| Nashville Schools' Telephone Information | | | | Professional Development Center will be |
| Program | | | | completed with a combination of private and |
| | | | public funds. The Nashville Schools' Martin |
| The Nashville Schools has started a new | | | | Professional Development Center is named for |
| telephone information service that offers | | | | the work of Charlie Martin and the Martin |
| valuable information to parents. The | | | | Foundation. |
| Nashville Schools new telephone message | | | | |
| service will offer information about such | | | | This new facility will be located at the |
| school related information as: schools that | | | | Eakin Elementary. The Eakin Elementary will |
| are closed due incidents of snow, tornadoes | | | | be converted into the new training center. |
| or any other issues; schools on lock-down | | | | This Center will replace the existing |
| during drop-off or pick-up times; any | | | | Randall's Learning Center which is over 80 |
| important parent meetings; an emergency | | | | years old. The new center is scheduled to |
| situation at any of the Nashville Schools; | | | | open in October. The new center comes after |
| and attendance information. | | | | months of work by the Nashville Alliance for |
| | | | Public Education to secure $3.5 million in |
| Parents seem to want an easy system for | | | | renovation funds. These renovations will |
| communication between themselves and the | | | | create a 10,000 square foot space that can be |
| schools. The telephone system will be an | | | | used for a variety of purposes. Nashville |
| automated call out system that will call | | | | Schools' Martin Professional Development |
| parents. The calls will be no longer than | | | | Center renovation will include creation of a |
| forty-five seconds to show the value of the | | | | media facilities improved classrooms and the |
| parents' time. For school closings calls will | | | | buildings' façade will be replaced. |
| be made about thirty minutes before the child | | | | |
| is scheduled to be picked upped by their bus. | | | | Private donations came from the Martin |
| Any calls that are about non-emergency | | | | Foundation which has pledged $1.5 million to |
| information will be made before 8:00PM. For | | | | the project. Additional contributions from |
| emergency situations calls will be made as | | | | the Orrin H. Ingram Fund and the Turner |
| soon as the information is available. | | | | Family Foundation provide another $1.5 |
| | | | million. Some other funds will be secured |
| Nashville Schools' new telephone system will | | | | after the sale of the Randall's Learning |
| be programmed with the best way to reach the | | | | Center property. At the announcement for the |
| parents which include home phones, business | | | | Nashville Schools' Martin Professional |
| phones and/or cell phones. The Nashville | | | | Development Center, Director of Nashville |
| Schools aims to provide information to the | | | | Schools Pedro E. Garcia, Ed.D., Mayor Bill |
| best possible way. | | | | Purcell and Nashville Schools' Director of |
| | | | Professional Development Lenna Allen all |
| Nashville Schools Creates New Training Center | | | | spoke about how pleased they were with the |
| with the Nashville Alliance for Public | | | | project and the new Center. They later |
| Education | | | | thanked the Nashville Alliance for Public |
| | | | Education, the Martin Foundation, the Ingram |
| The faculty and staff of the Nashville | | | | family and the Turner Family Foundation for |
| Schools will have a new training center for | | | | their generous contributions and dedication |
| professional development. The new Martin | | | | to education. |