In life everyone deserves a second chance. That is exactly what Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools believes the new Transition School will do for previously incarcerated students. Transition, which opens this school year, will provide students the opportunity to change their lives and prepare for the future by smoothing their re-entry to school.

“This is an opportunity for students to put bad decisions behind them and focus on a better future,” says Henry Johnson, coordinator of Transition. “Transition will bring students back into a smaller classroom, to provide individual attention and social and steer them back to a successful path.”

Studies show that approximately 550 juveniles are booked into Davidson County Juvenile Detention Center each year. The average stay in the detention is three to five days, which limits students’ ability to keep up with their academic progress. Transition will serve students in grades 9-12 who are returning from short term incarceration. The school will help rebuild their academic and social skills, and foster a smooth transition back into an academic setting.

Transitions’ Academic Recovery will help students earn credits that will be transferred to their zoned school. Students will be assessed before entrance into the program and behavioral needs will be addressed through behavioral intervention. The schools’ social development services will challenge students to evaluate life choices and demonstrate how their decisions affect their future.

The school will be led by Henry Johnson, who has worked with the district for more than eight years.