Tennessee Education Leaders Debate the Value of Charters, Vouchers and Accountability in School Choice
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.
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 centered on the presence of Pride flags in local schools.
Clarksville-Montgomery School Board Rejects Resolution to Oppose Legislation That Would Allow School Districts the Option of Denying Undocumented Children
The Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board narrowly voted down a resolution opposing House Bill 793, legislation that would allow Tennessee school districts to deny undocumented children a free public 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 official calendar. The decision came after an emotional debate over whether the district should rename the holiday to “Winter Break,” exposing deep divisions in the community over faith, heritage, and inclusivity in public 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.
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 widespread property assessment errors.
Proposed Public Charter Schools in Rutherford and Madison Counties Receive Key Support
The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission is holding a meeting tomorrow to decide appeals from the Jackson Museum School and Rocketship Public Schools.
Rep. Warner’s Quarry Lake Project Rejected by Marshall County Board Following Outcry of ‘Destroying’ Neighbors’ Homes
The project, already underway at 3429 Verona Caney Road in Lewisburg, has come under scrutiny for originally being approved for agricultural use, despite attendees of the hearing testifying to the removal and selling of limestone rock of the site – an action that would require it to be designated as mining use.
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 workforce needs in cloud computing and artificial intelligence.
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 ongoing driver shortages.
New Research Backs Up Public Charter School’s Argument for Expanding into Rutherford County
New data compiled by the Tennessee Charter School Center and SCORE found economically disadvantaged students at Rocketship Dream Community Prep scored in the top 7 percent in the state for both math and English language arts (ELA) proficiency.
Tennessee Tri-Star Reads Contest Winners Log Thousands of Summer Reading Minutes by Traveling to ‘Different Places’
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…
Rutherford County Parents Make the Case to Launch a New Public Charter School
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.
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 uncovered.
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 opportunities in northeast Davidson County.
Williamson County Schools Announces GPA Change for Transfer Students
Beginning this school year, the district plans to recalculate each transfer student’s grade point average (GPA) from their prior schools using Williamson County Schools’ weighted scale for honors and other higher-level courses.
Williamson County Parents Sue School Board for Allegedly Allowing a Transgender Student to Participate in an All-Girls Sex Ed Class
The lawsuit stems from two seventh grade family life classes that occurred last May at Legacy Middle School in Franklin.
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 pressing education challenges: chronic absenteeism.
Rocketship Public Schools Drops Charter Appeal in Nashville to Focus on Rutherford County
Rocketship Executive Director Eric Dailey tells the Tennessee Firefly that his organization is only planning to appeal the narrow 4-3 decision in Rutherford County to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission.
Novus SMART Academy Approval Brings a Fourth Public Charter School to Rutherford County
Board members Tammy Sharp, Katie Darby, Stan Vaught, and Vice-Chair Frances voted in support of Novus SMART, while Chair Claire Maxwell, Butch Vaughn, and Caleb Tidwell voted against it.

