What should we cover?
Tennessee Firefly readers suggest stories. Editors triage. Some become investigations. You can see the whole queue, what’s been pitched, what we’re actively reporting, what we’ve published, right here. Submit your own pitch below.
Submit a pitch
What story should Tennessee Firefly investigate? FOIA-able records, board agenda items, district financial decisions, charter applications, teacher-pay actions, anything education or government in TN. Real-name pitches with permission to credit jump the queue; anonymous pitches are welcome too.
Actively investigating
Investigating 2027 Charter Cycle Introductions
Throughout November, as discussed, publish stories on the prospective applicants for the 2027 cycle that are supported by the ecosystem. Currently, we have highlighted Horizon Academies; the other schools to highlight include Edge Academy, Pillar Academy, and Arete Academy. Edge Academy: Universal Design of Learning, inclusive (SPED) education, and diverse-by-design supports for students with learning differences, both identified and unidentified. Davidson County. Pillar Academy: Literacy-focused elementary school serving North Nashville, with close ties to Purpose Prep. First TN recipient of New School Venture Fund's HBCU Partnership Grant. Davidson County. Arete Academy: "back to the basics" middle school for West Knoxville, selected for an area of the district that is significantly underperforming academically in both math and ELA. BES-supported school.