Education News

Tennessee education department seeks more funding from Gov. Bill Lee

The initial look at the Tennessee’s proposed education budget includes increases to areas that have been priorities in the past, including the state’s ACT retake program and money for charter school facilities. So far, it’s unclear how Gov. Bill Lee will put a stamp on education funding going forward, and changes to the department’s proposed budget could...Read More

Across U.S., graduation rates are rising, with little connection to test scores

Alabama’s high school graduation rate was one of the lowest in the country in 2011. Today, it’s one of the highest. Over that same period, though, Alabama students have continued to perform among the worst in the nation on federal math and reading tests. That leaves the state with a jarring disconnect between its students’ academic skills and the share of diplomas it hands out. And...Read More

Jamie Woodson: Education Success Isn’t the Responsibility of Any One Sector. We Are All Accountable — The ‘A’ Word

Jamie Woodson served from 2011 through the start of 2019 as the executive chairman and chief executive officer of the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, a Tennessee-based nonprofit and nonpartisan education research and advocacy organization. Before that, the Republican served six years as a Tennessee state senator, including as chairman of the Senate Education Committee. She...Read More

Tennessee’s next education chief starts in February. Here’s how she’s prepping.

Penny Schwinn is scheduled on Feb. 4 to take the reins of Tennessee’s education department, where she’ll oversee 600 full-time employees and work on new Gov. Bill Lee’s agenda for public education. Schwinn is now winding down her obligations in Texas, where as chief deputy commissioner over academics she has been responsible for the work of about 350 employees and half of the programs of...Read More

United Way to Lead Citywide Literacy Plan

NASHVILLE, TN — The United Way of Metropolitan Nashville has been selected as the lead organization to manage the implementation of the “Blueprint for Early Childhood Success,” the first-of-its-kind citywide literacy plan to double the number of Nashville third-graders reading on grade level by 2025. The ambitious Blueprint combines the thought leadership of literacy groups, faith and...Read More

Meet the Tennessee lawmakers who will shape education legislation this year

Twenty-three legislators in Tennessee’s House of Representatives and another nine in the Senate will serve as the gatekeepers for hundreds of bills dealing with public education over the next two years. The highly anticipated committee assignments were announced Thursday by House Speaker Glen Casada and Senate Speaker Randy McNally to close out the first week of the 111th General...Read More

Skandera: From 240 Winning Proposals From Around the Country, 4 Key Themes Emerge for Building a Pathway 2 Tomorrow

With a new year, new opportunities present themselves. This week, Pathway 2 Tomorrow: Local Visions for America’s Future announced its new $100,000 Innovation Award as part of its $430,000 investment in 24 locally responsive education solutions, spanning 17 states and the District of Columbia. With the support of more than 75 partner organizations, P2T solicited proposals from around the...Read More

Will Nashville public schools change high school start times?

Exploring whether Nashville public schools should start high school later in the morning could again become a topic for the district’s board. Recently elected Metro Nashville Public Schools Board member Gini Pupo-Walker broached the topic during a recent school board retreat, reviving an issue looked at numerous times over the years. The idea became more prominent...Read More

Education officials zoom in on retaining teachers, CTE courses ahead of new administration

Public education in Tennessee has come a long way in eight years. The state has buckled down — under the leadership of two education commissioners — to address big problems like a literacy gap, teacher retention and college prep. The hard work paid off, according to a national assessment. In eight years, the state moved its grade from an “F” to an...Read More

California students, first in their families to attend college, mentor each other to succeed.

Beyond the usual confusions and questions of freshmen year, low-income students who are the first in their families to attend college may arrive on campus with personal fears that they just don’t belong and will never fit in. However, slightly older students from the same background can ease that uncertainty with advice and friendship, helping those freshmen stay on track in school and...Read More