If each chamber passes its version, the final details of one of the most talked about pieces of legislation this session would be decided in a conference committee.

Members of the Tennessee House sent a sign of increased support for innovative education options Monday by voting 70 to 19 in favor of legislation that supporters say will improve the approval process for public charter schools.

State Representatives John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, and Antonio Parkinson, D-Memphis, both serve districts where multiple public charter schools are outperforming traditional public schools nearby.  Still both lawmakers openly questioned the performance of those schools during debate over new charter legislation Monday morning in the House Government Operations Committee.

Speaking to House Education Committee members Wednesday evening, Representative Mark White said only 17 percent of the district’s students demonstrate proficiency in math, and just 23 percent meet reading proficiency standards.

Legislation that supporters say will help ensure public charter schools are approved timely and without political bias advanced from the House Education Committee Tuesday, but not without multiple misleading statements by Knoxville-based opponents.

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.

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.

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.

The legislation, referred to as the Tennessee Public School Accountability Act, would allow the commissioner of the Department of Education to recommend the governor, speaker of the house, and lieutenant governor to create a board of managers over specific school districts.

Thursday the group held one of it’s first community discussions involving panelists who acknowledged the critical issues within the district but believe these problems can be better solved at the local level.

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.

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, opened the first day of the special session on Governor Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act of 2025 by replacing half of the members serving on the influential House Education Committee.

State Representative Mark White, R-Memphis, says he’s working on legislation to provide Tennessee with the ability to intervene in the Memphis-Shelby County School district.

Tennessee Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, named former teacher, Senator Dawn White, R-Murfreesboro, as chair the Senate Education Committee that’s expected to play a big role in the legislative session and upcoming special session.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins issued another defiant response to allegations of professional misconduct and recent efforts to fire her Tuesday, when school board members were expected to vote on whether to terminate her contract after less than a year leading the district.

When Tennessee Governor Bill Lee unveiled the details of the $100 million Helene Emergency Assistance Loans (HEAL) Program in a press conference Thursday afternoon, a reporter asked whether he might be willing to dip into the unused funding for his vouchers program. The Governor did not seem interested despite $144 million in voucher funding sitting unused.

A key House committee advanced legislation this week that’s designed to address workforce shortages and early childhood literacy in one swoop.Representative Mark White’s, R-Memphis, “Promising Futures” bill intends to make this happen by combining an early childhood literacy program with childcare services for children. The goal is to help parents around the state where unaffordable childcare interferes with the workforce.

The more than yearlong search for a new leader of the state’s largest school district is officially over. Members of the Memphis-Shelby County School Board unanimously picked Detroit Public Schools Chief of Leadership and High School Dr. Marie Feagins to be the district’s next superintendent Friday afternoon.Six board members initially provided the necessary three-fourths majority to approve Feagins, but the remaining three members chose to change their vote to ensure the final tally is unanimous.

When Governor Bill Lee unveiled his proposed program to offer taxpayer funded private-school scholarships Tuesday, Tennessee House Education Administration Chair Mark White, R-Memphis, was among the supporters who made the trip to Nashville to be in attendance.White says he plans to support the Education Freedom Scholarship Act as he believes competition will improve education in Tennessee.

When Governor Bill Lee unveiled his proposed program to offer taxpayer funded private-school scholarships Tuesday, Tennessee House Education Administration Chair Mark White, R-Memphis, was among the supporters who made the trip to Nashville to be in attendance.White says he plans to support the Education Freedom Scholarship Act as he believes competition will improve education in Tennessee.