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Senator Lowe’s legislation would create a ten-member advisory committee appointed by state leaders to study the state’s testing and accountability systems.
Under the bill, the education commissioner would be able to recommend the removal of the director of schools and some or all school board members.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 Plyler vs. Doe decision prohibits public schools from refusing to admit undocumented students and the legislation is envisioned by supporters as an opportunity to challenge that decision.
During a school board meeting Tuesday night, the MSCS board voted unanimously to support a resolution opposing state intervention and calling on other elected officials to oppose it as well.
The bill, brought by Speaker Pro Tempore Pat Marsh, R-Shelbyville, would allow local school boards to introduce a merit-based pay structure to award additional compensation to high-performing educators.
The Governor Bill Lee backed legislation would allow charter applicants the ability to apply directly to the charter commission if they want to open a school in a district that has had three charter denials overturned in three straight years.
The 6th district congressman made a commitment to appoint a commissioner for the Department of Education that has experience in a Tennessee classrom
Senator Todd Gardenhire’s, R-Chattanooga, legislation would expand the Education Savings Account (ESA) pilot program implemented in 2022 to include students in Montgomery, Knox, and Rutherford Counties.
Representative Cochran’s legislation removes every end of course assessment high school students take but science and instead requires students to take a postsecondary readiness assessment like the ACT in math and English language arts each year in grades 9-11.
School board members unanimously supported a resolution Tuesday night opposing state intervention in the Tennessee school district and calling on elected officials elsewhere to join them.
Representative White’s amended legislation would empower the commissioner of the Department of Education to recommend the governor, speaker of the house, and lieutenant governor to jointly create a board of managers for Memphis-Shelby County Schools. This board would essentially supersede the district’s existing school board and director of schools.
Legislation presented by Representative Debra Moody, R-Covington, Tuesday would sunset the state ASD, replacing it with a progressive, three-tiered intervention system that would give more control to school districts.
The legislation, referred to as the Tennessee Public School Accountability Act, would allow the commissioner of the Department of Education to recommend the governor, speaker of the house, and lieutenant governor to create a board of managers over specific school districts.
Senator Adam Lowe’s legislation would allow charter applicants the ability to apply directly to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission if they want to open a school in a district that has had three charter denials overturned in three years.
Bulso’s bill would require restrooms, changing areas, and showers that are multi-occupant to be segregated by sex in residential education programs involving minors.
That list includes more than three dozen schools in Shelby County and more than two dozen in Davidson.
Representative William Lamberth’s, R-Portland, bill would give school districts the option to refuse to enroll students that do not have legal immigration status.
Representative Cochran’s amendment would reduce elementary and middle school testing by continuing to require annual state ELA and math assessments but only requiring students to take science tests once in grades 3-5 and once in grades 6-8. Additionally, middle school students would only have to take state social studies assessments once, instead of each year.
Thursday the group held one of it’s first community discussions involving panelists who acknowledged the critical issues within the district but believe these problems can be better solved at the local level.
Speaker Cameron Sexton said leaders in the House and Senate are still working out the details of legislation to create state intervention into Memphis-Shelby County Schools, but one thing that will be proposed is a forensic audit of Memphis-Shelby County Schools to look for fraud abuse and waste.
The bill would require public school districts to collect documentation during enrollment proving students are U.S. citizens, in the process of obtaining citizenship, or hold a legal immigration or visa status. If students cannot provide that documentation, the district could charge them tuition.
The bill, sponsored by Representative Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, would require local school districts to integrate 40 minutes of recess time per day for elementary school students. Currently, schools are only mandated to provide 15 minutes of recess per day.
The proposed legislation would allow charter applicants the ability to apply directly to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission if they want to open a school in a district that has three charter denials overturned in three years.
The bill requires local boards of education and public charter schools to adopt a policy prohibiting students from using any wireless communication devices during instructional time, with some exceptions.
Governor Lee’ is legislation would allow public charter school applicants the ability to apply directly to a state commission in communities with a history of denying charter schools that were later overturned.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin, requires local boards of education and public charter schools to adopt a policy prohibiting students from using any wireless communication devices during instructional time, with some exceptions.
Multiple lawmakers on the House Education Administration Subcommittee expressed an interest Tuesday in requiring school districts to be more open to military recruitment and potentially require them to provide students the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test.
Beginning in the 2025/2026 school year, the State Board can call for an accountability hearing for any district operating a school that receives an “F” letter grade for the two previous years, or a school whose grade slips from a “D” to “F” in the previous two years.
The plan would reduce TSU's budget deficit by $32-37 million over the next two fiscal years through staff cuts, scholarship caps, hiring freezes and other cuts.