Law enforcement continues investigating threats against Memphis-Shelby County Schools after Wednesday lockdown
Several schools in Memphis and Shelby County were placed on lockdown Wednesday due to threats of mass violence, according to Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) leaders.
Williamson County students continue push for arts teacher pay raises
Multiple Williamson County Schools students and community members continued to urge the Williamson County Board of Education to support raises for arts teachers at Monday’s meeting.
Hamilton County Schools updates school nursing policy following new parental consent law
The Hamilton County school board updated its policy to allow school nurses to provide emergency care to students without parental consent, in response to a new Tennessee law requiring parental permission for non-emergency treatment. The law was initially aimed at restricting gender-affirming care but has broader implications, such as needing consent for basic medical care. The board unanimously passed the update to ensure emergency situations are addressed promptly. Additionally, the board approved funding for a new staff position to manage legislative updates and advocate for school funding, despite some opposition.
Rutherford County Schools approves book ban policy revisions
The Rutherford County school board unanimously voted to approve revisions to district policy regarding the removal of books with sexual or inappropriate themes from school libraries to align with a new state law that went into effect this year.
Rutherford County Schools says most bus routes are covered despite staffing challenges
The Rutherford County Board of Education discussed transportation and staffing concerns along with updates on funding for technical education programming at Tuesday’s work session meeting.
Metro Nashville Public Schools students write and record district anthem, 'Every Student Known'
Metro Nashville Public Schools students recently collaborated to write and record an anthem for the school district, a recent MNPS announcement said.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools approves two new public charter schools
Members of the Memphis-Shelby County Board of Education voted to approve amended charter applications for both the Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory STEAM School for Girls and Journey Northeast Academy at Tuesday’s board meeting.
Memphis Grizzlies boys' prep school looks to replicate success with new girls' public charter school
For nearly 15 years, the Memphis Grizzlies Preparatory Charter School has leveraged community partnerships with the Memphis Grizzlies NBA team to provide boys with hands-on learning and a focus on literacy and math. Now leaders want to extend those opportunities to girls.
State of AI in Education Survey says higher education is leading AI adoption
A new report from the ed tech platform Quizlet suggests that higher ed institutions are leading in AI adoption when compared to high schools.
More Tennessee schools now eligible for free meal programs
More school districts in Tennessee are now able to serve free meals to students, thanks to recent changes in federal rules governing free meal program eligibility.
University of Memphis childhood programs receive state grants for early intervention services
Two early intervention resource agencies for young children with developmental delays and disabilities at University of Memphis received three new grants from the state to support their work in the coming years, a recent announcement said.
Lawsuit challenges zero tolerance policies for 'threats of mass violence' in schools
A federal lawsuit has been filed by two Tennessee families against Gov. Bill Lee and Williamson County Schools over the enforcement of a zero tolerance law, which they claim resulted in unfair punishments for two students.
Survey: parents 'in the dark' about how K-12 testing data is used for academic support
While parents strongly support the use of statewide summative assessments to measure student progress, many believe that few K-12 leaders are clearly sharing how results are used to formulate academic intervention strategies.
Kingsport City Schools to provide free meals to all students as Tennessee schools grapple with student lunch debts
All students in Kingsport City Schools (KCS) will be eligible to receive meals at no charge, regardless of socioeconomic status, beginning August 5, a recent district announcement said.
Tennessee Department of Education praises steady improvements in TCAP test results
Student performance is slowly but steadily improving in math, English language arts (ELA) and social studies, according to 2023-24 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) results released Monday by the Tennessee Department of Education.
Tennessee Disability Coalition report suggests more work needed to support students with disabilities
A new white paper from the Tennessee Disability Coalition suggests that K-12 schools throughout the state have a lot of work to do when it comes to supporting students with disabilities.
Students of color make up the majority of public charter school students in Tennessee. Should HBCUs get involved?
A recent report by the Tennessee Charter Center found roughly 95 percent of the state's 44,000 public charter school students are students of color and supporters believe HBCUs might be be well positioned to provide a unique K-12 learning experience, especially with the important role HBCUs are already playing in educating the next generation of Black educators and professionals.
Knox County school board fails to pass policy change banning books depicting sexual imagery
A proposal to ban books depicting sexual imagery in Knox County Schools failed in a 4-2 vote. The board discussed compliance with a new state law set to take effect in July.
Knox County school board discusses banning books with sexual content
Knox County Board of Education officials discussed banning books that depict sex at Monday’s school board work session.
Biden Administration announces $12 million in EPA rebates for clean school buses in Tennessee
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing funding to eight Tennessee school districts to purchase more than 40 clean school buses to reduce their fleets’ emissions.According to a recent announcement from the EPA, the funding comes from the EPA’s 2023 Clean School Bus Program, which is part of President Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda. It said the program provides rebate funding to selectees to replace older diesel-fueled school buses, which are linked to asthma and other respiratory issues in surrounding communities.