
Katerine (Kat) Gerasimenko is a reporter for The Tennessee Firefly, where she covers education policy, school governance, and the impact of public decisions on Tennessee families. She earned her B.S. in Psychology from Palm Beach Atlantic University, where her academic interests focused on student equity and mental health.
Her passion for education policy began in high school and has since evolved into a professional calling. Kat began her journalism career at WZTV in Nashville, producing digital-first news centered on Middle Tennessee communities and state-level developments.
Today, she brings a deep sense of mission to her work—blending policy fluency with accessible storytelling that centers real people and real issues. Originally from Atlanta, Kat now lives in Tennessee and is active in the local arts and nonprofit education communities.

A new national survey from The PIE Network finds bipartisan support for annual student testing, with ninety-five percent of respondents saying it is important for students to be tested each year.

Tennessee lawmakers pressed state education officials this week for answers on how the ongoing federal shutdown and potential Trump-backed block grant proposals could affect school staffing and services for disadvantaged students.

The Knox County School Board is weighing whether to take a formal stance against a revived bill that could allow Tennessee districts to deny undocumented students a free public education.

Nashville’s newest public charter school, The Rock Academy, is set to open next fall as Tennessee’s first “opportunity charter school,” a model dedicated to re-engaging at-risk youth who have faced significant barriers to education.

An evaluation team of board members used student growth, proficiency, attendance, and other areas to rate Dr. Battle across four evaluation categories, including literacy, numeracy, social-emotional learning (SEL), and transitions.

The Memphis-Shelby County School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to expand bus eligibility for all students, citing attendance declines and safety concerns amid recent ICE and National Guard activity in Memphis.

Shelby County Commissioners voted 8–4 to override Mayor Lee Harris’ veto and put all nine Memphis-Shelby County School Board seats on the ballot in 2026.

On Monday, a panel hosted by the League of Women Voters of Murfreesboro‑Rutherford County brought together education leaders from private, charter, and traditional public schools to debate the emerging landscape of school choice in Tennessee.

The University of Tennessee System has reached historic highs in 2025, reporting record enrollment, retention, and research funding across its campuses.

Tennessee has achieved a record-high graduation rate of 92.3 percent for the 2024–25 school year, according to new data from the Tennessee Department of Education.

The Tullahoma City School Board voted unanimously Monday to restrict classroom flags and displays to curriculum-related materials, ending weeks of debate centered on the presence of Pride flags in local schools.

The Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board narrowly voted down a resolution opposing House Bill 793, legislation that would allow Tennessee school districts to deny undocumented children a free public education.
