Letter of Support from Michael Clark

Dear Reader,

I am writing this letter to express my support for school choice in Knoxville. For the past twenty-eight years, I have had the honor of supporting children and families that often don’t have the privilege of educational options. While some changes have been made to address these disparities, there is still room for great improvement. Recently, along with a group of fellow Knoxville natives, I visited Chattanooga Preparatory School. The faculty and staff were passionate about supporting young men from their city to help them each achieve greatness and become incredible contributors as next gen leaders. The students and parents alike shared about the impact and value that being able to choose this school had made on their family. Chatt Prep spoke of their consistent growth in challenging each student to improve and excel in every area of their life. Excellence was reflected in the grades, sports, and character exhibited by the young men in each classroom.

Their unique model made me excited for what a similar approach to education would look like in my community of Knoxville. When Knox Prep was first talked about, I told my wife we were sending our oldest son. I then realized he would be one year too old to get in their first year. That’s ok though. I believe their philosophy and model of education will be exactly what some of the families in Knoxville have been looking for. Do I believe that all education models fit every child? Absolutely not! Having options is what allows our community to better tailor to needs of each child and family.

Having grown up in this community and now raising five children of my own, I have both experienced and had to consider what is best for each of my children. The journey of having both biological and adopted children has certainly taught me that each child needs to be met right where they are to elevate and support them to greatness. For my kids some are homeschooled, other enrolled in smaller schools, and still others to be determined. Our families and communities in Knoxville deserve to have the choice that is best suited to serve them. I believe Knoxville Preparatory School will be the perfect fit for many of our young men across the city.

Thank you for also supporting school choice. Sincerely,

Michael Clark

Proud Parent of Five

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