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West Tennessee Education News

Education news from West Tennessee and surrounding communities

24 articles

Latest Articles

Four Public Charter Schools Approved in Jackson
Local Education

Four Public Charter Schools Approved in Jackson

APR 29, 2026 | Jacob Holley

The approvals came at the behest of Superintendent Dr. Marlon King, who in the past has made efforts to keep charter schools out of the district.

Dyer County Board of Education Rejects First Charter School
Local Education

Dyer County Board of Education Rejects First Charter School

APR 16, 2026 | Sky Arnold

Trimble Academy supporters are expected to submit an amended application for a second review later this summer.

Trimble Academy Could Be Tennessee’s First Rural Public Charter School
Local Education

Trimble Academy Could Be Tennessee’s First Rural Public Charter School

APR 14, 2026 | Sky Arnold

Supporters say a surprise decision last year spurred interest in establishing the school in the small town.

Madison County’s First Public Charter School Approved to Open in 2026
Local Education

Madison County’s First Public Charter School Approved to Open in 2026

OCT 17, 2025 | Sky Arnold

The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission unanimously voted to overturn a Jackson-Madison County’s School Board decision and clear the way for the Jackson ...

Dream Catcher’s Academy Charter Proposal Sparks Debate in Memphis
Local Education

Dream Catcher’s Academy Charter Proposal Sparks Debate in Memphis

SEP 19, 2025 | Katerine Gerasimenko

At a recent public hearing, Memphis community members rallied behind the proposed Dream Catcher’s Academy, a K-12 charter school designed to serve students expe...

Parents Make the Case for Jackson’s First Public Charter School
State Education

Parents Make the Case for Jackson’s First Public Charter School

SEP 18, 2025 | Sky Arnold

If the Jackson Museum School’s appeal is granted next month, the school would open with an initial class of 160 students in kindergarten through second grade.

Jackson-Madison County School Board Rejects County’s First Public Charter School
Local Education

Jackson-Madison County School Board Rejects County’s First Public Charter School

JUL 14, 2025 | Sky Arnold

The Jackson Museum School would utilize a “museum model” similar to schools in Atlanta and Chattanooga, which infuses subjects like science and math into weekly...

From Mall Manager to Math Mentor: Dr. Brandi De La Cruz Named Tennessee Teacher of the Year Finalist
State Education

From Mall Manager to Math Mentor: Dr. Brandi De La Cruz Named Tennessee Teacher of the Year Finalist

JUL 8, 2025 | Katerine Gerasimenko

Dr. Brandi De La Cruz never set out to become a teacher. In fact, she once dreamed of becoming the next Martha Stewart. But what began as a spur-of-the-moment d...

Public Charter School with Ties to Hillsdale College Pulls Out of Madison County a Year Before Opening
Local Education

Public Charter School with Ties to Hillsdale College Pulls Out of Madison County a Year Before Opening

JUL 7, 2025 | Sky Arnold

Attorneys for American Classical Education notified the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission last month that the charter operator had made the “difficult ...

Jackson Educator Proposes “Museum Model” Charter School for Students Who Need Something Different
Local Education

Jackson Educator Proposes “Museum Model” Charter School for Students Who Need Something Different

JUL 1, 2025 | Sky Arnold

The proposed kindergarten through sixth-grade school would operate under a “museum model” that integrates immersive learning experiences into the curriculum.

Jackson-Madison County School Board denies former district educator’s application to open a public charter school
Local Education

Jackson-Madison County School Board denies former district educator’s application to open a public charter school

MAY 1, 2025 | Sky Arnold

Board members voted 8 to 1 to reject the Jackson Museum School but left signs they might be willing to approve the school this summer. 

Jackson-Madison County School System achieves state’s highest score for academic progress
News

Jackson-Madison County School System achieves state’s highest score for academic progress

NOV 18, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

Tennessee has awarded the Jackson-Madison County School System (JMCSS) with the highest score for academic growth (Level 5) on the Tennessee Value Added Assessm...

Jackson-Madison County School System drops lawsuit to block the county’s first public charter school
Local Education

Jackson-Madison County School System drops lawsuit to block the county’s first public charter school

OCT 21, 2024 | Sky Arnold

Members of the Jackson-Madison County School Board voted unanimously Thursday to withdraw a lawsuit they approved less than a year ago, in hopes of stopping the...

Jackson Madison County School System gives special recognition to Superintendent King, declares September Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in JMCSS
News

Jackson Madison County School System gives special recognition to Superintendent King, declares September Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in JMCSS

SEP 16, 2024 | Brandon Paykamian

Jackson Madison County School System Superintendent Dr. Marlon King was named the 2025 Southwest Tennessee Regional Superintendent of the Year by the Tennessee ...

Local Education

Jackson-Madison County graduation rate improvement outpaces the state

DEC 11, 2023 | Sky Arnold

Jackson-Madison County School System (JMCSS) leaders celebrated the district’s surge in graduation rates outpacing the state’s improvement.From 2021, the distri...

Jackson-Madison County School Board approves legal challenge to stop the county’s first public charter school
News

Jackson-Madison County School Board approves legal challenge to stop the county’s first public charter school

NOV 28, 2023 | Sky Arnold

The Jackson-Madison School Board officially authorized its attorney to begin pursuing a legal challenge to last month’s decision to grant the county’s first pub...

Jackson-Madison County Schools launches grant program to support teachers
Local Education

Jackson-Madison County Schools launches grant program to support teachers

NOV 28, 2023 | Sky Arnold

The Jackson-Madison County School System (JMCSS) announced the launch of a new teacher grant program aimed at supporting innovative teaching methods, profession...

Jackson-Madison County seeks legal action to stop its first public charter school from opening
Local Education

Jackson-Madison County seeks legal action to stop its first public charter school from opening

OCT 17, 2023 | Sky Arnold

The Jackson-Madison School Board is considering court action to prevent the county’s first public charter school from opening.Board members voted Monday morning...

Jackson-Madison County Schools attacks “inconsistencies” in two recommendations for American Classical Education
Local Education

Jackson-Madison County Schools attacks “inconsistencies” in two recommendations for American Classical Education

OCT 4, 2023 | Sky Arnold

Jackson-Madison County Schools made the unusual move Wednesday to publicly attack a recommendation by the Executive Director of the Tennessee Public Charter Sch...

Lane College among those opposing American Classical Education’s appeal in Madison County
Local Education

Lane College among those opposing American Classical Education’s appeal in Madison County

SEP 22, 2023 | Sky Arnold

American Classical Education (ACE) will have to overcome opposition from one of Tennessee’s historically black colleges and universities if it’s going to succes...

American Classical Education blasts decision against proposed Madison County school that included 74 reasons for denial
Local Education

American Classical Education blasts decision against proposed Madison County school that included 74 reasons for denial

JUL 27, 2023 | Reana Gibson

Leaders of American Classical Education (ACE) didn’t hold back their criticism of Jackson-Madison County school board members who voted down a proposal to estab...

State audit found school officials in Dyer County wrongfully used COVID grant for bonuses
Local Education

State audit found school officials in Dyer County wrongfully used COVID grant for bonuses

JAN 3, 2023 | Sky Arnold

A state audit revealed that Dyer County Schools wrongfully used over $63,000 from a COVID-19 grant to award bonuses to administrative staff without proper appro...

Fayette County charter school proposed to support future Ford families
Local Education

Fayette County charter school proposed to support future Ford families

OCT 3, 2022 | Sky Arnold

The proposed Academy of the Arts charter school aims to provide a school choice option for future Ford employees in Fayette County, but faces concerns from the ...

Proposed charter connected to Hillsdale College faces more questions about how it would serve students with special needs
Local Education

Proposed charter connected to Hillsdale College faces more questions about how it would serve students with special needs

SEP 15, 2022 | Sky Arnold

At a public hearing in Jackson Thursday morning, Administrators with the Jackson-Madison County School System told the Tennessee Public Charter School Commissio...

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