Local News
Hamilton County Launches New Student-Driven History Experience
The project will be an immersive storytelling of Chattanooga's rich history.
Local News
Coverage, analysis, and reporting on local news across Tennessee.
45 articles
Local Education
Knox County School Board Considers Taking a Stand Against Barriers for Undocumented Children to Attend Public Schools
The Knox County School Board is weighing whether to take a formal stance against a revived bill that could allow Tennessee districts to deny undocumented studen...
Local Education
Supporters of Nashville’s Newest Public Charter School Celebrate Approval to Open Next Year
Nashville’s newest public charter school, The Rock Academy, is set to open next fall as Tennessee’s first “opportunity charter school,” a model dedicated to re-...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County School Board Expands Bus Access Citing Attendance Concerns Amid ICE and National Guard Presence
The Memphis-Shelby County School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to expand bus eligibility for all students, citing attendance declines and safety concerns amid...
Local Education
All Nine Memphis-Shelby School Board Seats Headed for Election After Commission Overrides Mayor’s Veto
Shelby County Commissioners voted 8–4 to override Mayor Lee Harris’ veto and put all nine Memphis-Shelby County School Board seats on the ballot in 2026.
Local Education
Tullahoma School Board Votes to Limit Classroom Flags After Heated Debate Over LGBTQ+ Symbols
The Tullahoma City School Board voted unanimously Monday to restrict classroom flags and displays to curriculum-related materials, ending weeks of debate center...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby County Schools Proposes Major Consolidation Plan, Targeting $6 Million in Annual Savings
Memphis-Shelby County Schools is proposing a sweeping consolidation plan that would merge or close several campuses across the city, saving more than $6 million...
Local Education
Sumner County School Board Votes to Keep ‘Christmas Break’ After Heated Debate Over Holiday Name
After nearly an hour of passionate testimony from parents and community members, the Sumner County Board of Education voted to keep “Christmas Break” on its off...
Local Education
Williamson County Schools Moves Toward ‘Away for the Day’ Cell Phone Policy After 11-1 Board Vote
Williamson County Schools is taking a major step toward a full “away for the day” cell phone policy.
Local News
Tennessee Comptroller says Rutherford County Homeowners Overpaid Thousands Due to Faulty Property Assessments
Rutherford County homeowners may soon receive tax refunds after a Tennessee Comptroller investigation found that thousands have been overpaying for years due to...
State Education
Tennessee Commission Denies Four Memphis Charter School Proposals
The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission voted Friday to deny four Memphis charter school proposals, including two new schools and two currently operating...
Local Education
Tennessee Commission Unanimously Approves a Rocketship Charter School in Rutherford County
The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission voted unanimously Thursday to approve Rocketship Public Schools’ expansion into Rutherford County, overturning th...
Local Education
Knox County Leaders Oppose Knoxville Sales Tax Increase as Early Voting Begins
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’ finan...
State Education
Nashville Named One of Six U.S. Cities for Amazon Skills to Jobs Alliance
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 wo...
Local Education
Rutherford County Board Backs House Rep. Mike Sparks’ Push to Lower School Bus Driver Age Amid Shortages
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 ...
State Education
Tennessee Lawmakers Debate Future of Algebra II and Other Core Subjects as Graduation Requirements
Tennessee lawmakers and education leaders clashed this week over whether students with a career and technical education (CTE) focus might be able to substitute ...
Local Education
Every Memphis-Shelby County School Board Seat Will Be Back on the Ballot in 2026 Following Commission Vote
All nine Memphis-Shelby County Schools board seats will be back on the ballot in 2026 after commissioners voted to move up the election cycle, shortening terms ...
Local Education
Memphis Residents Champion Proposed Charter School as a Fix for a District That’s “Failed Thousands”
Memphis-based community members, including parents and retired educators, spoke out in support of a proposed public charter school they hope will help bandage a...
Local Education
Wilson County Schools Considers Adjusting Start Times Amid Bus Driver Shortage
Wilson County Schools is considering changes to school start times as part of an effort to address an ongoing shortage of bus drivers that has left some routes ...
Local Education
Williamson County Schools Joins Other Tennessee Institutions Disciplining Staff for Social Media Comments on Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
WCS confirmed an employee has been suspended pending investigation, after district leaders were alerted to a social media post made over the weekend about the a...
Local Education
MNPS District Leaders say International Baccalaureate Program is Making a Difference in Northeast Davidson County
Metro Nashville district leaders say the International Baccalaureate program in the Hunters Lane Cluster is improving student pathways and early postsecondary o...
State Education
MNPS Superintendent Adrienne Battle Highlights District Achievements at Nashville Rotary Club
Metro Schools Superintendent Adrienne Battle received a standing ovation at GEODIS Park Monday as she highlighted the district’s record-setting academic growth,...
State Education
Nashville and Memphis Report Historic Student Growth while Chattanooga Sees Steady Progress
Tennessee’s two largest school districts, Metro Nashville Public Schools and Memphis-Shelby County Schools, posted historic academic growth for the fourth year ...
Local Education
Memphis-Shelby Schools Report 9,000+ Summer Repairs, Despite Lead, HVAC, and Safety Issues at Start of School Year
Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) reported that they completed 9,055 infrastructure work orders over the summer at the district’s school board meeting Tuesda...
State Education
Collierville High School Math Educator Who Believes ‘Every Child Can Do Math’ Named Tennessee Teacher of the Year
The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) announced Dr. Brandi De La Cruz, a mathematics teacher at Collierville High School, as the 2025–26 Tennessee Teache...
Local Education
Wilson County Schools Votes to Raise Employee Health Insurance Costs Amid Funding Concerns
Wilson County School Board members approved a new health insurance plan for 2026 that will increase employee contributions by at least $600 annually.
State Education
Tennessee Teachers Oppose Classroom Cellphone Use but Are Interested in Artificial Intelligence, Survey Finds
A new statewide poll of Tennessee teachers found many remain skeptical of cellphone use at school.
Local News
MNPS Partners with Vanderbilt on $450K Study to Combat Chronic Absenteeism in Nashville Schools
Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) is teaming up with Vanderbilt University on a new $450 thousand research project aimed at tackling one of the city’s most ...
Local Government
Spotlight: Nashville Chamber CEO Stephanie Coleman Advances Public Education Through Civic Leadership
When Stephanie Coleman became president and CEO of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce in February 2025, she brought with her a clear vision for the organiza...
State Education
Tennessee Foreign Language Graduation Requirement Debate Sparks Outcry: Some Warn of ‘Devastating Consequences’
Tennessee State Board of Education (SBE) Chairman Robert Eby’s proposed study of Tennessee’s foreign language graduation requirement is sparking backlash from e...
Local Education
Shelby County Commission Delays Vote That Could Cut School Board Members’ Terms Short
A controversial effort to reset all Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) board terms in 2026 hit pause Monday as the Shelby County Commission delayed its vote, ...
State Education
Tennessee Lawmakers Reconsider 180-Day School Calendar Amid Push for Flexible Scheduling
A new state legislative advisory committee met Thursday in Nashville to explore whether the state’s current 180-day school calendar should be replaced by a more...
State Education
Tennessee’s Tax-Free Weekend Returns as School Supply Policies Vary by District
With Tennessee’s annual Tax-Free Weekend scheduled for July 26–28, families across the state are preparing for back-to-school purchases.
Local Education
Hamilton County School Board Unanimously Denies the Proposed Tennessee Wildflower Public School
The Hamilton County School Board voted unanimously to reject the amended application for the proposed Tennessee Wildflower Public School, citing unresolved defi...
College and Higher Edu...
Tennessee to Develop Stackable Credential Strategies Through Lumina Partnership
Tennessee has been selected to join Lumina Foundation’s FutureReady States initiative, a national effort to align short-term credentials with quality jobs and e...
State Education
Tennessee Department of Education, Metro Nashville Public Schools Win Top Honors at 2025 ACT Summit
The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) received top honors at the 2025 ACT State and District Summit for their l...
Local Education
Tennessee Nature Academy Receives $2 Million Land Donation for Permanent Nature-Based Campus in Davidson County
Tennessee Nature Academy has secured a 23-acre permanent campus site in Cane Ridge, thanks to a $2 million land donation from the McGowan family. The tuition-fr...
National Education
Tennessee Workers Left Behind: New Study Finds Only 12% of Non-Degree Credentials Significantly Boost Wages Amid Rising Housing Costs
A national study finds just 12% of certificates and industry credentials significantly raise wages—leaving many Tennessee workers struggling as rent and home pr...
Local Education
Anderson County Teacher of the Year Finalist Chrissy Rose Helps Students Pave Their Own ‘Roads to Mastery’
Anderson County Schools’ Teacher of the Year finalist Chrissy Rose is a dedicated third-grade teacher at Grand Oaks Elementary known for her innovative, trauma-...
Local Education
Knox County Schools Cuts District Jobs and Tightens Cell Phone Policy Ahead of 2025–26 Year
Knox County Schools is preparing for a busy start to the 2025–26 school year, as officials implement major budget cuts and introduce new policies aimed at enhan...
Local News
Nashville Mayor says government resources are being stretched by federal immigration inquiry
Speaking before at the Rotary Club of Nashville Monday, O’Connell reaffirmed that his office has done nothing to warrant the investigations now underway in the ...
Local Education
Nashville mayor proposes 13 percent increase in spending for schools
If approved by the Metro Council, education will make up more than 37 percent of the total Metro budget.
Local News
Covenant School Shooting parents say final police report vindicates their desire to keep the shooter’s writings from public release
The report claims Hale intentionally left behind materials to be found, analyzed, and publicly released and investigators say she wanted books, documentaries, a...
Local News
Department of Education says few students have been held back under retention law
New data from the Tennessee Department of Education indicates that about 40 percent of third graders in Tennessee achieved proficiency in English language arts ...
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...