Watson told committee members his bill is meant to help gather information and ease what he calls a financial burden placed on local districts with English language learnerprograms, pointing to a steady rise in the costs of those programs over the past eight years.

The committee found several factors are making it more challenging to recruit career and technology (CTE) teachers, including money.  The report said teacher salaries remain significantly lower than wages in many CTE industries.

State Representative Rick Scarbrough is co-sponsoring legislation that would require school districts that report credible threats of violence or significantly disruptive behavior to law enforcement, to notify parents within 48 hours.

Senator Lowe’s legislation would create a ten-member advisory committee appointed by state leaders to study the state’s testing and accountability systems.

Under the bill, the education commissioner would be able to recommend the removal of the director of schools and some or all school board members.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 Plyler vs. Doe decision prohibits public schools from refusing to admit undocumented students and the legislation is envisioned by supporters as an opportunity to challenge that decision.

During a school board meeting Tuesday night, the MSCS board voted unanimously to support a resolution opposing state intervention and calling on other elected officials to oppose it as well.

The bill, brought by Speaker Pro Tempore Pat Marsh, R-Shelbyville, would allow local school boards to introduce a merit-based pay structure to award additional compensation to high-performing educators.

The Governor Bill Lee backed legislation would allow charter applicants the ability to apply directly to the charter commission if they want to open a school in a district that has had three charter denials overturned in three straight years.

Nondegree credentials focus on specific competencies and include diplomas, certificates, and industry credentials other than a traditional postsecondary degree.

The department’s workforce has already been slashed by nearly half, but President Trump says this move will return power over education decisions to the states.

The 6th district congressman made a commitment to appoint a commissioner for the Department of Education that has experience in a Tennessee classrom

Senator Todd Gardenhire’s, R-Chattanooga, legislation would expand the Education Savings Account (ESA) pilot program implemented in 2022 to include students in Montgomery, Knox, and Rutherford Counties.

Representative Cochran’s legislation removes every end of course assessment high school students take but science and instead requires students to take a postsecondary readiness assessment like the ACT in math and English language arts each year in grades 9-11.

School board members unanimously supported a resolution Tuesday night opposing state intervention in the Tennessee school district and calling on elected officials elsewhere to join them.

Rutherford County is one of the fastest growing areas in the state and school officials there are weighing how to handle an influx of students while trying to maintain a community feel.

Representative White’s amended legislation would empower the commissioner of the Department of Education to recommend the governor, speaker of the house, and lieutenant governor to jointly create a board of managers for Memphis-Shelby County Schools. This board would essentially supersede the district’s existing school board and director of schools.

Legislation presented by Representative Debra Moody, R-Covington, Tuesday would sunset the state ASD, replacing it with a progressive, three-tiered intervention system that would give more control to school districts.

During Thursday’s meeting, Board Chair Joe Smith asked Superintendent Dr. Justin Robertson what the impact would be if the district reduced the number of benchmark tests given from three per year, to two or even one per year.