Marta W. Aldrich

Marta W. Aldrich

Senior Statehouse Correspondent, Tennessee

Marta W. Aldrich is Chalkbeat Tennessee’s Senior Statehouse Correspondent. A newswoman for The Associated Press for most of her career, Marta has covered state government, politics, business, education and other Tennessee news. She has served as news editor of United Methodist News Service and features editor of American Profile magazine. Her freelance work has been published by The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor and Dow Jones News Service, among others. Marta is a graduate of Memphis City Schools and the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

Schools are too often punishing and excluding special education students with behavioral issues, Tennessee Disability Coalition says

46% proficiency rate is the highest since the state raised its academic standards in 2010.

Former librarian will lead panel that could decide which titles students statewide can access.

The revised policy also requires more tutoring for struggling readers who advance to fifth grade.