/ states:

The 1990's The school stopped flying the Confederate flag in 1991.[8] Headmaster Bill Campbell said the flag was removed to ensure all students and visiting sports teams felt welcome and comfortable at the school.[9] In a guest editorial in The Tennessean, former FRA football coach and interim headmaster Gene Andrews criticized the change, accusing FRA of “turning its back on its heritage” and ignoring the sacrifices made in support of the “just cause” of southern independence.[10]

Suggest Edit: The school stopped flying the Confederate flag in 1991.[8] Headmaster Bill Campbell said the flag was removed to ensure all students and visiting sports teams felt welcome and comfortable at the school. FRA is located on the site of a Civil War battle fought in Nashville. Campbell states that the school has collected many battle relics. But, he added, "as far as the Confederate flag", we do not and have not for several years displayed that as our image.[9] In a guest editorial in The Tennessean, former FRA football coach and interim headmaster Gene Andrews criticized the change, accusing FRA of “turning its back on its heritage” and ignoring the sacrifices made in support of the “just cause” of southern independence during the battle of . He stated the change was not related to race. The school disagreed.[10]

Inline reply by to SteveinNashville @Steveninnashville: Besides the Andrew's editorial, are you aware of any sources other sources that discuss the Battle of Nashville and Franklin Road Academy? Billhpike (talk) 17:40, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Billhpike

Here are some. Steveninnashville (talk) 18:31, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

https://brentwoodhomepage.com/historian-recounts-hoods-retreat-on-149th-anniversary/

http://www.bonps.org/news/

http://www.tnhistoryforkids.org/history/in-search-of/in-search-of/battle-of-nashville.2466050

In 1997, FRA stopped using the Rebels as its athletics mascot. The school has begun to tone down use of the mascot in the early 1990s to make the school more welcoming to minorities. The FRA football coach told The Tennessean that the retirement of the mascot was partially because of the unease the Confederate imagery caused to Dennis Harrison, a former NFL player who was the first black assistant coach at the school.[11]

Suggested Edit: In 1997, FRA stopped using the Rebels as its name and became the Big Blue. The school had begun to tone down use of the mascot in the early 1990s to make the school more welcoming to minorities. Assistant principal Gary Clarke stated that "We felt, of course, there was a lot of tradition at the school with the Rebels, but we also have to realize that the Rebel flag may be offensive to some." School official stated that the final move was to attract a more diverse study body". The FRA football coach, George Weicker told The Tennessean that the retirement of the mascot was partially because of the unease the Confederate imagery caused to Dennis Harrison, a former NFL player who was the first black assistant coach at the school. Weicker states that he made it a point to ask Dennis how he felt about it and what it meant to him. He told me it made him feel "uncomfortable". [11]

Inline reply by to SteveinNashville @Rhadow: used your suggestion to update this paragraph. I agree with her edits. Billhpike (talk) 17:40, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

The 2000's

Add: In 2013-2014, Franklin Road Academy has enrolled 712 students. Fourteen percent are students of color and the school helps to promote economic diversity through the awarding of more than $1 million in financial aid.

Source: http://www.wickenden.com/new-opportunity-statement-franklin-road-academy/

In February of 2014, Sean Casey became the next Head of School for Franklin Road Academy.

Source: http://www.wickenden.com/sean-casey-to-lead-franklin-road-academy/

Franklin Road Academy opened a new innovation science lab that not only extends use to students at FRA but also students in Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS). The lab is outfitted with items that include a robotics arena, two 3D printers, a laser cutter and a 3D carver. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry helped dedicate the space. Franklin Road Academy head of school states that "it's a great opportunity to build a collective educational opportunity for everyone." The partnership extends to a summer program where students learn STEAM (Science, technology, engineering, art and math) skills so that student can go onto college and be successful.

Source: The Tennessean March 12th, 2017

Inline reply by to SteveinNashville @Steveninnashville: Do you have the URL for this newspaper article? Billhpike (talk) 17:40, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Billhpike

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/education/2017/03/09/franklin-road-academy-opens-innovation-lab-metro-nashville-students/98802152/

Steveninnashville (talk) 18:31, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Steveninnashville (talk) 15:24, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

White flight

White flight is a great term, but it is very much a secondary usage in the context of this article. At the article White flight it is defined as the change of dwelling or neighborhood to avoid integration. I fear that it is a euphemism, as opposed to the more descriptive segregation academy. Rhadow (talk) 18:16, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

The terms white flight school and segregation academy have been used as synonyms in academic sources. See for example [1] Billhpike (talk) 18:47, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

According to Wiki,, only recently used to describe that time period and has been called a misnomer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_flight Steveninnashville (talk) 19:01, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

The 2000's

Current: The 2000s

By 2016, enrollment had increased to 716 students. Six percent (43) were black.[1] The school helps to promote economic diversity through the annual award of more than $1 million in financial aid.[citation needed]

Recommended update:

By 2016, enrollment had increased to 716 students. Six percent (43) were black and three percent Hispanic (23).[1] The school helps to promote economic diversity through the annual award of more than $1 million in financial aid.[citation needed] Steveninnashville (talk) 18:55, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

 Done Added hispanic enrollment using existing source.Billhpike (talk) 19:06, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

(talk) 20:44, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

For this page, the purpose of semi-protection was to prevent disruptive editing by newly registered accounts. [2] Billhpike (talk) 20:51, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Edit with Talk Controversial topic

User:Rhadow

You are editing the page without discussing in the talk. For example:

Add: In 2013-2014, Franklin Road Academy has enrolled 712 students. Fourteen percent are students of color and the school helps to promote economic diversity through the awarding of more than $1 million in financial aid.

Source: http://www.wickenden.com/new-opportunity-statement-franklin-road-academy/

The last sentence was removed.

In addition, since some editors clearly are not going to follow the protocol of the talk page and the article itself contains controversial topics that the Franklin Road Academy page be redirected until an agreement can be found on the entire article content on the talk page. If an agreement cannot be found then the page my be redirected or marked for deletion. Redirect to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville,_Tennessee Nashville, TN

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Redirect

Redirect protection

Sometimes, a redirect to an article pertaining to a very controversial topic will be fully or, more rarely, semi-protected indefinitely. This is done when:

   There is no reason for it to be edited
   It is frequently expanded into whole articles
   It is an obvious vandalism target
   It redirects and/or refers to a very controversial topic
   Any combination of the above.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Steveninnashville (talk • Steveninnashville (talk) 20:47, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

The Wikipedia community consensus is that uncited content can be removed. See WP:CHALLENGE. I looked for a citation about financial aid, but could not find any sources that were independent of the school.

Redirect protection is only applicable for pages that are redirects themselves. Billhpike (talk) 20:35, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

(talk). Given that we are working on the edits, to edit the page without discussion violates the spirit of editing the page. If you edit content (I also noticed you are adding pictures) then you are not being civil as to the article. Then it becomes that you only edit the content for which you agree. Steveninnashville (talk) 20:47, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

• Hello Steveninnashville -- This morning, I added text per your request, specifically the enrollment of the school ... but with recent and reliable sources. I removed an unreferenced assertion about scholarships. I subsequently changed the enrollment numbers to add Hispanic students. Now there are a bunch of complaints on the talk page, but I cannot tell to whom they are addressed or who made them because the posts were unsigned. We needn't relive the the Battle of Peach Orchard. Rhadow (talk) 20:55, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

• Hello Rhadow. I think we should agree and edit each section to make it stronger. The article is becoming too one sided, which why I got involved. I see value in the history and the progression of the school as it moves forward in history. However, I'm not in favor of causing current damage to the page so that it seems like the school is a racist school. Again, it was founded in a time where tensions were high in 1971 and again in 1980. Placing the picture, for example is just an attempt to do so. I've said this before. I have two black sons that need to know history but they also need to see how things have changed.Steveninnashville (talk) 21:13, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Lead

For continued discussion.

States: Franklin Road Academy (FRA) is a private, college preparatory, co-educational, Christian school for students in grades Pre-K3-12. FRA was founded in 1971 as a segregation academy in response to the court ordered desegregation of public schools.

Suggested edit: Franklin Road Academy (FRA) is a private, college preparatory, co-educational, Christian school for students in grades Pre-K3-12 located in Nashville, TN.

Inline reply by to SteveinNashville FRA has been described as a "white flight school" in academic sources. (Dyer 2007), so I think this should remain in the lead. Billhpike (talk) 17:40, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Billhpike. The article you are referring in 2007 that refers to FRA and other schools that way is quoted in the article as "white flight" in quotes with no reference. That term was not available during that time period and only recently used to describe that time period and has been called a misnomer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_flight I would say it should not be in the lead and since the history is included in the article the lead simply should state as Franklin Road Academy (FRA) is a private, college preparatory, co-educational, Christian school for students in grades Pre-K3-12 located in Nashville, TN. Steveninnashville (talk) 18:31, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Per discussion above, I think it is appropriate for the school to be as

Franklin Road Academy (FRA) is a private, college preparatory, co-educational, Christian school for students in grades Pre-K3-12 located in Nashville, TN.

We have disagreement that the school was formed as a segregation school. If anything the school was formed from the First Christian Church. I think the fair thing to do is to change the lead.

In addition, in the 1970's: Franklin Road Academy was founded in 1971 and was designated by some as a segregation academy in response to the court ordered racial integration of public schools. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Steveninnashville (talk • Steveninnashville (talk) 21:14, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

I agree that lead the should be updated to better comply with WP:ATTRIBUTEPOV. Note the Dyer dissertation is an original scholarly work, so uncited statements within the dissertation are generally acceptable for use as references on wikipedia.

@Steveninnashville: What do you think of this language?

Franklin Road Academy (FRA) is a private, college preparatory, co-educational, Christian school for students in grades Pre-K3-12 located in Nashville, TN. FRA was founded in 1971 after a court ordered Nashville public schools to expanded desegregation busing and has been described as a "white flight school". The school was originally affiliated with the First Christian Church, but became separate organization in 1982.

Billhpike (talk) 21:18, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Hello Steveninnashville -- Welcome to Wikipedia. You have your opinion on good copy; other editors have theirs. Substantially all of the changes you suggested last night were made. Nevertheless, the requests just keep coming. Is there some reason that your suggestions should carry more weight than Billhpike? As to the assertion that Franklin Road was not a segregation academy, I beg to differ. It meets at least two of the three government standards: (1) establishment was contemporaneous with local public school desegregation, (2) no negro students attended, and (3) no negro students were admitted. Rhadow (talk) 21:24, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Hello Rhadow. Same difference. Should Billpike's be of more weight than mine? That is the core of Wikipedia. They encourage us to compromise. Noticed that I haven't edited the content on the page, both of you have;sometimes with agreement of the talk page, sometime not. My point was the that academy itself was not founded on that principal. I'm fine with it being in the history as stated above that the school was designated by some as as segregated academy but to say it was founded as such is not a factual statement. It's core was not founded as segregated academy. It was designated as a segregated academy as you state. Big difference. The compromise is to do what I've done above. I hope we can come to an agreement. Steveninnashville (talk) 21:33, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Hello Rhadow and :Billhpike

How about this? Franklin Road Academy (FRA) is a private, college preparatory, co-educational, Christian school for students in grades Pre-K3-12 located in Nashville, TN. FRA was founded in 1971 after a court ordered Nashville public schools to expanded desegregation busing and has been described as segregated academy due to its formation during this period of history. The school was originally affiliated with the First Christian Church, but became separate organization in 1982. Steveninnashville (talk) 21:38, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

I broadly agree, but I think this verbiage would be slightly cleaner:

Franklin Road Academy (FRA) is a private, college preparatory, co-educational, Christian school for students in grades Pre-K3-12 located in Nashville, TN. FRA was founded in 1971 after a court ordered Nashville public schools to expanded desegregation busing and, like other schools established in that period, has been described as segregation academy and has been described as segregated academy due to its formation during this period of history. The school was originally affiliated with the First Christian Church, but became separate organization in 1982.

Billhpike (talk) 21:42, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Looks good. Steveninnashville (talk) 21:46, 12 January 2018 (UTC) Also, same statement in front of the 1970s. Steveninnashville (talk) 21:48, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

 Done I updated the lead. Billhpike (talk) 21:50, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

• Hello Steveninnashville -- You assert that the "academy itself was not founded on that principal". I am not inclined to speculate on what principle the school was founded. I can only observe that it was founded, when it founded, and what were its characteristics at that time. I read and report what scholars say and what was reported in August 1971 in the Nashville Tennessean. I wrote a simple declarative sentence without weasel words, such as "described as", "at the same time as other schools", or "in response to." Yes, it irritates me too, but factual isn't in the Wikipedia vocabulary.

If you are so inclined, why don't you edit the article yourself? Rhadow (talk) 21:54, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Steveninnashville has a WP:COI and is complying with our policy by not editing the article directly. Billhpike (talk) 21:58, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

The 1970's

Hello all, Per continued discussion.

Edit Request. change intro Jennifer Dyer has argued that the schools formed during this period Mascot

1970's

Frankln Road Academy was founded in 1971 after a court ordered Nashville public schools to expanded desegregation busing and, like other schools established in that period, has been described as segregation academy.[2] The school was originally affiliated with the First Christian Church, but became separate organization in 1982.[4] FRA's leaders claimed the school was established to provide a sound, Christian, education in a safer environment, but the sociologist Jennifer Dyer has argued that the schools formed during this period were simply a "guise" for the school's actual objective of allowing parents to avoid enrolling their children in racially integrated public schools.[2] FRA’s first mascot was the Rebels and the school prominently flew the confederate flag.[4] The mascot and flag were specifically chosen because of Confederate Gen. Stephen D. Lee's defense of Peach Orchard Hill on December 16th, 1984, as part of Gen. John B. Hood's right wing at the Battle of Nashville. Source (The Tennessean August 29th, 1991). However, later in 1991, the school stopped flying the Confederate flag and changed its mascot, realizing the racial impact on the minority community at large.

From the Article: The Tennessean (Nashville, TN): 06 Aug 1980

Last one today...:)Steveninnashville (talk) 21:59, 12 January 2018 (UTC)

Edit war Feb 2019

Hello CharlesTomley, you would be well advised to read the discussions above. A year ago we went through a serious brouhaha over the content of this article. Your recent contributions, while they may be true, are not supported by independent, reliable sources. What the subject says about itself on its website is irrelevant. If you continue to edit this article similalry, I will take steps to block you. This constitutes a second warning to you. As a WP:SPA, you don't have much credibility. Rhadow (talk) 17:55, 13 February 2019 (UTC)