Local Education, Middle Tennessee, State Government Brandon Paykamian Local Education, Middle Tennessee, State Government Brandon Paykamian

“Wicked” and “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” among 7 books under consideration for banning at Rutherford County Schools

The Rutherford County Schools Board of Education is expected to decide if it will ban seven books next month to comply with a new state law instructing school libraries to remove books with sexual or otherwise inappropriate content.

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Rutherford County Schools approves book ban policy revisions

The Rutherford County school board unanimously voted to approve revisions to district policy regarding the removal of books with sexual or inappropriate themes from school libraries to align with a new state law that went into effect this year.

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Lawmakers spread misinformation that a Wilson County school library is closed because of a new state law

A viral tweet from the Tennessee Holler claimed that a Wilson County high school library was closed due to a new state law banning books with inappropriate content, sparking reactions from lawmakers. However, Wilson County Schools' Public Information Officer Bart Barker clarified that the library was temporarily being used for Chromebook and textbook checkouts, a normal procedure at the start of the school year. Barker noted that the library would reopen once the process was complete, and the district has had a book challenge system in place for over two years to comply with state legislation.

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Tennessee concludes 'FAFSA Frenzy Month'

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission has spent the last 10 days partnering with dozens of community partners across Tennessee to assist students from the Class of 2024 with their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) ahead of the August 1 deadline for Tennessee Promise scholarship applications.

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THEC launches 'FAFSA Frenzy' resources to help students apply for financial aid

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) is partnering with several education and community organizations across the state to launch its “FAFSA Frenzy” campaign to provide support to students and families completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

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Beacon Poll notes voters' concerns about public education along with support for former President Trump and Sen. Blackburn

A new statewide survey from the Beacon Center of Tennessee found 50 percent of registered voters in Tennessee are dissatisfied with the way things are going in K-12 public education.  

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AI policies are still a work in progress for several Tennessee school districts ahead of 2024-25 school year

Tennessee school districts are finalizing their AI policies ahead of the 2024-25 school year as they navigate new legislation requiring guidelines on AI use in classrooms.

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Fourth-graders show reading gains on state assessments while third-graders hold steady

Tennessee's fourth-graders showed noticeable improvements in reading this year while third-graders' scores held steady.That's according to a Thursday announcement from the Tennessee Department of Education, releasing the 2024 Tennessee Comprehensive Academic Program (TCAP) English Language Arts (ELA) scores.

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