STATE EDUCATION NEWS

If passed by lawmakers, Senator Dawn White’s bill would make the $5,000 scholarship available to undergraduates and those with an existing degree that are seeking a teaching license, including the roughly 5 thousand Tennesseans who are teaching on a 3-year-permit.

The bill, brought by Representative Rebecca Alexander R-Jonesborough, would require local boards of education and public charter schools to adopt a policy prohibiting students from using any wireless communication devices during instructional time, with a few exceptions.

A new Comptroller Report released this week found all of Tennessee’s locally administered school districts received more money during fiscal year 2023/2024 when the state’s new TISA school funding formula went into effect than the prior year.

The School District Capital Improvements Investment Trust Act, sponsored by Representative Kirk Haston R-Lobelville, would allow local school boards to invest any surplus money into the account, which could then only be used for repairs, new building projects, and other capitol improvements for that district.

Leaders in business and education came together to discuss new pathways for Tennessee students to find success in their journey from the classroom to the workforce during the Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) annual Future Forward Summit.  

The Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) announced the launch of a new grant program called the Future Forward Innovation Grant that’s designed to support education, community, and industry leaders as they design and launch innovative education pathway programs.

Explosive program growth and a drop in lottery revenues prompted Tennessee Higher Education Commission officials to warn state lawmakers of a projected shortfall in funding for Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship programs.

The more than $400 million dollar piece of legislation, frequently referred to by opponents as “school vouchers,” will allow up to 20 thousand children across the state to use taxpayer dollars for private school expenses.

In a presentation before lawmakers of the House Education Committee, State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) representatives outlined several five year goals that would dramatically increase not only student proficiency rates in schools but would also help set students up for success in both post-secondary education and ultimately in their careers. 

Fresh off the passage of his plan to let parents use tax dollars to send children to private school during last month’s special session, Lee used the annual address to unveil multiple new proposals for education that would be funded by the Governor’s proposed $59.5 billion state budget.

That poll of 400 parents across the state last month by Public Opinion Strategies found 58 percent of respondents believe charter schools produce better results than traditional public schools, including nearly two-thirds of voters of color. 

Senate Democratic Party leaders released a statement Tuesday night attacking newly filed legislation that would authorize school districts to refuse to admit undocumented children.

Members of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Legislative Council voted down multiple proposed rule changes largely designed to make it easier for high school athletes to transfer schools at a meeting Tuesday morning.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee issued a proclamation recognizing February as Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month to highlight the opportunities CTE programs provide to help students develop the essential skills for career readiness.

The Tennessee State House voted 53 to 45 Thursday afternoon to approve Governor Bill Lee’s plan to let families use taxpayer dollars to send their children to private school.

The legislation comfortably advanced out of the House and Senate Education Committees Tuesday with just two Republicans, joining all Democrats voting against it.

Tennessee students outperformed the NAEP national average for proficiency in both subjects for both grades. Tennessee students have largely been below the national average in both subjects going back to 2003, with the exception of 2015 when fourth-graders exceeded the national average in math and eighth-graders exceeded it in reading.

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, opened the first day of the special session on Governor Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act of 2025 by replacing half of the members serving on the influential House Education Committee.

One major difference between Governor Bill Lee’s proposal this year  to let families use public dollars to send their children to private school, sometimes referred to as school vouchers, and last year’s plan that failed, is a provision designed to ease fears about potential lost revenue for school districts.

State Representative Mark White, R-Memphis, says he’s working on legislation to provide Tennessee with the ability to intervene in the Memphis-Shelby County School district.

Tennessee Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, named former teacher, Senator Dawn White, R-Murfreesboro, as chair the Senate Education Committee that’s expected to play a big role in the legislative session and upcoming special session.

After weeks of speculation, Governor Bill Lee officially announced his decision Wednesday morning to call for a special session on January 27 to address his Education Freedom Scholarship Act of 2025 (frequently called vouchers), Hurricane Helene relief for East Tennessee, and illegal immigration.

State Senators re-elected Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, R- Oak Ridge, as Speaker with a 26 to 0 vote and Representative Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, to serve as House Speaker with 75 votes to Democrat nominee Representative Karen Camper’s, D-Memphis, 23 votes.

A new report from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) says students in Tennessee’s primary college coaching and advising program are more likely than others to gain post-secondary credentials.

While schools and universities were initially reluctant to embrace artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT due to concerns about AI plagiarism and AI hallucinations, educators are now using AI to enhance instruction and familiarize students with emerging technologies.

A new memo from the Tennessee Charter School Center suggests that many charter school students are outperforming their non-charter school peers in ACT exams.

It’s believed Governor Lee will call for a special session on his Education Freedom Scholarship Act of 2025 in late January, following the inauguration of President Donald Trump on January 20.

New data from the Tennessee Department of Education indicates that the state average composite ACT score increased from 19 in 2023 to 19.3 in 2024, among other notable findings.

A new statewide poll from the Beacon Center of Tennessee indicates that 61 percent of Tennesseans support expanding charter schools statewide, with only 14 percent in opposition.