Chalkbeat

Education news. In context.

Chalkbeat

Tennessee

U.S. Department of Education

Approved

Tennessee
July 3, 2019

Feds give green light to controversial contract between Memphis charter school and Catholic diocese

The charter school network’s lease prohibits it from teaching anything considered “gravely immoral” by the Catholic Church.

special education

Detroit
June 27, 2019

Michigan no longer ranks near bottom for special education, but that doesn’t mean students are doing better academically

Michigan’s special education performance improved slightly this year, after it was ranked near the bottom of the nation in 2018.

voucher verdict

National
May 15, 2019

D.C. voucher students don’t see test score gains, but are less likely to be frequently absent, latest research shows

The results are a mixed bag, but offer good news compared to earlier studies of D.C.’s program.

chartered destination

National
Updated April 22, 2019

Charter networks KIPP and IDEA win big federal grants to fund ambitious growth plans

KIPP is slated to receive $86 million over five years. IDEA, a Texas-based charter network, won an expected $116 million over five years.

Breaking school-to-prison pipeline

Tennessee
April 12, 2019

This program helps put arrested Memphis teens on track. Now its funding is in jeopardy.

The $1.2 million federal grant for Project Stand expires this summer and Shelby County Schools has not yet decided if the district will pick up the tab.

Fixing Special Education

New York
March 11, 2019

The feds have called out New York for a decade on its special education record. That’s news to some policymakers.

For the past decade, the federal government has identified New York as a state that needs help complying with special education laws.

reflections

Tennessee
February 4, 2019

Nashville school board member and political operative apologizes for his part in Tennessee’s Race to the Top

Will Pinkston presents his perspective in a 16,000-word, self-published essay.

A-F Law

Detroit
January 9, 2019

Could Michigan’s new A-F law cost the state federal funding?

It's been controversial from the start. But now there are questions about whether Michigan's new A-F law could cost the state federal funding.

Boost for charters

Colorado
October 9, 2018

Colorado gets $55 million to support charter school expansion

The five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education will help charter schools with start-up costs and trainings.

New Arrivals

Detroit
September 20, 2018

In a letter to Betsy DeVos, Michigan officials highlight the plight of refugee students — and ask for testing waiver

To teachers who work with recently arrived refugee students, the problem is clear: Although their students will eventually learn English, their language skills…

Funding gap

New York
September 11, 2018

‘Not keeping pace with need’: New York City loses out on federal funds for high-poverty schools

A chunk of Title I money has evaporated over the past decade as federal funding has lagged compared with the number of needy schools.

Testing ESSA

Tennessee
September 5, 2018

One state, three lists of troubled schools — another consequence of Tennessee’s testing mess

After months of talks, federal and state officials come to terms on how to address Tennessee's lowest-performing schools in light of TNReady problems.

Gun Sense

Colorado
August 23, 2018

A Colorado advocate for arming teachers thinks a new federal proposal is misplaced

Should the federal government make money available for schools to arm teachers, it would be up to each district in Colorado to decide whether to take advantage.

National award

Tennessee
May 9, 2018

Memphis student among 161 high school seniors named as U.S. Presidential Scholars

A Memphis senior is headed to Vanderbilt University in the fall, but first, she will make a stop at the White House.

In talks

Tennessee
May 4, 2018

Does Tennessee’s emergency response to testing problems conflict with federal ed law? Stay tuned.

While legislation to address TNReady woes has eased concerns in school communities, it's raised a flurry of new questions about Tennessee’s plan under ESSA.
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