Governor signs law designed to reduce the number of children retained in the fourth-grade under new reading requirements
Governor Bill Lee signed legislation Tuesday that should ease some concerns parents have that their fourth-graders could be held back this year.That possibility is due to a provision of the state’s Third-Grade Retention Law that went into effect last school year.
Nashville State Community College prepares for new healthcare and information technology programs with Clarksville campus expansion
Nashville State Community College broke ground this week on a Clarksville campus expansion that’s designed to serve students with new academic programs in healthcare, information technology, secondary education, and industrial process control.The expanded facility on Wilma Rudolph Boulevard will include a complete renovation of the existing building in addition to a second building and expanded parking.
Tristar Reads contest encourages students to spend their summer break with a book
Last summer Rutherford County teen Taylor Aslup took advantage of every opportunity to read.Aslup balanced work and cheerleading while still finding time to spend more than 31 thousand minutes reading books she frequently downloaded on her phone. That devotion to reading helped her earn a $1,000 scholarship as the overall winner in the annual Tristar Reads contest.
Students in Rutherford County may take home new backpacks at summer camp
Rutherford County Schools (RCS) is recommending purchasing backpacks for participants in the upcoming June summer learning camp.
Rutherford County School Board votes down proposed fourth public charter school while leaving the door open for approval later
Members of the Rutherford County School Board unanimously rejected what could be the district’s fourth public charter school Thursday but not without offering a gleam of hope for its supporters.The board provided more than a dozen stipulations for leaders of Novus SMART Academy (K-8) to address if they choose to file an amended application.
Williamson County students plead for art teacher pay raises
The arts can be a place where students find community and acceptance as they navigate through their school years.Some students in Williamson County worry the art teachers that help provide that community aren’t adequately valued by their district. Monday night more than half a dozen students and parents told Williamson County Board of Education members those teachers deserve to be paid more.Fairview High School junior Rosalie Mobley was among them. Mobley has been active in theater since the fifth-grade and she told board members it’s given her opportunities few people get.
Independent review recommends denial for a proposed fourth public charter school in Rutherford County
Leaders of Novus SMART Academy (K-8) hope to provide families with another public school option.
Report finds children in East Tennessee facing highest mental health vulnerability
Mental health is a growing concern for children across the country and a new report shows Tennessee is no exception.Earlier this month the Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE), NashvilleHealth, and the Belmont Data Collaborative joined together to release a report called “Connecting the Dots: Mental Health and Student Success in Tennessee” that explores the mental health challenges facing Tennessee youth.
Flip flops and t-shirts meets suits: MTSU unveils the merger of two departments during Spring Alumni Showcase
Students, faculty, and alumni gathered Tuesday night to celebrate a new chapter in Middle Tennessee State University’s (MTSU) work in political and global studies.The university is merging its existing Political Science and Global Studies departments into one new Political and Global Affairs department at its Spring Alumni Showcase. The departments have had plenty of overlap over the years, sharing many of the same students and faculty and the merger is part of a plan to adapt to changes in the future.
Rutherford County School Board narrowly votes to extend director of schools’ contract
Members of the Rutherford County School Board narrowly voted 4 to 3 to extend the contract of Director James “Jimmy” Sullivan during Thursday night’s board meeting.Dr. Sullivan became the Director of Schools for Rutherford County Schools (RCS) in 2022 under a four-year contract. Prior to becoming the director of schools, he served as the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction from 2019 and served as the founding principal of Rocky Ford Middle School in Smyrna.
Residents urge the Rutherford County School Board to reconsider restricting public comments at meetings
Some residents in Rutherford County say a proposed policy change to public comments at school board meetings could infringe on their First Amendment Rights.Current Rutherford County School Board policy allows attendees to make public comments without prior notice and without the topic being on the agenda. The board is considering changing both by requiring advance notice for public comments that must align with topics on the agenda.
School districts received nine applications for new public charter schools. A new tool puts each under the microscope.
This year nine potential charter operators met the February 1 deadline to file an application to open a new public charter school.School board members in Memphis, Nashville, and Rutherford County will vote on those applications later this spring, and any parents who are interested in them now have access to an independent evaluation of the proposed schools.Education advocacy organization Tennesseans for Student Success (TSS) launched this year’s edition of the Quality Charter Review on Monday with an evaluation of each application’s academic, operations, and financial plans. The review also provides an outline of each proposed school's strengths and needed improvements.
LaVergne High School senior granted right to wear eagle feather in graduation cap
Stephen White Eagle approached the Rutherford County School Board Thursday evening to fight for his son’s right to wear an eagle feather in his graduation cap.White Eagle’s son is a senior at LaVergne High School and he says school administrative staff and district administers told his son he wouldn’t be allowed to weather the feather because of school policy.
American Classical Academy Rutherford announces school location in La Vergne
Future students of American Classical Academy Rutherford will begin school at a building just off I-24 in La Vergne.Leaders of the new public charter school announced Tuesday morning that 2 Ingram Boulevard in La Vergne is under contract and they’re in the process of purchasing the building.
Rutherford County School leaders join national lawsuit against social media companies
The Rutherford County Board of Education is joining a national lawsuit against social media companies for alleged damages to students.School board members unanimously voted Thursday evening to join the suit against multiple companies including Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, Snapchat and YouTube.Multiple lawsuits across the nation are currently arguing that social media is contributing to the teen mental health crisis due to the lack of adequate age verification measures, insufficient parental control, and how the platforms endless scrolling is designed to lure and attract teens and expose them to harmful content.
Williamson County residents urge school board to address racial bullying
Independence High School student Elaina Reed told Williamson County School Board members that she was scared when one of her classmates bullied her for her race.Reed says that classmate called her a racial slur and said he was going to shoot up every black person in the school. She immediately spoke to the principal following the student’s threats.
Knox County School Board fails to approve resolution denouncing Governor Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act
Knox County School Board members failed to pass a resolution Thursday night that would have denounced Governor Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act. The tie 4 to 4 vote followed a debate from the board’s work session earlier in the week when board member Jennifer Owens proposed the resolution.
Springs Empower Academy to open at a temporary location in the fall while its permanent school is under construction
Springs Empower Academy announced a partnership with the Smyrna Boys & Girls Club to provide a temporary location while the K-5 public charter school’s permanent facility is under construction.The school is currently in the process of building a new school on Enon Springs Road, but construction and financing delays are preventing that facility from being ready in time for students to start in the 2024/2025 school year.
Tennessee could see more applications for new public charter schools than last year
School boards in as many as six counties could vote on applications this year for new public charter schools.A diverse group of potential charter operators sent 21 charter application letters of intent to school districts across the state, the first step in this year’s new start charter application process. Those operators include an existing charter operator, prior applicants who failed to receive approval, along with a host of new organizations with no experience in Tennessee.A diverse group of potential charter operators sent 22 charter application letters of intent to school districts across the state, the first step in this year’s new start charter application process. Those operators include existing charter operators, prior applicants who failed to receive approval, along with a host of new organizations with no experience in Tennessee.
Reset rooms are reducing behavior problems in Rutherford County elementary schools
Rutherford County School leaders say reset rooms are helping prevent behavior problems in elementary schools.Reset rooms are designated safe areas where students can go to regulate their emotions and behavior. The rooms also allow students to have quiet time which is another strategy for de-escalation.District Special Education District Coordinator Annie Ralston told school board members at Monday’s work session that over the fall semester, there were 1,432 instances of students using the reset rooms to take a break. Only 349 of those instances, or roughly 25 percent, escalated to involving an administrator.