TENNESSEE EDUCATION REPORT THIS WEEK
Unfazed
by Andy Spears / 1d
Gov. Bill Lee responded to three losses in court last week by doubling down on the executive order that landed him in court and allows parents to opt-out of local school district mask mandates. Of course, as a result of the court orders, the opt-out is essentially meaningless in the districts where the suits originated. Still, Lee is persisting in renewing an executive order he has previously adm
Moms for McCarthyism Push Cancel Culture Agenda
by Andy Spears / 1d
Fearing unchecked liberal indoctrination and raging seahorse hormones, the Williamson County chapter of a national dark money group calling itself “Moms for Liberty” is aggressively pushing a cancel culture agenda worthy of Joe McCarthy. A sampling of news about the group’s recent antics explains. CNN reports on the hunt for curriculum deemed objectionable by activists in the McCarthy Mom group:
Mask Madness in Knox County
by Andy Spears / 5d
After a federal judge on Friday ruled that Knox County Schools must make masks mandatory , a group of parents began organizing a protest – suggesting they would send their kids to school without masks and then refuse to pick them up. Then, the planned protests escalated to using cars to block entrances to schools. Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs tweeted in favor of resisting the judge’s order. Now
Lee Strikes Out
by Andy Spears / 6d
Governor Bill Lee has lost in all three federal district courts in Tennessee in his attempt to prevent universal masking mandates in public schools. Yesterday (9/24), Lee lost in the East and Middle districts of Tennessee and he had already lost in the West district. Meghan Mangrum and Mariah Timms have more in the Tennessean on the court ruling in Middle Tennessee: Williamson County and Franklin
Mask Mandate Mandatory
by Andy Spears / 6d
A federal judge has ordered Knox County Schools to mandate masks with no opt-out in order to protect student safety. The move follows a recent order by a federal judge that Shelby County Schools may enforce a mask mandate with no opt-out in defiance of Gov. Bill Lee’s executive order requiring an opt-out option. The Knoxville News-Sentinel has more : Knox County Schools must require all staff and
Sumner County to Ask for Flexibility in COVID Response
by Andy Spears / 13d
After closing for an entire week due to COVID-19, the Sumner County School Board is poised to vote on a resolution asking Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly to grant additional flexibility to school districts in dealing with the pandemic. The move in Sumner County even as parents in districts across the state are suing Lee over his executive order allowing students/parents to opt-ou
Lawsuits Stacking Up as Lee’s COVID (Non)Response Makes Matters Worse
by Andy Spears / 14d
Lawsuits from parents in Williamson and Knox counties are challenging Gov. Bill Lee’s executive order allowing opting out of a school district’s mask policy. The suits are similar to a suit from Shelby County parents. In the Shelby County suit, a judge today granted an injunction preventing Lee’s opt-out plan from going forward. Meghan Mangrum has more on the Williamson County suit in the Tenness
Judge: Lee’s Action on Masks Interferes with Safe Access to Schools
by Andy Spears / 14d
A federal judge today blocked Gov. Bill Lee’s executive order allowing parents to opt-out of mask mandates in schools. WTVC-NewsChannel9 has more : U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman issued the preliminary injunction after parents of students with health conditions argued that the Republican governor’s executive order endangered their children and hurt their ability to attend in-person classes by
Teaching Vacancies Up in Shelby County
by Andy Spears / 16d
The number of teaching position vacancies in Shelby County has increased since the start of the school year, reports Chalkbeat : The Memphis district started the school year with 217 unfilled teaching jobs on Aug. 9, and that number has grown to 227 as of Monday, the district’s human resources chi