Nashville Parents Host Town Hall to Discuss Community Solutions with Elected Officials

Parenting has never been harder, and community solutions have never been more needed. That was the consensus from an hour of open dialogue among elected officials and elementary school parents in early September.

The conversation took place in the gymnasium at Rocketship Nashville Northeast Elementary School during a Parent Power Town Hall, organized by parent leaders from all three Rocketship Tennessee campuses.

Parent Power is one of three pillars behind the Rocketship model. Our school staff work with parents to help them see that they hold the power to influence not only their own child’s education, but their school community and their broader community as well – regardless of their zip code or language spoken.

“Our parents came together and decided they wanted to do a town hall,” said Jamel Campbell-Gooch, Education Organizer for Rocketship Tennessee. The event was designed to give parents the opportunity to share their experiences, ask questions, hear directly from elected officials, and work together toward solutions.

Understanding government structure 

Before Campbell-Gooch introduced the parent moderator for the panel discussion, he gave attendees a short tutorial on the types of elected officialswho were participating.

Panelists included District Metro Council members, a Metro Council member at-large, a School Board member, and a Tennessee State Representative. Campbell-Gooch described their different levels of government and responsibilities to the community.

“Our parent leaders program is helping parents understand where to actually get their problems fixed,” he said.

Today’s parenting challenges require collaborative solutions 

The problems parents shared during the discussion were complex. They ranged from balancing technology use with family time, to helping kids with homework that caregivers themselves don’t understand, to finding affordable childcare for working parents who depend on it.

The community conversation format of the event allowed panelists and attendees to unpack each of those challenges in detail. For example, School Board Member Robert Taylor noted that the district’s Homework Hotline, a free tutoring resource, currently has just 75 available slots for a district of roughly 80,000 students. Several panelists acknowledged the program needs to grow.

The elected officials also said understanding where parents are struggling helps inform the decisions they make around public funding and community programming.

“This is how community works. If we don’t talk to each other, we don’t know what the needs are, and then those of us that can address the needs aren’t able to address them,” said Joy Styles, District 32 Metro Council Member and candidate for Mayor.

The elected officials encouraged parents to communicate with them regularly.

“The best way is email us, call us, tell us what you need, and we will respond because we work for you,” said Zulfat Suara, Metro Council Member At-Large and candidate for Vice Mayor.

Attendees were also encouraged to make their voices heard by voting.

“I’m not telling you who to vote for, but vote for the people who are looking out for your best interest, so that we can get the resources to you and make sure that you have what you need as a community,” Taylor said.

Several community partners also participated in the town hall event, including TIRCC votes, which supports voter engagement from Nashville’s diverse communities.

Published on October 7, 2026