Local Education
Knox County Schools Set to Re-evaluate Banned Books List
The district’s Board of Education voted to replace the current process for reviewing books.
Knoxville Education News
Education news from Knoxville and surrounding communities
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Local Education
Knox County School Board Flips to Democratic Majority in Election
Brandy Jenkins defeated Republican candidate Bill Sofield to fill the District 9 seat.
Commentary
Commentary: Brent Jones Wants Your Vote. He Will Not Tell You What He Supports
Three organizations put questions in front of the challenger in House District 18. All three got nothing back. His opponent answered every one of them.
Elections
Rep. Elaine Davis Runs on Education Record, Challenger Brent Jones Ignores Firefly Questions
Jones declined to respond to multiple questions from the Tennessee Firefly about key education issues affecting Knoxville’s House District 18.
Local Education
Knox County Schools Avoids Teacher Layoffs After Unexpected Budget Cuts
The district had to account for $7.8 million in diverted funding.
College and Higher Edu...
World Cup Providing a ‘Global Platform’ for UT
Turfgrass developed by the University of Tennessee is in use at multiple stadiums during this year’s soccer tournament.
College and Higher Edu...
State Building Commission Approves Major UT Projects
The approval clears the way for a nuclear research facility and an entertainment complex.
Local Education
Knox County Schools to Ask Legislators to Revise Book-Banning Law
The district confirmed on May 14 that it was pulling Roots from its schools before superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk reinstated it two weeks later.
Local Education
Knox County Schools May Seek Book Ban Law Reform
The district banned the book “Roots” under a 2024 state law before its superintendent reinstated it.
Local Education
Knox County Schools to Cut More Than 100 Employees
Those cuts include 57 teachers.
State Education
Lawmakers Consider Late Change to Expand Education Savings Account Program
An amendment under consideration would expand the scope of who can qualify to use tax dollars for private school expenses.
Local Education
Knox Prep Cites Students’ Academic Welfare in Decision to Close
Knox Prep faces challenges across multiple fronts, including enrollment.
Local Education
Knox County Charter School Review Committee Faces Questions of Bias
District leadership successfully nominated 12 people to serve on the committee, including Knoxville NAACP President Rev. Sam Brown, who spoke out against the co...
Local Education
Knox County Leader Who Spoke Out Against Public Charter Schools Appointed to Review Them
Thursday night, school board members voted 6-3 to appoint Rev. Sam Brown and 11 others to the district’s Charter Review Committee.
State Education
Knox County School Board Plans Vote on Thursday Whether to Oppose Education Barriers for Undocumented Children
The proposed policy priority is in response to legislation state lawmakers considered earlier this year that would allow school districts the option of refusing...
Local Education
Knoxville Golfer Ava Holmes Takes on the Toughest Course
A member of the Irish girls’ state championship-qualifying team, Ava Holmes initially thought some lingering back pain late this summer likely stemmed from perh...
Local Education
Knox County School Board Considers Taking a Stand Against Barriers for Undocumented Children to Attend Public Schools
The Knox County School Board is weighing whether to take a formal stance against a revived bill that could allow Tennessee districts to deny undocumented studen...
Local Education
Knox County Leaders Oppose Knoxville Sales Tax Increase as Early Voting Begins
Knox County and state leaders are urging voters to reject Knoxville’s proposed $47 million sales tax increase, arguing the measure would add to residents’ finan...
State Education
Tennessee Lawmakers Reconsider 180-Day School Calendar Amid Push for Flexible Scheduling
A new state legislative advisory committee met Thursday in Nashville to explore whether the state’s current 180-day school calendar should be replaced by a more...
Local Education
Knox County Schools Cuts District Jobs and Tightens Cell Phone Policy Ahead of 2025–26 Year
Knox County Schools is preparing for a busy start to the 2025–26 school year, as officials implement major budget cuts and introduce new policies aimed at enhan...
College and Higher Edu...
New Chemistry building has the right composition for the University of Tennessee and the state’s workforce
The Tennessee General Assembly approved $165.5 million in next year’s budget for the new building, which is the largest investment ever funded for a single high...
Local Education
Report finds Knox County Schools has made strides improving its special education program, but still needs to address critical areas of concern
The district now exceeds the state standard for the percentage of students with disabilities spending greater than 80 percent of their day in a general educatio...
Local Education
Knox County School Board votes to name high school baseball field after Morgan Wallen
The school’s principal Jason Webster submitted the nomination, along with an announcement that Wallen wants to make a $1.2 million dollar donation to enhance th...
National Education
From steel chairs to school chairs, why Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs says Linda McMahon is ready for the Education Secretary title
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...
Local Education
Knox County Schools says support is strong for early release days, despite childcare and transportation challenges
More than 75 percent of families said they support the continuation of early release or half days. However, about 53 percent of parents said the shorter days po...
Local Education
Board of Education moves a new Knox County school one step closer to becoming reality
The Knox County School Board voted to move forward with a plan for the creation of a new K-8 school that would serve 1,600 students in the Western Heights area ...
Local Education
Every Democrat on the Knox County School Board declined to support a school praised as a “model” charter school for its work serving students of color
The Knox County Schools Board of Education voted to keep the district’s first public charter school open for another ten-year term Thursday night, but not witho...
News
Knox County Schools committee recommends another 10-year charter for Emerald Academy
The Knox County Schools Board of Education is expected to decide the future of Emerald Academy on Thursday, following a recent recommendation from the district’...
News
Knox County Schools notes academic improvement among students with disabilities
According to Knox County Schools’ Assistant Superintendent of Student Success Dr. Andrew Brown, students with disabilities have demonstrated notable improvement...
News
Knox County Schools approves changes to anti-discrimination guidelines, bans dozens of books
Knox County Schools (KCS) Board of Education members unanimously approved proposed revisions to district guidelines on discrimination and harassment at Thursday...
News
Knox County School leaders debate proposed changes to district nondiscrimination and harassment policies
Members of the Knox County Schools Board of Education continued to debate proposed revisions to district guidelines on discrimination and harassment at Monday’s...
News
Innovation South Facility opens in UT’s Research Park
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility and Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation now have a ...
News
UT President Randy Boyd tours high schools to showcase higher ed opportunities
University of Tennessee (UT) System President Randy Boyd recently visited several high schools across the state to highlight the system’s academic programming a...
News
School safety remains top concern for parents in Knox County
Knox County Schools (KCS) leaders continued to hear from parents about school safety concerns at Thursday’s regular Board of Education meeting, following last m...
News
UT-Knoxville earns ‘high rankings across multiple disciplines’ nationally
The University of Tennessee at Knoxville achieved “high rankings across multiple disciplines” in the latest U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges report, a r...
News
Knox County Schools to donate to regional flood relief and cleanup efforts
Knox County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk announced Monday that the district will provide assistance to school systems impacted by flooding from Hurric...
News
UT-Knoxville appoints new director for AI Tennessee Initiative
The University of Tennessee at Knoxville has appointed mathematics professor Dr. Vasileios Maroulas to serve as associate vice chancellor and director of the AI...
News
Comptroller’s Office investigation finds ‘questionable transactions’ at Knox County’s Farragut High School
The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has released two investigative reports related to Farragut High School in Knox County Schools System (KCS) after officials th...
Local Education
Knox County school board approves AI guidelines, hears public comments on ‘outing’ LGBTQ students
The Knox County Board of Education approved new AI guidelines at Thursday's regular meeting. The board also heard comments from community members about a new st...
Local Education
Knox County Schools says “cultural shift” in hiring reduced teacher vacancies to near-zero
Knox County Schools says the district has reduced teacher vacancies to near-zero levels through a “cultural shift” in the hiring process that simplifies the pro...
Data and Polling
Knox County Schools makes changes to early dismissal schedule
Following recent discussions between board members and with parents in the community about their preferences, the board decided to do away with two “early relea...
College and Higher Edu...
UT study shows need for more civic education in Tennessee
A recent statewide survey from the University of Tennessee’s Institute of American Civics suggests there's a critical need to improve civics education in Tennes...
Local Education
Knox County Schools outlines security strategies for upcoming school year
Knox County Schools officials highlighted new security measures and investments to enhance school safety this school year as part of the district’s ongoing “Saf...
College and Higher Edu...
UT leads research project to 'create the perfect pitches' at 2026 FIFA World Cup
A delegation from FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) recently visited the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, as part of the FIFA Pitch Res...
College and Higher Edu...
UT Haslam College ranks first and second for graduate and undergrad supply chain programming
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's Haslam College of Business has once again received national recognition for its programming relating to supply chain man...
Local Education
Knox County school board votes to revise book ban policies
The Knox County Board of Education voted Thursday to revise district policies regarding the removal of books containing sexual or age-inappropriate content from...
State Education
New state assessment data shows economically disadvantaged students are finding more success at public charter schools
This week’s release of state-level Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) results is providing some good news for the 44,000 children who attend publ...
Local Education
Knox County school board fails to pass policy change banning books depicting sexual imagery
A proposal to ban books depicting sexual imagery in Knox County Schools failed in a 4-2 vote. The board discussed compliance with a new state law set to take ef...
Local Education
Knox County school board discusses banning books with sexual content
Knox County Board of Education officials discussed banning books that depict sex at Monday’s school board work session.
Local Education
School resource officers to remain the only armed personnel in Knox County Schools
The Knox County Schools Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution affirming that school resource officers (SRO) and law enforcement officers will remai...
Local Education
Knox County parents will know later this month if their children are at risk for retention under new reading requirements
Knox County parents will be notified if their children are at risk of retention under new state reading requirements, with options for retesting or summer inter...
Local Education
School board members propose separate resolutions to oppose new law allowing teachers to carry guns
Two members of the Knox County Schools (KCS) Board of Education are proposing competing resolutions to push back on a recently passed law to allow armed teacher...
Local Education
Knox Prep welcomes new students into a family atmosphere
Tawanya Figgs says she felt her 11-year-old son Ta’vion Wilson needed a change going into his sixth-grade school year.Figgs says the traditional public schools ...
Local Education
Knox County leaders approve historic salary investment for educators and staff
The Knox County School (KCS) Board approved a historic $39 million investment to raise the salaries of teachers and school staff across the district.The vote wa...
Local Education
Knox County School leaders propose $39 million increase in district salaries
Knox County School (KCS) leaders are proposing a historic $39 million investment to increase the salaries of educators and school staff.The spending proposal fo...
Local Education
Knox County School Board approves first off-site Bible class
Students at Knoxville’s Farragut High School will be able to earn a full elective course credit in Bible studies next school year.Tennessee is one of several st...
Local Education
Parents ask Knox County School Board to commit to special education changes
Tiffany Matthews says a team of teachers oversees her son’s individualized education program (IEP) for autism at Knoxville’s New Hopewell Elementary School.Matt...
Local Government
Tennessee lawmakers mislead public while attacking plan to provide students of color with better school facilities
Tennessee State Representative Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, logged on to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, at 10 PM Friday night to produce a ...
Local Education
Knox County School Board fails to approve resolution denouncing Governor Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act
Knox County School Board members failed to pass a resolution Thursday night that would have denounced Governor Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act. The...
Local Education
Knox County School Board split on the Education Freedom Scholarship Act
Knox County School Board members are split over Governor Bill Lee’s proposal to let families across the state use taxpayer dollars to attend private school.Gove...
Local Education
Meet Janet Bravo, the principal of Knoxville Preparatory School set to open this fall
A decade ago, it would have been hard to picture Janet Bravo working at a public charter school, much less leading the startup of one.Bravo says back then she h...
Local Education
Knox County School Board pauses harassment language change critics worry could lead to harassment of LGBTQ+ students
Knox County School Board members voted to hold off implementing a proposed change to school harassment language some fear would remove protections for LGBTQ+ st...
Local Education
Knox County proposes new school to address overcrowding
A long-awaited solution may finally address school overcrowding in the Farragut area of Knox County.At Monday night’s school board work session, Knox County Sch...
Local Education
Knox Prep leaders have had success serving students of color. Why are these board members working against it?
Three members of the Knox County Board of Education continued to work against efforts to establish a public charter school with a history of successfully servin...
Local Education
Opponents of Knox Prep continue to provide resistance seven months after its approval
Multiple members of the Knox County Board of Education who unsuccessfully opposed Knoxville Preparatory School’s approval in April, are continuing to make it mo...
Local Education
Knox County Schools announces new special education councils
Knox County Schools announced more reforms are coming for the district’s special education program.Assistant Superintendent of Student Success Jason Myers unvei...
Local Education
Knox County Schools expanding student mental health resources
The Knox County Schools (KCS) Department of School Culture is aiming to make stronger connections with students who access the district’s mental health resource...
Local Education
Knox County Schools Board of Education approves sweeping changes to special education services
Members of the Knox County Schools Board of Education unanimously voted to approve board chair Betsy Henderson’s resolution to follow all five recommendations m...
Local Education
Knox County Schools approves religious course policy some members consider to a “slippery slope”
The Knox County Schools board of education approved a policy to allow students to leave school for an hour to earn elective credits for religious courses.The 7-...
Local Education
“Deep dive” review finds Knox County Schools needs to do a better job making resources available to special education students and English learners
A “deep dive” review of student support services by Knox County Schools (KCS) found challenges providing resources to special education students and English lan...
Local Education
Knox County Schools unveils "Region 5 Way" to improve low performing schools
Knox County Schools (KCS) Superintendent Jon Rysewyk unveiled a new strategic plan at Monday’s school board meeting to improve schools in the district’s Region ...
Local Education
Knox County Schools unveils "Region 5 Way" to improve low performing schools
Knox County Schools (KCS) Superintendent Jon Rysewyk unveiled a new strategic plan at Monday’s school board meeting to improve schools in the district’s Region ...
Local Education
Knox County Schools launches special education task force
Local Education
Knox County Board of Education approves the county’s second public charter school
Knox County School Board Member Susan Horn (District 5) provided the tie breaking vote at Thursday’s special called meeting to approve the county’s second publi...
Local Education
Knox County School Board ignored its own district’s recommendation to approve a public charter school. That could change Thursday
Supporters of the proposed Knoxville Preparatory School will learn Thursday if having every school board member in attendance improves their chances of approval...
Local Education
Knox County School Board Member makes insensitive comments towards a student and his immigrant family during unusual meeting
Katherine Bike (District 4) accused Chattanooga Prep Sophomore Theo Pedro Orozco of being a pawn for Knox Prep supporters when he referred to his mother as "ill...
Local Education
Vote to approve Knoxville public charter school results in tie. What comes next?
Local Education
Proposed public charter school in Knoxville receives support from district evaluators and students
The charter evaluation team for Knox County Schools is recommending approval for a second public charter school. The team formally presented its findings to the...
News
Chattanooga NAACP leader encourages Knoxville NAACP to reconsider its opposition to public charter school
The education chair of the Chattanooga NAACP wants her organization’s Knoxville branch to reconsider its opposition to proposed public charter school Knoxville ...
State Education
Tennessee’s latest private school voucher expansion proposal would add Knox County, too
Tennessee’s private school voucher program, currently limited to eligible students attending public schools in Memphis and Nashville, would expand to all four o...
State Education
House Democrats attack public charter schools despite academic success in their own counties
Thursday morning two House Democrats used what would otherwise be a routine vote to reauthorize the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission to take swipes at...
Local Education
Knox County School Board members refuse resolutions to “empower” parents, prohibit explicit content, and support women’s sports and literacy
Each year the Knox County Board of Education provides members of the Tennessee General Assembly with a list of legislative priorities the board hopes legislator...
Local Education
Tennessee could see nearly two dozen new public charter schools proposed next year
School districts across the state received 23 letters of intent this month for applications to open new public charter schools next year. That’s the first step ...
Local Education
Fulton coach recognized for distinguished service as an administrator and coach
The job wasn’t even one for which he had applied, and after three years and 13 wins, it hardly seemed destined to result in one of the most remarkable coaching ...
Elections
Knoxville House candidate proposes removing public funding from public charter schools in debate
In a televised debate on a wide range of topics, Democratic Tennessee House District 18 Candidate Gregory Kaplan proposed a drastic change that would put the fu...
State Education
Can apprenticeships help alleviate teacher shortages? Tennessee embraces a new way of helping aspiring teachers get paid while earning a degree
In January, Tennessee announced that it was expanding its “grow your own programs” to recruit and train teachers by developing the new apprenticeship model, whi...