Leader U 2023 Educator Conference is coming to MTSU in Murfreesboro on June 7th. Join us as we learn to “Lighten the Load.”
Read the full storyLeader U Conference 2023 Coming to MTSU on June 7th
Tag: education
Commentary: Let Parents Opt-Out of Low-Performing Schools
Single mom Shinara Morrison discovered homeschooling by accident. When public schools closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, she found herself taking the lead on her child’s education to fill the gap.
Morrison never withdrew her son, who was 7, from the public school system. But she supplemented his online instruction with custom coursework that blended academics and life skills. Morrison had no formal training as an educator, but she had special insight as a mother.
“I had a little cheat sheet in my head,” she says. “I knew his learning style.”
Read the full storyArizona Legislative Republicans Lead Effort to Ensure Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind Is Looked After
Arizona Republican legislators proposed a bill this session to bring oversight of the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind (ASDB) closer in line with the Arizona Constitution’s provisions for regular schools. For about 100 years, the ASDB has only faced oversight once every 10 years, instead of the two-year requirement in the Arizona Constitution that applies to schools. The ASDB serves 2,100 students at campuses in Phoenix and Tucson.
State Sen. Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek), who chairs the Senate Government Committee which heard HB 2456, explained during a speech to the Senate Committee of the Whole on April 13 why he believes a shorter extension is necessary. He said the Democrats who oppose the shorter extension want to treat oversight of the children the same way the government treats its oversight of “changing thermostats” infrequently at the Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA).
Read the full storyOprah Winfrey, Mississippi U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson to Headline Tennessee State University’s Spring Commencement Ceremonies
Tennessee State University (TSU) recently announced that talk show host Oprah Winfrey and Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS-02) will headline the university’s spring commencement ceremonies next month.
Read the full storyUT at Chattanooga Offering Course to Certify Students in Tax Preparation to Help Elderly, Low-Income Adults this Tax Season
This tax season, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) introduced a new course for students in tax preparation that provides the necessary information and credentials needed to prepare taxes for members of the community.
Read the full storyState Committee Rolls Education Savings Expansion Bill to Next Week Due to Lack of Input from Tennessee Department of Education
The State House Education Administration committee rolled a bill until next week that is designed to expand Tennessee’s Education Savings Account (ESA) pilot program. The postponement on Wednesday was necessitated because the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) was unavailable to supply lawmakers with needed information.
HB0433 would expand eligibility for enrollment to those who attend school in a district with five or more priority schools identified as being in the bottom 10 percent for performance. Currently, only students in Nashville, Memphis, and the Achievement School District (ASD) are eligible. This bill would allow students in Knoxville and Chattanooga. The Senate companion has already passed, but that version only includes Chattanooga.
Read the full storyCity of Chattanooga Partners with Hamilton County Schools to Launch New Initiative for Students Wanting to Pursue Early Childhood Education
The City of Chattanooga and Hamilton County Schools (HCS) have partnered together to launch the One Chattanooga Institute of Early Care and Learning which will provide high school students wanting to pursue early childhood education after graduation a direct path to the career.
Read the full storyMastriano Proposes Bill for Pennsylvania School Curriculum Transparency
Pennsylvania state Senator Doug Mastriano (R-Gettysburg) this week announced he is introducing legislation requiring public K-12 schools to post their curricula online.
Should the policy become law, school districts and charter institutions must provide public web access to syllabi for all classes and thorough lists of the textbooks planned for use in those courses as well as commonwealth academic standards for all course offerings. Should a school make any curricular revisions, it would have 30 days to publish them.
Read the full storyArizona Christian University Alleges Religious Discrimination After Glendale School District Terminated Teacher Contract
Washington Elementary School District No. 6 (WESD) in Glendale terminated the contract of Arizona Christian University (ACU) to provide student teachers last month, despite an ongoing teacher shortage, citing the religious tenets of the university as the reason. In response, The Alliance Defending Freedom filed a lawsuit on behalf of the ACU on March 9, demanding multiple types of damages, including punitive.
The suit alleges a violation of the Free Exercise clause of the First Amendment. It asserts that “Arizona Christian and its students do not share religious messages and beliefs within its student teacher programs with local public Schools.”
Read the full storyRaucous School Board Meeting After District Decides to Stop Hiring Teachers from Arizona Christian University
Over 100 concerned parents, educators, and others showed up at a school board meeting of Washington Elementary School District No. 6 (WESD) in Glendale to speak Thursday night, most of them upset that the school board unanimously decided that the district would no longer hire student teachers from Arizona Christian University (ACU). Newly elected School Board Member Tamillia Valenzuela, who describes herself as “witchy AF” and “queer AF,” led the effort, stating the university’s “biblically-informed” values made her feel unsafe.
Read the full storyArizona Freedom Caucus Calls for Removal of ‘Racist’ Scottsdale School District Superintendent Who Still Hasn’t Been Fired
Last month, all three Scottsdale legislators called for the termination of Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) Superintendent Scott Menzel after “racist” comments he made about white people in 2019 were reported in the media. Since no action has been taken, the Arizona Freedom Caucus (AFC) held a press conference last Thursday demanding the school board fire him.
State Sen. Joseph Chaplik (R-Scottsdale), said, “Superintendent Menzel has chosen to publicly conduct himself in such an unbecoming manner that a critical mass of parents in the district do not have confidence in his ability to be responsible and effectively lead our children.”
Read the full storyCommentary: We Need School Resource Officers in Education
Reducing school violence is a national imperative. Frequently school officials and police officials have different perceptions of the role of law enforcement in public education. Policing in an educational setting truly is a unique challenge.
Tennessee has historically done a good job ensuring the safety and security of school employees and students. However, we continue to have incidents. The key is to keep vigilant. Tennessee should invite two great resources Mo Canady of the National Association of School Resource Officers and Phil Keith, the former head of community policing for the Department of Justice to testify on school safety prior to the passage of any legislation.
Read the full storyTennessee Commission Reports at Least $62.9 Billion of Public Infrastructure Improvement Needs
The Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) announced last week the release of its 21st annual report on the public infrastructure needs across the state during the five-year period of July 2021 to June 2026.
The latest report, “Building Tennessee’s Tomorrow: Anticipating the State’s Infrastructure Needs,” indicates there is $1.2 billion or 2 percent increase over the year before. And while the costs have increased for the seven straight reporting period, they decreased when adjusted for inflation and population.
Read the full storyUniversity of Tennessee at Chattanooga to Begin Offering Accelerated Nursing Degree Program This Fall
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) will offer an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program beginning this year’s fall semester.
Read the full storyTennessee Education Commissioner Travels to DC to Promote Federal Investment in Education
Last week, Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn was in Washington D.C. to help the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) launch the Alliance for Learning Innovation (ALI), a bipartisan initiative co-led with Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC, to increase education research and development investments across the federal government. As expressed by a press release, this new venture aims to dramatically grow federal investment in education:
“The alliance brings together a group of education nonprofits, practitioners, philanthropy, and the private sector to advocate for research-based innovations in education. As a coalition, ALI focuses on innovative solutions that build education R&D infrastructure, center students and practitioners, advance equitable outcomes for students, improve talent pathways, and expand the workforce needed in a globally competitive world. To that end, the alliance has developed a comprehensive multi-part agenda including the goal of dramatically increasing the federal investment in education R&D.”
Read the full storyJust Saying Jeb Bush’s Name Fails to Get Data Science Bill Moved Out of House Subcommittee
At this week’s House Education Instruction Subcommittee meeting, State Representative Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis) introduced a bill, HB 0691, that would allow students to earn one credit in data science to satisfy one of the four mathematics credits required for high school graduation. The idea, Parkinson told lawmakers, came from a recently attended conference held by ExcellinEd, the education non-profit founded by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.
At that conference, Dr. Steven Strogatz told attendees, “Our current curriculum is rooted in a different era…our current math curriculum is rooted in the 1950s Space race. We have to make room for data science for 21st-century skills.”
Read the full storyEvers Unveils Record $104 Billion Budget Plan, Republicans Get Ready to Rewrite
Billing it a “breakthrough budget,” Governor Tony Evers rolled out a massive two-year spending plan on Wednesday that would dump billions more taxpayer dollars into a host of new programs, raise taxes by $1 billion-plus on businesses, deliver a sweetheart deal to the Milwaukee Brewers, and gobble up much of the state’s historic $7.1 billion surplus.
At approximately $104 billion, Evers’ budget proposal is the first to break the $100 billion mark and comes in at about $13 billion more than his 2021-23 plan and more than $16 billion higher than the current budget he signed into law in June 2021.
Read the full storyNashville Public School Teacher Signals Intent to Ignore State Law
Last week, despite being a legal requirement since late summer, a Nashville elementary school teacher posted on the social media outlet TikTok her intent to ignore Tennessee state law. She tells viewers, “We were finally told that we must log all of our books into a system, so that, I guess, parents, or the public, or whoever can view it, um, to make complaints.”
In her eyes, the request is stupid, and asking teachers to do it is degrading. She tells her viewers she’s not going to comply, “I don’t need someone from the state or the district, or whoever to micromanage me in my classroom. And if it’s coming to that point, I’m almost like, maybe this isn’t for me now, and maybe I should get out.”
Read the full storyEvers Looks to Freeze Wisconsin’s Popular School Choice Program in Latest Budget
Governor Tony Evers is getting pushback again for his latest plan to freeze out Wisconsin’s popular parental school choice program.
The Democrat, as he did in his last budget plan, is proposing to freeze enrollment in schools participating in private school choice program beginning in the 2024-25 school year at 2023-24 levels.
Read the full storyExecutive Director Timothy Head: Faith and Freedom Coalition Focuses on Life, Marriage, Traditional Family, and Religious Liberty
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed the National Executive Director of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, Timothy Head to the newsmaker line to discuss their four key issues going forward in 2023.
Read the full storyWisconsin Has a Lot of Federal COVID Money on the Table, Much of It Not Properly Documented
As Gov. Tony Evers prepares to introduce his next biennial budget proposal, his administration can’t say how they have allocated a significant portion of the federal COVID aid Evers has nearly complete control over.
And as the governor calls for billions more in education spending, a new report shows there’s a massive amount of federal education aid the state has yet to approve for spending.
Read the full storyWestern Governors University Offering Enrollment to Qualifying 14-18 Year Old Tennessee Students
Tennessee students between 14-18 years old with a high school diploma or equivalent can now enroll in Western Governors University (WGU).
Read the full storyReport: House Speaker Sexton to Introduce Bill Banning Federal K-12 Education Funding
Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) is reportedly in talks with state lawmakers, lobbyists, and other leaders to introduce a bill that would stop the state from accepting federal K-12 education dollars, according to a Wednesday report by The Associated Press.
Read the full storyPublic Education Hits $2.3 Billion Jackpot from Lottery Players
Scratch-off tickets accounted for 75 percent of sales, helping The Florida Lottery to an 11th consecutive year of breaking records and sending $2.3 billion into public education.
Total sales for the fiscal year ending June 30 were $9.32 billion, says the recently released annual comprehensive financial report. Second in sales is the Pick Family, which at 9 percent was down slightly from 10 percent the previous year. Third was Powerball with Power Play at 5 percent, up from 4 percent in 2021.
Read the full storyTennessee Department of Education Releases Findings from the 2022 Tennessee Educator Survey
The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and Tennessee Education Research Alliance (TERA) released key findings and responses from the 2022 Tennessee Educator Survey on Friday.
Read the full storyNashville Mayoral Candidate Natisha Brooks Outlines Her Agenda Items
Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Nashville mayoral candidate Natisha Brooks in studio to discuss her stance on the Titans Stadium deal, reduction of Metro Council members, police support, education, and fixing the budget.
Read the full storyAll-Star Panelist JC Bowman Comments on Tennessee Principals’ Trip to Louisville, Penny Schwinn, and School Security
Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist and the CEO of Professional Educators of Tennessee, JC Bowman in studio to discuss the half-million dollar Tennessee principal trip to Louisville, Kentucky, Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn, and school safety.
Read the full storyRules Governing New School Funding Formula Pass Out of the Joint Government Operations Committee Meeting, Moves Toward Full Implementation
The rules governing Tennessee’s new K-12 education funding formula – Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) – took another step towards full adoption on Monday, passing out of the Tennessee General Assembly’s Joint Government Operations Committee with a positive review. On the State House side, the proposed rules passed by a majority, with only 5 “nay” votes. While on the State Senate side, things were much closer, with a 4-2 in favor.
Read the full storyPresident Joe Biden Appoints Vanderbilt Professor to National Science Board
President Joe Biden recently appointed Keivan Stassun, Vanderbilt University’s Stevenson Professor of Physics and Astronomy and director of the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, to serve on the National Science Board (NSB).
Read the full storyNashville Chamber of Commerce Delivers Annual Education Report
The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce released its 30th Annual Education Report on Tuesday. This year, the Chamber recommendations focused on growing Metro Nashville Public Schools’ Work-Based Learning program.
In all, 131 students participated in MNPS’s work-based learning program during the 2021 – 2022 school year, as did 15 business partners. Students worked over 5,000 hours and received upwards of $70,000 in wages in year 1. The graduation rate of those students who participated in year 1 was 97 percent.
Read the full storyThe Number of Schools Eligible to Participate Increase in Wisconsin Choice Program
Schools available to participate in and student enrollment are up in Wisconsin for its choice program.
The state’s Department of Public Instruction on Friday released the list of schools available for the 2023-24 school year. At 339, it’s 25 more than this year.
Read the full storySchool Choice Expansion Continues to be a Priority for Tennessee Lawmakers
Governor Bill Lee took to social media on Wednesday to proclaim the week of January 22 – 28, 2023, School Choice Week in Tennessee.
He further tweeted that “Every parent should have the opportunity to pick the best school for their child.” The governor added, “[W]e continue to advocate for high-quality education that meets the needs of every individual student.”
Read the full storyGov. Tony Evers Signals Big Spending Plans for Wisconsin in State of the State Address
In his fifth State of the State address Tuesday evening, Gov. Tony Evers began laying out how he plans to use Wisconsin’s $6.6 billion surplus, pitching a spending bender of big government initiatives already with a price tag to date of around $1.3 billion. But there’s more to come. Evers is still constructing his biennial budget plan, set for release in a few weeks.
Read the full storyFlorida’s DeSantis Announces Sweeping Reforms That Include ‘Teacher Bill of Rights’
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held a news conference in Jacksonville on Monday to propose sweeping changes to education, including a Teacher’s Bill of Rights which will empower educators to be leaders in their classrooms.
In the proposed legislation, teachers will have their paychecks protected, while $1 billion will go towards teacher pay increases. School board members will have a maximum term of eight years, instead of twelve.
Read the full storyThe Tennessee Star Education Reporter TC Weber Questions Bill Lee’s Education Priorities
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed education reporter for The Tennessee Star, TC Weber in studio to comment upon Bill Lee’s 2023 priorities absent of education and questions the whereabouts of Penny Schwinn.
Read the full storyMetro Nashville Public Schools Limits What the Public May Say at Board Meetings
The Metro Nashville Public School Board is changing the way that it hears from its constituents. In Chairwoman Rachael Elrod’s view, this is less a change in policy and more of enforcing a policy already in existence. As a result of this new interpretation, the public will be granted more opportunities to publicly address board members but less leeway in what they can talk about. Public participation is scheduled at every meeting, but the only topics open during public participation, are those included in the published agenda.
In a Facebook post dated January 10, Elrod lays out her reasoning to constituents. She writes, “Our public participation policy has been in place since 2017 (before I was on the board) and was most recently updated in March 2022. It has said, since 2017, that public participation should “address the board on an item on the agenda,” she continues with, “After making sure that internal teams could manage this change in enforcement and with no colleague proposing changes to the policy, I announced that I will begin enforcing this policy in 2023.”
Read the full storyCarol Swain on Teacher Union Greed, DEI, and the Suffering of America’s Students
Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Carol Swain in studio to discuss her recent op-ed which tackles the truth about teachers’ unions greed, DEI, and induced suffering of America’s students.
Read the full storyBelmont University Announces Partnership with the University of Arkansas for Engineering Physics Graduates
Engineering physics graduates at Belmont University are now guaranteed placement and funding for a postgraduate degree in engineering pursued through the University of Arkansas as part of a new partnership between the two universities.
Read the full storyTennessee State Senator Introduces Bill Aimed at Prohibiting School District from Mandating Implied Bias Training
State Senator Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) introduced legislation that would prohibit Tennessee public schools and universities from mandating “implicit bias” training. If passed, SB102 would also extend to state agencies, including the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and The State Board of Education (SBE). Neither of these agencies currently requires employees to participate in training as a condition of employment.
The National Institutes of Health defines implicit bias as a form of bias that occurs automatically and unintentionally, but nevertheless affects judgments, decisions, and behaviors. Research has shown implicit bias can pose a barrier to schools creating a diverse workforce and negatively impact student learning. In an effort to mitigate the negative effects, schools and businesses have implemented mandatory training for employees, Gardenhire’s law would work to end these mandates.
Read the full storyMetro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education Unanimously Passes Resolution in Opposition to State Third Grade Retention Law
The Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) Board of Education has joined the ranks of school districts that have passed referendums opposing Tennessee’s 3rd-grade retention law. The law, which goes into effect this year, mandates that all 3rd-graders who fail to achieve a score of “meets expectations” on the state’s annual TCAP test repeat third grade unless they avail themselves of one of the state’s options.
Those options include achieving a required score after retaking the test, enrolling in Summer School, or enrolling in a tutoring program for the next year. Parents, if they choose to, have the opportunity to file an appeal.
Read the full storyArizona Republican Legislators Respond to State of the State Address, Say Political Games Will Not Sidetrack Them
Following the State of the State address from Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, Majority Leaders State Rep. Leo Biasiucci (R-Lake Havasu) and Sen. Sonny Borrelli (R-Lake Havasu) released a video responding to the speech.
“You heard from Governor Hobbs; she does not want a policy discussion but a hasty action for political points. Our founding fathers set up the legislative process that works,” said Borrelli. “We will not be sidetracked or bullied for political games. It [the legislative process] is divinely inspired by our founding fathers. We will stick to the mission.”
Read the full storyTennessee State Senator Joey Hensley Talks Top Issues for 2023 General Assembly
Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed (R-TN-28) Tennessee State Senator Joey Hensley to the newsmaker line to talk about the big issues in Tennessee’s 2023 General Assembly agenda.
Read the full storyNewly Signed Ohio Bill Expands Afterschool Enrichment Accounts
A $6 billion spending bill that Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) signed on Friday expands a program assisting parents and guardians with supplemental education purchases.
The ACE Educational Savings Account program previously bestowed a $500 credit on families seeking to purchase enrichment materials or services to help their children get past the learning setbacks caused by the COVID-19 school shutdowns. The new legislation raises the credit to $1,000.
Read the full storyArizona State Senate Majority Caucus Promises to Keep Republican Values at the Center of Legislation Going into New Session
The Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus (Caucus) released its 2023 Majority Plan on Thursday, outlining priorities and approaches to strengthening the state and tackling important issues. Kim Quintero, director of communications for the Caucus, told The Arizona Sun Times that the elected officials would do their best to honor the Republican values they ran on while working under newly sworn-in Gov. Katie Hobbs (D).
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Appoints Three to State Charter School Commission
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has reappointed Alan Levine to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission. Along with Levine, Michael Carter of Davidson County and Chris Tutor of Shelby County have been submitted for approval as members. The two new members will represent Middle Tennessee and West Tennessee respectively, replacing Dr. Derwin Signet and Dave Hanson as board members. Appointments come from the governor, but must be confirmed by the General Assembly.
Read the full storyConnecticut Towns Seeking Tax Relief, More Education
Connecticut cities and towns are seeking tax relief and more money for education from the state as a new legislative session gets underway.
The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities has released a list of legislative priorities that its 168 municipal members believe “merit priority action” by Gov. Ned Lamont and the General Assembly before the regular session ends in June.
Read the full storyLegislative Session Finds Tennessee Lawmakers Poised to Expand and Amend Existing Education Policies
The 113th Tennessee State General Assembly is set to convene at noon on Tuesday, January 10, and preliminary indications are that the state’s Department of Education (TDOE) will not be supporting any new initiatives this year. The official position of the TDOE is that the administration sets the legislative agenda for state agencies, but in the past, the department has led the charge on several occasions – including, but not limited to, literacy, high-quality materials, and school funding.
For their part, legislators appear to be looking to amend – and in some cases expand – past efforts to improve student educational opportunities. This year’s legislative agenda forsakes the bold initiatives of the recent past in order to tweak and expand existing laws. Education Savings Accounts (ESA), TISA, and the 3rd-grade retention policy are all on the table for modification this year.
Read the full storyConservatives Scored Massive Victories in the Battle over Education in 2022
In 2022, conservatives flipped dozens of school boards across the county, enacting conservative priorities and amending school policies to increase transparency in the classroom.
Moms for Liberty, an organization of conservative parents and school board candidates working towards parental rights in education, and the 1776 Project PAC, a political group that helps school board members against Critical Race Theory (CRT) get elected, endorsed candidates that won many of their races to flip school boards in 2022. School boards throughout the country also banned CRT, adopted new gender identity policies to involve parents and ousted administration in favor of mask mandates.
Read the full storyBlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation Announces $10,000 Scholarships Exclusively for Minority Students
Newly-announced scholarships for college students funded by the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) Foundation and in partnership with the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) – Memphis Chapter will only be distributed to minority students
Read the full storyProfessional Educators of Tennessee Asks Where’s Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn as State Report Card Shows Problems
Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report,host Leahy welcomed Professional Educators of Tennessee’s Founder and President, JC Bowman to the newsmaker line to discuss the recent report card for the state’s education revealing problems for Cannon, Williamson, and Davidson counties.
Read the full story