Reflection on 20+ Years of the Academies of Nashville

When I read Alison Hildebrand’s reflection on her journey as Academy Administrator at Stevenson MADE, I was reminded that what we sometimes call “school reform” or “transformation” is really something much more lasting: a legacy of opportunity, possibility, and commitment that can cross generations, communities, and even continents.

The Academies of Nashville didn’t begin as a program - it began as a belief that every young person, regardless of zip code or circumstance, deserves an education that is purposeful, empowering, and deeply connected to who they are and where they hope to go. For more than two decades, that belief has sustained us through leadership changes, system-wide shifts, organizational pivots, and countless other disruptions that would have undone most efforts in education.

That kind of longevity is rare. Most reform initiatives burn bright and fade fast. Most organizational transformations lose momentum with staffing changes or budget cycles. Yet the Academies of Nashville has endured — because at its heart, it isn’t defined by any one leader or model, but by a living commitment to students and community. It has survived not through perfection but through purpose.

This work has been sustained because of founding partners who believed in the vision early and stayed committed for the long haul. Our partnership with Ford Next Generation Learning has been foundational to the Academies of Nashville from the very beginning, providing national perspective, thought partnership, and a shared commitment to community-connected learning. The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce has ensured strong and enduring engagement from the business community, grounding this work in workforce relevance and real-world experience, while PENCIL has mobilized employer and volunteer partnerships that bring classrooms and careers together. Alignment Nashville has served as the backbone organization, convening partners, stewarding the shared vision, and supporting the conditions necessary for this work to endure across leadership changes and shifting contexts. Together, these partners have helped anchor the Academies of Nashville through moments of growth, challenge, and evolution.

As this work has evolved, the Nashville Hub has emerged as a way to extend learning beyond our city and invite others into the journey. The Nashville Hub offers customized learning experiences for communities at all stages of implementation to learn directly from practitioners who have lived the challenges, adaptations, and successes over time. Through site visits, peer learning, and technical assistance, the Nashville Hub supports communities in shaping Academy models that reflect their own students, assets, and contexts. 

We’ve never claimed to have it all figured out. We are (and always will be) a work in progress. That honesty, coupled with the willingness to learn, shift, stretch, and improve, is one of our greatest strengths. 

Alison’s piece rightly calls attention to a moment of celebration. But this celebration is bigger than one school, one district, or one reform movement. It’s a testament to what is possible when educators believe deeply in young people — and then build structures that honor that belief through time.

— Melissa Jaggers, President & CEO

Alignment Nashville

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