Adults in Tennessee who have not graduated from high school can now earn a high school diploma rather than a GED through a new online program recently launched at Dekalb County Schools in partnership with the online education provider Graduate Alliance.According to a recent announcement, the new Dekalb County Diploma Completion Program gives students flexibility to complete their high school requirements, as well as access to 24/7 tutoring and personalized support from teachers and academic coaches.

Allegations State Senate Candidate Bobby Harshbarger broke campaign laws to attack his opponent, Tennessee Senator Jon Lundberg, R-Briston, is going to the State Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s office for investigation.Senate Caucus Chair Ken Yager, R-Kingston, filed the complaint against the East Tennessee Conservatives PAC questioning whether the group’s connections to Harshbarger violated ethics and registry requirements. The PAC has recently sent misleading text messages attacking Lundberg to voters in East Tennessee.

Members of the Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) Board of Education chose John Overton High School rising junior Hannah Nguyen to serve as one of two student board members.The board’s selection committee reviewed applications from students across the district and interviewed five finalists before determining Nguyen was the best fit to represent all MNPS students.

The education and parent advocacy organization Nashville PROPEL has released a white paper detailing what local parents think about “Nashville’s hidden literary crisis,” as well as how that crisis affects students of color.According to a news release emailed to Tennessee Firefly, less than 30 percent of students in the Metro Nashville Public Schools district are reading on grade level despite nearly 80 percent of parents believing their children are at or above grade level, a finding consistent with national trends.

The Tennessee Department of Education has named four state finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching (PAEMST), the nation’s highest honor for U.S. K–12 science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science teachers.According to a news release last week, awardees were recognized for their contributions to teaching and learning, as well as the

Liannet Bergantino says her mother’s work helping people has been an inspiration ever since she was a child.Next fall the Intrepid College Prep Independence Academy High School graduating senior will follow that inspiration to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Bergantino plans to pursue a career in healthcare and continue down the path she started in high school of serving her community.

Metro Nashville Public Schools' alternative learning centers, or ALCs, will provide students with support "every step of the way" under redesign plans unveiled by district leaders at Tuesday’s school board meeting. 

Memphis Shelby County School Board members and Superintendent Marie Feagins addressed concerns about the school system’s plans to reorganize district personnel at Tuesday’s meeting, reassuring current staff that they will remain employed with the district.

Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board discussed reading proficiency requirements, the decision not to arm teachers, and the impact of COVID-19 relief funding during last week’s meeting.

The Tennessee Department of Education awarded STEM/STEAM designations to 13 new schools, while Kingsport's D-B EXCEL earned redesignation for its program's continued excellence.

On May 8 floodwaters rushed into Sumner County, damaging property, and forcing emergency crews to execute dozens of water rescues.The storm also washed up new criticism for a far right-wing political organization that’s gained power in the county in recent years, and is challenging to take its politics to a bigger role in state government this year. That group is the Sumner County Constitutional Republicans.

The TDOE is looking to update how it reviews and classifies CTE programs in the state to determine that they align with the needs of employers across industries.

Two polls released this month have found Tennesseans remain sharply divided on Governor Bill Lee’s plan to let parents use taxpayer dollars to send their children to private school.

It’s not often that statehouse elections in rural Texas steer the national conversation about school choice. But things might change later this month.On May 28, voters will choose Republican candidates in 13 of the state’s 150 House districts. Four are currently held by representatives targeted by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott for persistently stymying his attempts to create a statewide system of education savings accounts (ESAs).

In a joint video message, Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Superintendent Marie Feagins, Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, Jr., and Interim Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis emphasized that they believe firearms have no place in schools.

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.

Williamson County parents will soon learn whether their kids will have to attend summer school to advance under state reading proficiency requirements.

It makes intuitive sense: Smaller districts with fewer kids need fewer schools. A district with 40,000 students operates many more school buildings than a district with 20,000, which in turn runs more than a district with 10,000. With widespread enrollment declines (for example, California’s school-age population is forecast to drop by 15% over the next decade), many districts are now grappling with whether to close one or more schools.

According to the annual report, which surveyed 1,000 teachers across the country, 70 percent of teachers believe that their students are falling behind academically, highlighting a need for increased academic support.