The Sumner County Board of Education voted to move $15.5 million out of reserves to fund the first wave of stadium renovations, rebuilds, and facility updates in the district.The need for renovations arose following the collapse of Beech High School’s bleachers last month. A portion of the visitors’ bleachers at Beech High School’s Shackle Island Stadium collapsed overnight following days of heavy wind and rain.

The most controversial issue at Monday’s Williamson County School Board meeting wasn’t even on the agenda.Nearly three dozen parents and students came to the meeting to express their opinions on whether pride flags should be allowed in district classrooms.The issue has gained attention across the country in recent years and the Williamson Herald reported the local Moms for Liberty chapter encouraged parents come to Monday’s meeting and urge the school board to adopt a policy that only allow the state and American flags in public schools.

Six Tennessee schools have been recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools for their academic performance or their work to close achievement gaps between student groups

The Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence (BRSE) has named Nashville’s Alex Green Design Technology Magnet Elementary School a 2023 Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, Beacon School.Alex Green received the honor following a review of nine categories that measure school organization and culture, technology integration, and indicators of success among other categories.  

Laquita Perry says she was born and raised in a South Memphis community where public schools struggled to provide a quality education.In an email to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission, Perry says it wasn’t until it was too late to make informed career choices that she truly understood the array of career possibilities available to her. She believes the proposed public charter school Empower Memphis might offer something better for students today.

Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) announced a new partnership designed to provide more high school students with access to college-credit bearing courses.That partnership with the National Education Equity Lab (Ed Equity Lab) will begin with pilot programs this fall at Maplewood High School and Antioch High School to provide students with the opportunity to enroll in college-level courses at no cost.

Memphis high school students Steven Brown, Paris Brown, and Natalina Gallardo each had their own goals in mind when attending the annual Memphis Area College Night (MACN) Monday evening.For Freedom Preparatory Academy student Steven Brown, that goal was making a plan for when he graduates high school and pursues a major in communication.“My college guidance counselors at my school, they actually set up a future for us to be here today. It was a open opportunity for me. I signed up for it and now I'm here trying to make sure I have a plan for when I leave high school for my senior year,” said Brown.Most of Brown’s top picks including the University of Tennessee at Martin, University of Memphis, and Lane College were present at MACN.

Supporters of a proposed public charter school run by Pathways in Education (PIE) provided the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission with heartfelt testimonies for why the school model needs to return to Memphis.PIE previously operated a school for at-risk students under the state-run Achievement School District (ASD) from 2014-2022. The school applied earlier this year to return to Shelby County as a new charter school in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) district but school board members voted it down in July.Under state law, PIE appealed to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission to overturn the district denial and commissioners will consider the comments submitted by the public both online and at a hearing held earlier this month.

The National Head Start Association (NHSA) is recognizing Memphis organization Porter-Leath as one of 13 Programs of Excellence.This designation is a symbol of the organization’s work with Memphis families and early childhood resources. Porter-Leath is among 1,600 grant recipients of the NHSA.

Fairley High School’s fight to remain a public charter school in Memphis is receiving a boost from the more than 200 people who submitted comments in support of the school to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission.The school’s future has been uncertain since the Memphis-Shelby County School Board voted down its request in July to transfer into the school district.Fairley High School was once a traditional public school but a decade ago the state moved it to the state school system intervention for low-achieving schools known as the Achievement School District (ASD). Fairley is currently in the last year of a ten-year contract with the ASD and its leadership with Green Dot Public Schools hoped a transition to Memphis-Shelby County Schools would allow the school to continue as public charter school.Under state law, Green Dot had the option of appealing to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission to overturn the district denial.  Green Dot did just that and as part of the process, the commission is considering comments submitted by the public online and at a recent hearing.

Today officially closes a monthlong process to encourage the public to submit input on the new School Letter Grades system.September 15 is the last day the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) will accept submissions on the new advocacy tool that will provide an A through F letter grade for how well each public school is serving its students.

Metro Nashville Public Schools unveiled the names of 33 schools achieving the highest level of academic growth on the Tennessee Value Added Assessment System (TVAAS) at Tuesday’s school board meeting.Those schools include 19 elementary schools, 8 middle schools, 5 high schools, and Stratford STEM Magnet Lower School.The district itself also achieved a Level 5 TVAAS score for the second time in a row. The last time MNPS experienced two consecutive years of growth was in 2014 and 2015.“We have been seeing tremendous outcomes in the TVAAS numbers we’ve gotten back from the state this year with the biggest headline of course being that we achieved Level 5 status as a district for the second year in a row,” said Dr. Adrienne Battle, MNPS Director of Schools. “That accomplishment in back-to-back school years is a beautiful reflection of the amazing work that our students, teachers, building leaderships, support staff, parents, community partners, the support of staff with excellent guidance from our board members. A first-rate team effort all around.”

Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) did something different this year when school board members voted to deny three applications to open new public charter schools.The district presented an estimated cost each proposed school would create for MNPS if approved, with public dollars following students leaving traditional public schools for a new public charter school.

The ongoing Memphis-Shelby County Schools superintendent search is receiving helpful information from an unlikely source.At Tuesday’s Memphis-Shelby County School Board meeting, the district revealed it has received around 60 comments on the search at high school sporting events as part of the district’s “Tailgate Talks.”The district has held two Tailgate Talks this month, including one last week at Kirby Stadium that included a large number of comments from younger Memphis residents.“We are doing our due diligence to find a superintendent, but we're taking the time, getting out in the community. Somebody said why are we doing this, this is why we're doing this. Because these young people at Kirby…told us that they felt like they actually had a voice because we stopped, we listened, and we talk with them. Not to them, there's a difference,” said board vice chair Joyce Dorse-Coleman.

A new dashboard launched by the Tennessee Comptroller this week will help parents navigate through misinformation about public charter schools.  The dashboard allows users to research the racial demographics and enrollment numbers of districts that offer public charter schools, and the specific info for each school.

Goodlettsville’s Old Center Elementary students will once again need to attend classes in another school Wednesday.Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) initially relocated those students to Goodlettsville Elementary Tuesday on the advice of the Nashville Fire Department to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and faculty.

Fisk University’s Board of Trustees announced Girl Scout Leader Dr. Agenia Walker Clark as the university’s new president.Clark will be the 18th president and the third female head in Fisk’s history.

Multiple parents of students who attend Stanford Montessori Elementary school in Nashville’s Donelson community made the trip downtown Monday morning to speak out against a proposed public charter school that would also provide a Montessori based education in the area.They may have inadvertently made the case for the proposed school’s approval.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) is hosting a series of “Tailgate Talks” before sporting events across Memphis to learn more about what parents are looking for in their next superintendent.This is the latest step in the ongoing MSCS superintendent search.“As the MSCS Board of Education continues to engage the community in the national search for a superintendent, families are encouraged to join Tailgate Talks. At the events, families can stay informed by enjoying a quick bite and chat with School Board members about the search before the game,” said the district in a news release.The first two tailgate talks took place last week at Kirby Stadium and Southwind Stadium where MSCS board members made themselves available to talk one hour before the games.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) is hosting a series of “Tailgate Talks” before sporting events across Memphis to learn more about what parents are looking for in their next superintendent.This is the latest step in the ongoing MSCS superintendent search.“As the MSCS Board of Education continues to engage the community in the national search for a superintendent, families are encouraged to join Tailgate Talks. At the events, families can stay informed by enjoying a quick bite and chat with School Board members about the search before the game,” said the district in a news release.The first two tailgate talks took place last week at Kirby Stadium and Southwind Stadium where MSCS board members made themselves available to talk one hour before the games.