TENNESSEE EDUCATION REPORT THIS WEEK
Physicians Urge Schools to Maintain Mask Mandates, Protect Kids
22by Andy Spears / 2d
A group of Tennessee physicians this week responded to Gov. Bill Lee urging local school districts to drop mask mandates. Here’s more from a press release: “Mask requirements for our classrooms keep COVID out so our kids can stay in school, parents at work and most importantly, protect vulnerable children who do not have the option to get vaccinated yet, ” said Dr. Amy Gordon Bono, an internal me
A Response to “Moms for Liberty”
94by Andy Spears / 2d
Williamson County parent group One WillCo has been organizing and speaking out in favor of diversity and inclusion in schools. Now, the group is out with a public statement in response to national group “Moms for Liberty” and their campaign against so-called “Critical Race Theory.” Here’s the statement from One WillCo: Ahead of one of the nationally-coordinated “Moms for Liberty” misinformation e
Memphis Teachers to See Pay Raise
by Andy Spears / 2d
Thanks in large part to federal stimulus money, teachers in Shelby County will see a raise and the district plans to build new schools and renovate additional buildings if the County Commission signs off on the proposed budget unanimously adopted by the School Board. Chalkbeat has more: Shelby County Schools board members unanimously approved a proposed budget of $2.19 billion Tuesday night, an i
Williamson Parents Speak Out for Diversity, Inclusion
21by Andy Spears / 3d
A group known as One WillCo helped organize a parent response to a plan by Williamson County Schools to focus attention on diversity in the district and address issues of systemic racism. Here’s more from a press release: Before tonight’s school board meeting, over 100 community members joined outside the Williamson County Admin Complex to show support of the district’s hiring of “Fostering Healt
Williamson County Group to Make Stand for Diversity & Inclusion
59by Andy Spears / 4d
A group known as OneWillCo plans to be in attendance at tonight’s Williamson County School Board meeting to show support for efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in the district’s schools. Here’s more from a press statement provided by the group: A large group of parents and community members will show up at tonight’s school board meeting to show public support of the efforts by the WCS Sch
April Showers
32by Andy Spears / 7d
Erik Schelzig in the Tennessee Journal’s On the Hill blog notes that Tennessee’s April revenues were $600 million more than the budgeted estimate. Go ahead, read that again. In one month, the state collected $600 million more than planned. Here’s more from Schelzig: Tennessee’s general fund revenue collections were nearly $600 million above estimates in April, bringing the state’s surplus to $1.9
A Warning on Privatization
by Andy Spears / 11d
This article originally appeared in The Progressive . In 2012, Tennessee’s began a scheme known as the Achievement School District, or ASD. The goal was simple and bold: Take a handful of schools in the bottom 5 percent of student achievement, according to state test scores, and move those schools into the top 25 percent in student achievement in just five years. This miraculous shift, officials
Welcome to the Charter Party
300+by Andy Spears / 11d
On Friday afternoon before Mother’s Day weekend and just after the Tennessee General Assembly had adjourned, the Tennessee Department of Education announced 15 grants for charter school applicants – including grants for charter applications in several districts that do not currently authorize any charter schools – Rutherford County, Montgomery County, Millington Municipal, Fayette County, and Wil