STATE EDUCATION NEWS
Featured
At Thursday’s Advisory Committee on Innovations in K-12 Education meeting, lawmakers agreed to recommend that the Department of Education conduct a full review of locally mandated tests and the reasons for them.
On Monday, a panel hosted by the League of Women Voters of Murfreesboro‑Rutherford County brought together education leaders from private, charter, and traditional public schools to debate the emerging landscape of school choice in Tennessee.
The recommendations come in advance of the final meeting of the Advisory Committee on Innovations in K-12 Education on Thursday.
The University of Tennessee System has reached historic highs in 2025, reporting record enrollment, retention, and research funding across its campuses.
Tennessee has achieved a record-high graduation rate of 92.3 percent for the 2024–25 school year, according to new data from the Tennessee Department of Education.
Speaking at a town hall event in Jonesborough, Tennessee last week, Green said her priorities would be to expand Medicaid, repeal Tennessee’s grocery tax, and end the Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship Act that allows families to use taxpayer dollars to send their children to private school.
Representative Scott Cepicky tells the Tennessee Firefly he plans to introduce legislation next year to regulate local benchmarks and improve career pathways for students in high school and higher education.
The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission voted Friday to deny four Memphis charter school proposals, including two new schools and two currently operating under the state-run Achievement School District.
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 Museum School to open in 2026.
The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission voted unanimously Thursday to approve Rocketship Public Schools’ expansion into Rutherford County, overturning the local school board’s previous denial. The decision clears the way for the county’s fourth charter school, which will open next August and serve students in La Vergne and Smyrna.
The Tennessee Department of Education has announced the finalists for the 2025–26 Principal and Supervisor of the Year awards, recognizing outstanding school and district leaders across the state. The honorees exemplify transformational leadership, innovation, and commitment to student achievement in Tennessee’s public schools.
Tennessee gubernatorial candidate and state lawmaker Monty Fritts was the only legislator to oppose continuing the Tennessee Department of Education during this week’s sunset hearings at the State Capitol.
The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission is holding a meeting tomorrow to decide appeals from the Jackson Museum School and Rocketship Public Schools.
Last school year, 3,693 students in Nashville, Memphis, and Chattanooga received assistance for private school expenses through the Education Savings Account (ESA), frequently referred to as school vouchers.
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’ financial strain as early voting begins for the November 4 election.
Tennessee Charter Commission Executive Director Tess Stovall has recommended denying four Memphis charter school proposals, citing concerns over financial readiness, governance, and academic planning.
Tennessee SCORE is urging the state to update its higher education funding formula to better reward colleges for helping students earn degrees that lead to strong, high-paying jobs and strengthen the state’s workforce.
The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission advanced a proposed framework Tuesday outlining how it will evaluate Opportunity Public Charter Schools serving at-risk middle and high school students across the state.
Last week, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon named White as the chair of the National Assessment Governing Board that oversees the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), frequently called the Nation’s Report Card.
Nashville has been selected as one of six U.S. cities to join Amazon Web Services’ Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance, a national initiative bridging education and workforce needs in cloud computing and artificial intelligence.
The partnership will produce TBR (frequently referred to as the Tennessee Board of Regents) branding at all TSSAA High School and Middle School State Championships, as well as messaging through social media, e-blasts, e-newsletters, and event streaming throughout the year.
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission announced that the 2026–27 FAFSA is now open, the earliest launch in history, giving students and families more time to secure vital college financial aid.
The Rutherford County School Board voted 5-2 to support state legislation reducing Tennessee’s minimum school bus driver age from 25 to 23 in an effort to ease ongoing driver shortages.
Last week, Nashville-based education organization TN SCORE outlined which types of Tennessee postsecondary programs lead to employment where earnings are enough to be economically independent.
Tennessee lawmakers and education leaders clashed this week over whether students with a career and technical education (CTE) focus might be able to substitute CTE courses for core subjects that are currently required for graduation.
A wizarding world. A magical farm. Other places human beings can scarcely imagine. These are just some of the places the Tri-Star Reads summer reading contest winners traveled to this summer…
The Advisory Committee on Innovations in K-12 Education will make recommendations for the General Assembly to consider next year on testing and other education issues.
Education advocacy organization Tennesseans for Student Success (TSS) recognized four state lawmakers for their leadership in education policy during the 2025 legislative session.
The U.S. Senator utilized her appearance at Nashville Collegiate Prep’s high school grand opening to promote her support for removing barriers that organizations face when starting new public charter schools.
The Rutherford County School Board narrowly voted down Rocketship’s application to open a new public charter school last July, and the operator appealed that decision to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission, hoping to overturn it.