A new report from the Tennessee Charter School Center found public charter schools are outperforming traditional public schools on state measurements for student growth.

Vanderbilt University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have announced a new partnership focusing on artificial intelligence research to develop technologies for national security, as U.S. universities continue to invest more in machine learning research and education programming.

Elon Musk’s AI company xAI is planning to build the world’s largest supercomputer in Memphis, Tennessee, marking the city’s largest capital investment by a new-to-market company in the city’s history, an announcement from the Greater Memphis Chamber said.According to a news release, xAI’s “Gigafactory of Compute” supercomputer system will occupy a former manufacturing facility. The project is pending approval by the Memphis Shelby County Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE), Tennessee Valley Authority and other government agencies.

The proposal to allow Tennessee families to use public dollars to send their children to private school proved to be a topic of disagreement for three candidates running in Blount County's House District 20 Republican Primary.Jason Emert, Tom Stinnett, and Nick Bright weighed in on Governor Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act, frequently referred to as vouchers, during a forum held last week by the Blount County Chamber of Commerce.

Knox County Board of Education officials discussed banning books that depict sex at Monday’s school board work session.

Dr. Alexis Gwin-Miller grew up in Memphis facing the same challenges that she hopes to help children overcome with the Blueprint College and Career Prep public charter school.

The Tennessee Board of Education permanently revoked the educator licenses of three educators for sexual misconduct.

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.

Tennessee’s additional endorsement program has helped over 1,200 educators add qualifications in special education, ESL, and computer science, while new pathways are being developed to meet the demand for computer science teachers.

Adults in Tennessee who have not graduated from high school can now earn a high school diploma rather than a GED through a new online program recently launched at Dekalb County Schools in partnership with the online education provider Graduate Alliance.According to a recent announcement, the new Dekalb County Diploma Completion Program gives students flexibility to complete their high school requirements, as well as access to 24/7 tutoring and personalized support from teachers and academic coaches.

Members of the Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) Board of Education chose John Overton High School rising junior Hannah Nguyen to serve as one of two student board members.The board’s selection committee reviewed applications from students across the district and interviewed five finalists before determining Nguyen was the best fit to represent all MNPS students.

The education and parent advocacy organization Nashville PROPEL has released a white paper detailing what local parents think about “Nashville’s hidden literary crisis,” as well as how that crisis affects students of color.According to a news release emailed to Tennessee Firefly, less than 30 percent of students in the Metro Nashville Public Schools district are reading on grade level despite nearly 80 percent of parents believing their children are at or above grade level, a finding consistent with national trends.

The Tennessee Department of Education has named four state finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching (PAEMST), the nation’s highest honor for U.S. K–12 science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science teachers.According to a news release last week, awardees were recognized for their contributions to teaching and learning, as well as the

Metro Nashville Public Schools' alternative learning centers, or ALCs, will provide students with support "every step of the way" under redesign plans unveiled by district leaders at Tuesday’s school board meeting. 

Memphis Shelby County School Board members and Superintendent Marie Feagins addressed concerns about the school system’s plans to reorganize district personnel at Tuesday’s meeting, reassuring current staff that they will remain employed with the district.

Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board discussed reading proficiency requirements, the decision not to arm teachers, and the impact of COVID-19 relief funding during last week’s meeting.

The Tennessee Department of Education awarded STEM/STEAM designations to 13 new schools, while Kingsport's D-B EXCEL earned redesignation for its program's continued excellence.

In a joint video message, Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Superintendent Marie Feagins, Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, Jr., and Interim Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis emphasized that they believe firearms have no place in schools.

Williamson County parents will soon learn whether their kids will have to attend summer school to advance under state reading proficiency requirements.