Tag: Nashville schools

Under New State School Funding Formula, Metro Nashville Taxpayers Responsible for a Larger Portion of the Bill

TC Weber

Data released on Friday by the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) released last week shows that Metro Nashville taxpayers are paying roughly $120 million a year over the state’s contribution to fund city schools.

Under Tennessee’s new public school funding formula – Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) – most local school districts, except Nashville Sevier County, can expect to pay one-third of the local education cost, with the state paying the other two-thirds for two districts.

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Tennessee Department of Education Provides Update on Implementation of New Student Funding Formula

TC Weber

The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) updated the State Board of Education (SBE) last week on the state’s progress in implementing its new school funding formula – Tennessee Investment in Student Success (TISA). Tennessee is moving from a systems-based funding formula to a student-based funding formula with TISA.

The new system uses a formula that starts with a base amount for each student and then adds money for various factors. Those components include poverty, district size, English learners, and special education needs. This year, the base allocation per student is $6,860 per student.

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Metro Nashville Public Schools Amends Discipline Policy

TC Weber

Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) adjusted its discipline policies for the upcoming school to all first-time violent offenders to avoid expulsion by enrolling in a five-hour anger management course.

The new program was first introduced to MNPS principals two weeks ago as the First Time Violent Offender Program. The district has since changed the name and now refers to the initiative as the First Time Behavior Support Program.

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MNPS Board Updates Policy to Align with New State Law on Students’ Participation in School Activities

TC Weber

Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) School Board members on Tuesday considered several district policy revisions mandated by changes in state law. Three amended policies required parental permission for student participation in school clubs, school surveys, and certain health screenings.

State law passed this last session, includes new options for parents/guardians regarding certain extracurricular activities and district actions. Specifically, this new law: (1) requires parents/guardians to opt in before their minor child joins a school club or participates in the activities of a club; (2) requires parents/guardians to opt in, rather than opt-out before a student under 18 participates in a non-instructional survey, analysis, or evaluation; and (3) gives parents/guardians the ability to opt-out of health screenings conducted as part of the coordinated school health program.

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MNPS to Purchase 3,300 Shelter in Place Emergency Preparedness Backpacks

TC Weber

Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) has committed to the purchase of 3,300 shelter-in-place backpacks at a cost not to exceed $427,905. Officially known as “Complete Shelter in Place Emergency Preparedness Backpacks”, they are designed to ensure schools are prepared should students need to shelter in place as a result of a  variety of emergency situations.

At last week’s board meeting, the MNPS school board committed to the purchase of the bags for the upcoming school year. 

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MNPS High School Student Pepper Sprays Teacher for Confiscating Phone, Both Say They Were Assaulted

TC Weber

A video depicting a female student pepper-spraying a male teacher at Antioch High School (AHS) went viral over the weekend. The minute-and-a-half video, surfacing on Friday, shows the confrontation between the two after the educator confiscated a cell phone from the student for using it during an exam in the classroom.  The student was asked repeatedly to put the phone away, The New York Post reported.     

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