Statehouse policy and politics
It’s not clear how many new vouchers will be available for Tennessee students next year. The state’s prioritization of applicants will look quite different compared to the first year of the Education Freedom Scholarships program.
The lawsuit marks the first legal challenge to the Education Freedom Scholarship Act, which gave $7,295 in public tax dollars this fall to 20,000 Tennessee students.
The ruling indicates that the first challenge to Tennessee’s expanded school books law faces an uphill battle.
Tennessee currently requires high school students to have two world language credits to graduate. The state board of education chairman wants to reduce the requirement to one credit to give more elective flexibility to students.
The MSCS board voted Tuesday to hire a lawyer who will assess the legality of cutting short five members' terms in the 2026 race. Candidate filing starts next month.
The agency did not yet have details of how much more money it will need for vouchers or its public education funding formula.
A Memphis lawmaker wants Tennessee voters to be able to recall local elected officials, including school boards, as an “accountability” measure.
Donna Goings, MSCS’ mental health director, says attendance at suicide and bullying prevention trainings dropped by two-thirds last year. That’s because most students don’t return now-required permission slips.
Public schools are required by federal law to provide special education pre-K services, but they receive minimal federal and state funding to do so.
Some incumbent MSCS board members say they won’t align with a party. But that could put them at a disadvantage in a Democratic stronghold like Shelby County.
One education advocate says more data is needed to ensure the program is benefiting Tennessee children equally.
The MSCS board elected Natalie McKinney as its leader Tuesday with six votes.
Some Tennessee state testing requirements are overly burdensome or duplicative, teachers told state lawmakers considering education policy changes.
Five school board members will now only serve half their terms, which opponents say is unconstitutional.
How many students are enrolled in Tennessee’s new voucher program? The state won’t say.
Most contaminated water sources are kitchen and concession stand sinks. But some sources have over 10 times the legal lead limit.
County commissioners dropped their original plan to put all Memphis school board seats on the ballot in 2026. But opponents say delaying changes to 2030 doesn’t solve constitutional problems.
Students will be required to keep personal devices, including smartwatches, turned off and put away during school hours. Violating that policy could come with consequences, up to suspension.
MSCS’ school board will vote next week on a revised policy requiring students to keep devices off and away during school hours. But some are concerned about how to address student violations.
Two Republican lawmakers are reviving plans to have the state run the Memphis-Shelby County district. But local education experts say their recent interview, in which one lawmaker called city school leaders ‘dumbasses,’ was insulting and misleading.