Federal Trade Commission claims company that provided weapons detection technology to schools made false claims about its effectiveness

The Federal Trade Commission has charged a company that produces AI-based weapons detection systems used by schools and other businesses with making misleading claims about its effectiveness.

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Tennessee recognizes 377 Reward Schools. Schools of choice led the way in the state’s two largest school districts

The Tennessee Department of Education announced the 377 schools across the state that have received the designation as Reward Schools for the 2023/2024 school year.

Public charter schools led the way in the state’s largest school district, accounting for nearly a third of Memphis-Shelby County Schools’ 34 Reward Schools.

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News, State Education, State Government Brandon Paykamian News, State Education, State Government Brandon Paykamian

New Comptroller’s report says nearly 60 percent of Tennessee counties have ‘monetarily significant’ school upgrade needs

While the majority of K-12 facilities in Tennessee are in “good” or “excellent” condition, a new report from the Comptroller’s Office of Research and Education Accountability says that nearly 60 percent of counties have a “monetarily significant school infrastructure need.”

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State Education, State Government Sky Arnold State Education, State Government Sky Arnold

Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds requests nearly $58 million for summer learning camps

One of the key investments in Tennessee’s 2021 special legislative session was the creation of summer learning camps designed to help children overcome pandemic learning losses. The state has continued operating them ever since, and at Wednesday’s state budget hearing, Department of Education Commissioner LIzzette Reynolds made the case for an additional $57.8 million investment.

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Governor Lee backs proposal to dump the Department of Education, despite questions what it might mean for students with special needs and rural Tennessee

You can add Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to the growing list of Tennessee lawmakers who support President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. Lee posted a video on social media Wednesday to proclaim his support for the idea, even though the federal department is directly responsible for funneling more than $800 million to Tennessee.

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Higher Education Commission requests $150 million to cover growing costs at universities across Tennessee

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission is requesting new funding in the state’s higher-ed budget to capitalize on the progress made through other state investments geared toward boosting postsecondary enrollment and expanding workforce training.

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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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Trump’s calls to eliminate U.S. Department of Education renews debate about the role of federal government in Tennessee schools

Despite the fact that the U.S. Department of Education funnels more than $800 million into Tennessee alone, some leading Republican legislators have signaled support for President-Elect Donald Trump’s promise to eliminate the department altogether.

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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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Tennessee Higher Education Commission says overall enrollment has increased across public colleges and universities

Despite witnessing a decline in first-time freshmen enrollment, overall enrollment has increased across Tennessee’s public colleges and universities, according to recent data from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

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Voters reject voucher programs in Nebraska, Kentucky, and Colorado. Is that a bad omen for supporters in Tennessee?

Voters in Colorado, Kentucky, and Nebraska have decisively rejected efforts to implement school voucher programs that would allow families to use tax dollars for private school enrollment.

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Initial version of Governor Lee’s new voucher bill would require participants to be tested

Testing didn’t receive a lot of headlines during the debate earlier this year over Governor Bill Lee’s plan to let families use taxpayer dollars to send their children to private school, but it played an important role in why the legislation failed. Members of the State House and Senate advanced different versions of the Governor’s Education Freedom Scholarship, sometimes called vouchers, and couldn’t come to a compromise on those differences. One of the biggest involved a provision in the House version of the legislation that would reduce the number of tests students in public school are required to take.

The Governor’s new voucher plan unveiled Wednesday includes no reduction in testing and additionally requires participants in grades 3 through 11 to either take a nationally standardized achievement test or The Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program.

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Tennessee Higher Ed Commission notes ‘record-breaking’ year for Tennessee Promise Class of 2025

A record-breaking number of students applied for the Tennessee Promise program, with over 67,000 applicants from the Class of 2025, an announcement from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) said.

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