State Representative Mark White narrows state intervention bill to only impact Memphis-Shelby County Schools

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.

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House subcommittee advances plan to eliminate the Achievement School District and create a new model for struggling 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.

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House subcommittee advances legislation that would make it easier for some public charter schools to receive approval

The proposed legislation would allow charter applicants the ability to apply directly to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission if they want to open a school in a district that has three charter denials overturned in three years.

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House Subcommittee advances bill to expand full-service community schools

The bill, sponsored by Representative Kirk Haston, R-Lobelville, establishes a community schools grant program to benefit public schools, administered by the University of Tennessee. Local districts would be able to opt in and apply for grants to create so-called full-service community schools within existing public schools.

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State Education, State Government Brandon Paykamian State Education, State Government Brandon Paykamian

House subcommittee advances legislation to reduce the number of children at risk for repeating the fourth-grade

Members of the House K-12 Subcommittee voted Tuesday to advance a bill designed to reduce the number of fourth-grade students held back under the state’s new Third-Grade Retention Law.The new law allows third-graders who fail to show reading proficiency on state tests in the spring of their third-grade year to advance to the fourth grade through summer school and/or tutoring in their fourth-grade year. Those children who receive tutoring still need to show “adequate growth” on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) in the fourth-grade to advance to the fifth-grade.

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State Education, State Government Brandon Paykamian State Education, State Government Brandon Paykamian

House subcommittee debates proposals to improve school safety

Members of the House K-12 Subcommittee turned their focus to school safety Wednesday by voting on a series of bills designed to prevent future school shootings, including prior legislation from last year’s Special Session on Public Safety.One that received considerable attention is a bill to update safety measures listed in the Safe Schools Act of 2023, by requiring an improved standard of window film or security glass on each exterior door and any glass adjoining an exterior door. This change would include replacing the quarter-inch thick windows in schools with thicker and stronger glass that would be considered bullet-resistant.

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State Education, State Government Sky Arnold State Education, State Government Sky Arnold

Proposed legislation to change the kindergarten age cutoff date fails in House subcommittee

A bill that would change the age cutoff date for children enrolling in enrolling in kindergarten failed to advance out of the House K-12 Subcommittee Tuesday.Representative Jody Barrett, R-Dickson, says he initially sponsored the bill following a request from a director of schools in his district who wanted to change the cutoff date for when a child must be five years old to start kindergarten.

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State Education, State Government Sky Arnold State Education, State Government Sky Arnold

Controversial pride flag ban bill advances in the House

Representative Gino Bulso’s, R-Brentwood, bill that would prohibit pride flags in classrooms advanced from a House Subcommittee Tuesday, but not without vocal opposition from Representative Sam McKenzie, D-Knoxville.That bill would only allow the Tennessee State Flag, the United States Flag, and other flags representing a country or political subdivision to be displayed. Representative McKenzie called the bill dangerous.

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State Education, State Government Sky Arnold State Education, State Government Sky Arnold

Heated debate over pride flags in the classroom will continue into next week

Tennessee House members are holding off making the first vote on a controversial bill that would only allow classrooms to display the Tennessee state flag and United States of America flag. The bill would also give parents the ability to sue school districts that violate the prohibition.Representative Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood, agreed to roll voting on the bill in the House K-12 Subcommittee for a week to add an amendment that requires parents to notify the school district before filing suit for a violation.The bill has faced criticism from LBGTQ+ activists because it would effectively ban all pride flags in public schools.

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State Education, State Government Sky Arnold State Education, State Government Sky Arnold

Tennessee legislators look to Mississippi for guidance on changing the Third-Grade Retention Law

Wednesday members of the House Education Administration Committee received help making that decision from an unlikely neighboring state to the south. Former Mississippi Superintendent Dr. Carey Wright spoke before the committee on how her state has approached the topic of literacy and compared it to Tennessee’s intervention acts, including the Third-Grade Retention Law.

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State Education, State Government Sky Arnold State Education, State Government Sky Arnold

Representative Scott Cepicky cuts back the amount he wants to provide teachers for classroom supplies

Culleoka Representative Scott Cepicky drew cheers from public school teachers when he proposed legislation this year to provide them with $500 for classroom supplies.Tuesday Cepicky walked that number back in the House K-12 Subcommittee, by amending his bill to offer less assistance.

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