Public charter schools are playing a prominent role in Nashville’s recognition for improved academic performance.The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) announced Monday that Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) has increased the number of reward schools this year to 48 achieving the top accountability status during the 2021-2022 school yearNearly 30% of those 48 Reward Schools (14 total) are public charter schools.

The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission heard from both parents and students Thursday morning who feel Southeast Nashville has a real need for a different educational approach to serve children who are English learners and those from underserved communities.The comments came during a public hearing for proposed public charter school Saber STEM Academy.

More than twenty speakers addressed the commission in both hearings including parents with young children in tow pleading for an alternative to traditional classroom-bound learning. Multiple homeschool families explained their decision to leave MNPS schools and why they would prefer the option of enrolling their children at the Tennessee Nature Academy to better meet their development needs.

The chair of the Memphis Shelby County Schools board wants newly elected member Keith Williams to relinquish his post as head of the district’s biggest teacher’s union, warning that his roles on both bodies pose a potential conflict of interest.

An analysis of TNReady data by the Nashville Charter Collaborative found public charter schools are serving a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students and students of color in Nashville and those students are showing stronger gains in math and English-Language Arts (ELA) at public charter schools.

Step Up, a mentorship nonprofit founded in 1998, announced they are expanding their operations to Nashville after Music City native, Reese Witherspoon, made a multi-year investment.

This fall a little-known state board could play a huge role in expanding school choice options for parents across the state.The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission will decide the appeals of thirteen potential new public charter schools who all were previously denied by their local school boards.

Each summer students from across Tennessee take part in a competition that takes place in chairs, bedrooms, libraries, and even cars.It’s known as Tristar Reads and the goal is to spend the most minutes reading over the summer break. Tennesseans for Student Success created Tristar Reads in 2016 to help stop the so-called “summer slide” that many students encounter over the summer months when they’re not in school.This year, 77 participants students spent roughly 273 thousand minutes reading including overall winner Jeffrey Stubblefield.

Deciding which school is best for your child can be an overwhelming task. Fortunately, Tennessee offers a variety of school-choice options, but getting from the start line to the finish can be confusing.

Deciding which school is best for your child can be an overwhelming task. Fortunately, Tennessee offers a variety of school-choice options, but getting from the start line to the finish can be confusing.

Metro Nashville Public Schools fired off a scathing response this week to a new Beacon Center report that’s critical of the way school districts across the state have been spending their COVID relief money.The Beacon Center reviewed data on the $3.4 billion Tennessee school districts received from the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) to evaluate how those dollars are spent. Its report questioned facility investments and other spending by multiple school districts, including $3 million Metro Nashville Public Schools spent for elementary school design services.

A new report from Beacon Center of Tennessee shows that school districts throughout Tennessee received a total of nearly $3.5 billion sent directly to districts in COVID-19 recovery funding.That funding, however, was then used by districts for items such as mattress pads, instant pots, toaster ovens, Apple pens, security cameras, sound systems, and sending teachers to a conference in Baltimore. The funds were part of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, or ESSER, which has had three phases of funding.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray, who was under investigation over claims that he abused his power and violated district policies, resigned Tuesday under an agreement with the school board that formally ends the inquiry.At a special meeting Tuesday, the nine-member board approved an agreement that will give Ray a severance package equivalent to 18 months’ salary — about $480,000— plus some other benefits. All members voted in favor, except for Stephanie Love, who did not vote.

As KIPP Memphis celebrates its 20th anniversary, CEO Antonio Burt thinks the charter network is on its way to “finding our sweet spot” in Memphis’ changing educational landscape after the pandemic.“I think it’s a time of great opportunity for us — a time for us to say, 20 years later, we’re now stronger than ever,” said Burt, who is beginning his first full school year after becoming CEO in November. “We look forward to taking that momentum and furthering and continuing to bolster our plan.”

The Memphis-Shelby County Schools board on Tuesday approved just one of four charter school applications for the 2023-24 school year.

The Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) Board of Education provided school choice supporters with a mixed bag at Monday afternoon's specially called meeting.

With less than three weeks to go before students return to classrooms, Memphis-Shelby County Schools has 220 unfilled teaching positions.

Tennessee currently has no charter schools operating outside the big four cities of Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. Rutherford County’s School Board ensured that won’t be the case next year with a historic decision for school choice at its July 18 meeting.

The Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education sent another sign Tuesday night that public charter schools will not have an easy time making their case in Music City.

Nearly 17% of Memphis students in grades 3-12 performed at or above grade-level expectations in math and English on state standardized tests in 2022 — a sign that the district has recovered some ground from the steep academic declines caused by the pandemic.