Comptroller’s Office investigation finds ‘questionable transactions’ at Knox County’s Farragut High School
The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has released two investigative reports related to Farragut High School in Knox County Schools System (KCS) after officials there reported “questionable transactions” to the office, a recent news release said.
Williamson County students make the case for middle school school arts instructors to get a raise
Williamson County parents and students continued urging district leaders to increase compensation for fine arts teachers at Monday's school board meeting.
Supporters make the case for Novus SMART Academy in Rutherford County
Following the Rutherford County Schools Board of Education’s recent decision to deny Novus SMART Academy’s application to become the fourth charter school in the district, supporters and educators from the charter school have taken their appeal to the state.
Knox County school board approves AI guidelines, hears public comments on ‘outing’ LGBTQ students
The Knox County Board of Education approved new AI guidelines at Thursday's regular meeting. The board also heard comments from community members about a new state law instructing schools to "out" LGBTQ students to parents.
Rutherford County Schools leaders highlight homegrown training program for special ed and ESL instructors
Rutherford County Schools (RCS) leaders highlighted recent efforts to fill special education and English as a second language (ESL) teaching positions at Thursday’s Board of Education meeting.
Knox County Schools looks to improve special education programming
Knox County Schools Assistant Superintendent of Student Success Dr. Andrew Brown gave an update on special education related matters at Tuesday's school board work session.
Sumner County Schools increases number of AP scholars
Sumner County Schools Director Scott Langford told board officials and community members that the district has made significant strides in expanding of advanced placement (AP) programming.
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.
New study examines role of socioeconomic factors in racial achievement gaps
A recent study from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute suggests that socio-economic factors like household income and parents’ education play a role in perpetuating schools’ racial achievement gaps.
Memphis-Shelby County school board approves pay raises for school resource officers, STEM lab funding
The Memphis-Shelby County Board of Education approved budget amendments to fund pay raises for school resource officers (SROs) at Tuesday’s special call meeting and work session.
These Memphis middle and high schools have a new program to boost student literacy
IOTA Community Schools, formerly Green Dot Public Schools, has partnered with Reading Horizons to boost literacy instruction in four Memphis middle and high schools. The partnership brings the Reading Horizons Elevate program, which focuses on foundational reading skills for older learners, to schools like Hillcrest High, Kirby Middle, Wooddale Middle, and Bluff City High. IOTA's Chief Academic Officer, Christina Austin, emphasized the program's goal of better preparing students for college and careers through enhanced reading instruction.
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.
Williamson County Schools officials discuss AI guidelines, plagiarism concerns
According to current guidelines available on the board’s website, students and staff should only use AI programs that are approved by district leadership for instruction or completing student work approved AI programs may be utilized in student instruction or in completing student work.
Tennessee Department of Education announces improvements in K-12 literacy and efforts to maintain progress
While recent state assessment data trends show that students throughout the state are making gains in literacy, officials from the Tennessee Department of Education say more work is needed to maintain that progress moving forward.
SCORE memo notes need to update state higher-ed funding formula
A new memo from the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) highlights the need to revise Tennessee’s outcomes-based postsecondary funding formula to better prepare students for career success after graduation.
Metro Nashville Public Schools addresses teacher vacancies, welcomes back Brick Church Middle
Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) has made significant progress in recent efforts to address teacher vacancies in the district, according to a back-to-school update given by Director Adrienne Battle at Tuesday’s regular board meeting.
Tennessee Connections Academy aims to meet growing demand for online learning options
A recent report from Market Data Forecast found the global K-12 online education market is expected to grow more than $500 billion to reach about $716 billion in 2029, amid the growing popularity of online learning options. Among the schools in Tennessee helping to meet that growing demand is Tennessee Connections Academy.
State Board of Education seeks feedback on state ELA standards
The Tennessee State Board of Education has launched a new survey to gather public comments and feedback about Tennessee’s K-12 English Language Arts (ELA) standards, a Monday announcement said.
Knox County Schools makes changes to early dismissal schedule
Following recent discussions between board members and with parents in the community about their preferences, the board decided to do away with two “early release days” and turn the remaining four into “half days,” which officials say have less instruction time than early release days
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.