Representative William Lamberth’s, R-Portland, bill would give school districts the option to refuse to enroll students that do not have legal immigration status.

Representative Cochran’s amendment would reduce elementary and middle school testing by continuing to require annual state ELA and math assessments but only requiring students to take science tests once in grades 3-5 and once in grades 6-8.  Additionally, middle school students would only have to take state social studies assessments once, instead of each year.

Speaker Cameron Sexton said leaders in the House and Senate are still working out the details of legislation to create state intervention into Memphis-Shelby County Schools, but one thing that will be proposed is a forensic audit of Memphis-Shelby County Schools to look for fraud abuse and waste.

The bill would require public school districts to collect documentation during enrollment proving students are U.S. citizens, in the process of obtaining citizenship, or hold a legal immigration or visa status. If students cannot provide that documentation, the district could charge them tuition.

The bill, sponsored by Representative Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, would require local school districts to integrate 40 minutes of recess time per day for elementary school students. Currently, schools are only mandated to provide 15 minutes of recess per day.

Mayor Jacobs has known McMahon for decades through his hall of fame career as the wrestler Kane in the World Wrestling Federation. McMahon and her husband Vince McMahon bought the WWF in the 80s and Jacobs told the Tennessee Firefly that Linda’s business sense will serve the country well leading the Department of Education.

The proposed legislation would allow charter applicants the ability to apply directly to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission if they want to open a school in a district that has three charter denials overturned in three years.

The bill requires local boards of education and public charter schools to adopt a policy prohibiting students from using any wireless communication devices during instructional time, with some exceptions.

Governor Lee’ is legislation would allow public charter school applicants the ability to apply directly to a state commission in communities with a history of denying charter schools that were later overturned.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin, requires local boards of education and public charter schools to adopt a policy prohibiting students from using any wireless communication devices during instructional time, with some exceptions.

Multiple lawmakers on the House Education Administration Subcommittee expressed an interest Tuesday in requiring school districts to be more open to military recruitment and potentially require them to provide students the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test.

The bill, sponsored by Representative Kirk Haston, R-Lobelville, establishes a community schools grant program to benefit public schools, administered by the University of Tennessee. Local districts would be able to opt in and apply for grants to create so-called full-service community schools within existing public schools.

The Tennessee State Board of Education released evaluations this month for how well three local education agencies are overseeing public charter schools. Five overturned decisions contributed to Metro Nashville Public Schools earning just a “satisfactory” score.

Beginning in the 2025/2026 school year, the State Board can call for an accountability hearing for any district operating a school that receives an “F” letter grade for the two previous years, or a school whose grade slips from a “D” to “F” in the previous two years.

If passed by lawmakers, Senator Dawn White’s bill would make the $5,000 scholarship available to undergraduates and those with an existing degree that are seeking a teaching license, including the roughly 5 thousand Tennesseans who are teaching on a 3-year-permit.

The bill, brought by Representative Rebecca Alexander R-Jonesborough, would require local boards of education and public charter schools to adopt a policy prohibiting students from using any wireless communication devices during instructional time, with a few exceptions.

A new Comptroller Report released this week found all of Tennessee’s locally administered school districts received more money during fiscal year 2023/2024 when the state’s new TISA school funding formula went into effect than the prior year.

The School District Capital Improvements Investment Trust Act, sponsored by Representative Kirk Haston R-Lobelville, would allow local school boards to invest any surplus money into the account, which could then only be used for repairs, new building projects, and other capitol improvements for that district.

Leaders in business and education came together to discuss new pathways for Tennessee students to find success in their journey from the classroom to the workforce during the Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) annual Future Forward Summit.  

The Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) announced the launch of a new grant program called the Future Forward Innovation Grant that’s designed to support education, community, and industry leaders as they design and launch innovative education pathway programs.