Thirteen public charter schools to make their case to stay open

In the coming weeks, leaders of more than a dozen public charter schools will make the case for why their school’s charter should be renewed for another ten-year term. Charter schools are free public schools operated by an independent contract or “charter” with an authorizing agency like a school district or the state.

This year, five authorizing agencies including school board members with Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS), Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Hamilton County Schools, Knox County Schools, along with members of the state-run Tennessee Public Charter School Commission will make those decisions for thirteen charter schools.

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Students report racist text messages following presidential election

Black students in schools and universities across Tennessee and the nation have reported a slew of racist text messages evoking slavery in the days following former President Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election this week.

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News, Local Education, State Education, Data and Polling Brandon Paykamian News, Local Education, State Education, Data and Polling Brandon Paykamian

New study suggests Tennessee’s school turnaround models are not leading to long-term improvements in student performance

A new study published by Brown University’s Annenberg Institute indicates that middle school students in the state’s two primary school turnaround models have made very little academic progress in recent years.

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News, Local Education, Memphis Brandon Paykamian News, Local Education, Memphis Brandon Paykamian

Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent to be evaluated on reducing absenteeism and the number of students off-track

After several tense discussions and debate in recent weeks about how to evaluate Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins’ tenure, the Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education managed to come to an agreement on evaluation metrics. Learn more about the criteria.

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Local Education, Nashville Sky Arnold Local Education, Nashville Sky Arnold

NursesMC Nashville aims to be just what the doctor ordered for Tennessee’s nursing shortage

Dr. Andrea Poynter says her work establishing a new nursing based public charter school in Nashville is in full “overdrive” right now. Poynter is the process of filling leadership positions at the future Nurses Middle College Nashville, while also finalizing negotiations for a temporary space to use when the school opens next fall to an initial class of 125 ninth-graders interested in a career in nursing.

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Local Education, Middle Tennessee Sky Arnold Local Education, Middle Tennessee Sky Arnold

Sumner County Schools tells parents there will be “zero tolerance” for school threats

Sumner County Schools is the latest district taking extra measures to warn parents about the growing problem of school threats in Tennessee.

The district recently sent parents a letter signed by Superintendent Scott Langford, Juvenile Court Judge David Howard, Sheriff Eric Craddock, and District Attorney General Lawrence Whitley that outlines the punishment for making threats of mass violence at schools and school-related activities.

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West Tennessee, Local Education Sky Arnold West Tennessee, Local Education Sky Arnold

Jackson-Madison County School System drops lawsuit to block the county’s first public charter school

Members of the Jackson-Madison County School Board voted unanimously Thursday to withdraw a lawsuit they approved less than a year ago, in hopes of stopping the county’s first public charter school.

That lawsuit would have challenged a decision last year by the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission to approve American Classical Academy Jackson-Madison.

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