School districts across the state should learn this week what students could be held back under the state’s new Third-Grade Retention Law.The Tennessee Department of Education expects to be able to send that information to districts by May 19. Districts will then check to see if any of those students meet exemptions to the new law and then inform parents.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools wants to clean up the way it cleans up its schools.Last year, the board approved a four-year, $34 million contract with ServiceMaster Clean to provide custodial services across the district. The cost was significantly higher than the previous year, when the work was split between two providers, but MSCS sought a wage increase to $15 an hour, which the district argued would help it hire and retain workers.

A new poll of likely Davidson County voters found strong support for raising teacher pay, even if that meant raising taxes.More than 56 percent of those polled said they’d support an increase in property taxes to pay for teacher raises. Just under 32 percent said they wouldn’t support a tax hike.

The proposed 2023/2024 budget for Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) includes pay increases for school administrators, universal free lunch for students, and increased funding for classroom associates to address problems with the district substitute teacher system.

The Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) superintendent search is officially on hold, much to the frustration of some residents in Memphis.MSCS school board members called a special meeting to discuss the budget on Tuesday and towards the end of the meeting, the board announced that it will be pausing the superintendent search..

Two years ago, Dr. Ricki Gibbs featured prominently in WPLN’s Peabody award winning series the Promise, in an episode that contrasted two East Nashville public elementary schools that couldn’t be more different, despite their close proximity.  

The recent passage of a teacher pay raise by the Tennessee General Assembly hasn’t quelled calls to improve the compensation for Memphis educators.Multiple teachers and social workers appeared at last week’s Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Board of Education meeting to demand better compensation and higher salaries for their work.

Every summer, students across the country experience learning loss during the months they’re away from school on summer break.Two years ago Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) launched the Promising Scholars Summer Learning Program to help prevent it.

American Classical Education (ACE) will open at least one public charter school in Tennessee, but the group’s controversial history remains a roadblock in several communities.This week five school boards voted on applications for ACE to open public charter schools with a classical education focus.  The organization received approval from Rutherford County Schools and came close with board members in Maury County Public Schools, but the group still faced opposition in Madison, Robertson, and Montgomery Counties.

Knox County School Board Member Susan Horn (District 5) provided the tie breaking vote at Thursday’s special called meeting to approve the county’s second public charter school.Horn wasn’t present during the initial vote 4-4 tie vote earlier this month that not only failed to approve the application from Knoxville Preparatory School, it also failed to agree on a reason for denial.

Fairley High School students and alumni told the Memphis-Shelby County School Board they want the school to remain open as a public charter school.Fairley is among five public charter schools that have applied to transition out of the state’s Achievement School District (ASD) and into Memphis-Shelby County Schools. School Board members denied all five during Tuesday evening’s meeting.

Supporters of the proposed Knoxville Preparatory School will learn Thursday if having every school board member in attendance improves their chances of approval.Members of the Knox County School Board failed to approve the public charter school’s application during a tumultuous meeting earlier this month and failed to agree on a reason for denial. In multiple votes the board was unable to break a 4-4 tie with board member Susan Horn (District 5) absent.

Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education said no to three proposed schools Tuesday night, including one by a former student.The board voted 5 to 2 against Invictus Nashville Charter School and unanimously voted against Pathways In Education-Nashville and Nashville Collegiate Prep High School.

School board members with Memphis-Shelby County Schools denied all five applications for new public charter schools with one vote Tuesday.The board opted to follow the recommendation of the district review committee and vote down applications by Empower Memphis Career and College Prep, Grizzlies Prep STEAM School for Girls, Pathways in Education, the CHANGE Academy and the Tennessee Career Academy.

A review committee for Memphis-Shelby County Schools recommended a denial for all five new public charter school applications the district received this year, including three schools that received high rankings from independent reviewers.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members decided Monday to keep their search for a new superintendent on pause while they try to reach consensus on what they want for the district and its next leader.

Katherine Bike (District 4) accused Chattanooga Prep Sophomore Theo Pedro Orozco of being a pawn for Knox Prep supporters when he referred to his mother as "illiterate" during a hearing earlier in the week. Orozco was among the group of Chattanooga Prep students who made the drive to Knoxville to speak in support of Knox Prep.