Elections
House District 80 Challengers Divided Over Support of Public Charter Schools and Accountability
Democrats Bethany Miller and Andrea Bond-Johnson are running to replace retiring Rep. Johnny Shaw.
West Tennessee Education News
Education news from West Tennessee and surrounding communities
28 articles
Latest Articles
Elections
West Tennessee Candidates Offer Different Solutions to Improve Education
Brett Giannini and Jason Fleming are vying to replace longtime State Representative Debra Moody.
Local Education
Trimble Academy Supporters Say Their Application Wasn’t Given a Fair Review
Dyer County School Board members denied the proposed public charter school despite a positive recommendation from experts.
Local Education
Four Public Charter Schools Approved in Jackson
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.
Local Education
Dyer County Board of Education Rejects First Charter School
Trimble Academy supporters are expected to submit an amended application for a second review later this summer.
Local Education
Trimble Academy Could Be Tennessee’s First Rural Public Charter School
Supporters say a surprise decision last year spurred interest in establishing the school in the small town.
Local Education
Madison County’s First Public Charter School Approved to Open in 2026
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 ...
Local Education
Dream Catcher’s Academy Charter Proposal Sparks Debate in Memphis
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...
State Education
Parents Make the Case for Jackson’s First Public Charter School
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.
Local Education
Jackson-Madison County School Board Rejects County’s First Public Charter School
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...
State Education
From Mall Manager to Math Mentor: Dr. Brandi De La Cruz Named Tennessee Teacher of the Year Finalist
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...
Local Education
Public Charter School with Ties to Hillsdale College Pulls Out of Madison County a Year Before Opening
Attorneys for American Classical Education notified the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission last month that the charter operator had made the “difficult ...
Local Education
Jackson Educator Proposes “Museum Model” Charter School for Students Who Need Something Different
The proposed kindergarten through sixth-grade school would operate under a “museum model” that integrates immersive learning experiences into the curriculum.
Local Education
Jackson-Madison County School Board denies former district educator’s application to open a public charter school
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.
News
Jackson-Madison County School System achieves state’s highest score for academic progress
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...
Local Education
Jackson-Madison County School System drops lawsuit to block the county’s first public charter school
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...
News
Jackson Madison County School System gives special recognition to Superintendent King, declares September Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in JMCSS
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
Acceleration program for at-risk students shining bright in Haywood County
The Star Academy program at Haywood County Middle School is showing success in helping at-risk students advance, with Tennessee awarding a $1 million grant to s...
Local Education
Jackson-Madison County graduation rate improvement outpaces the state
Jackson-Madison County School System (JMCSS) leaders celebrated the district’s surge in graduation rates outpacing the state’s improvement.From 2021, the distri...
News
Jackson-Madison County School Board approves legal challenge to stop the county’s first public charter school
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...
Local Education
Jackson-Madison County Schools launches grant program to support teachers
The Jackson-Madison County School System (JMCSS) announced the launch of a new teacher grant program aimed at supporting innovative teaching methods, profession...
Local Education
Jackson-Madison County seeks legal action to stop its first public charter school from opening
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...
Local Education
Jackson-Madison County Schools attacks “inconsistencies” in two recommendations for American Classical Education
Jackson-Madison County Schools made the unusual move Wednesday to publicly attack a recommendation by the Executive Director of the Tennessee Public Charter Sch...
Local Education
Lane College among those opposing American Classical Education’s appeal in Madison County
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...
Local Education
American Classical Education blasts decision against proposed Madison County school that included 74 reasons for denial
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...
Local Education
State audit found school officials in Dyer County wrongfully used COVID grant for bonuses
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...
Local Education
Fayette County charter school proposed to support future Ford families
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 ...
Local Education
Proposed charter connected to Hillsdale College faces more questions about how it would serve students with special needs
At a public hearing in Jackson Thursday morning, Administrators with the Jackson-Madison County School System told the Tennessee Public Charter School Commissio...