Chalkbeat Tennessee
Marta W. Aldrich is the senior statehouse correspondent at Chalkbeat Tennessee. A newswoman for The Associated Press for most of her career, Marta has covered state government, politics, business, education and other Tennessee news. She has served as news editor of United Methodist News Service and features editor of American Profile magazine. Marta is a graduate of Memphis City Schools and the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
There are 180 articles by Marta W. Aldrich :
Three aspiring charter groups are interested in opening schools in Memphis and Nashville in 2026 under a new state law aimed at creating options for at-risk youth.
Some 60% of Tennessee third-grade students scored below proficiency in English language arts on 2024 state tests. Fewer than 1% of them were retained under the state’s reading and retention law.
Tennessee needs to spend about $9.8 billion on repairs, upgrades, or construction to keep its K-12 public school buildings safe and conducive to learning, according to a new state report.
Lee called it “a great idea” to dismantle the agency, which was created under a 1979 federal law during President Jimmy Carter’s administration.
“It’s a one-time bonus that’s basically asking us to sell out our public schools,” said Liz Marable, a longtime Memphis educator who is currently president of the United Education Association of Shelby County. “But we are not for sale.”
The governor said he looks forward to delivering on his promise for more education choices for parents.
The analysis has national implications for ongoing reforms aimed at making swift and dramatic improvement to persistently low-performing schools.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson told school board members the governor is planning a “substantial” increase for public education funding in 2025 but didn’t specify how much or for what.
The executive director of the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission said the school has shown improvement in the past two years and generally outperforms nearby middle schools operated by the local district.
Superintendent Marie Feagins is embracing a “back to basics” approach to reading instruction as Memphis-Shelby County Schools seeks to improve student test results.
“Our first priority now has got to be taking care of our neighbors in East Tennessee and helping them recover from this storm damage,” Rep. Mark White said.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools violated federal civil rights law by not adequately responding to complaints of sexual harassment and assault of students in a three-year period, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights announced Friday.
More than 2,300 students who were expected to attend district schools haven’t shown up.
No Tennessee school system has indicated it’s working to train teachers or staff to be armed under the new law, according to dozens of school and law enforcement officials contacted by Chalkbeat.
Carly Fair, who has children in Tennessee public schools, was a lobbyist at the state Capitol for families like hers who have a fourth-grade child at risk of being held back under a 2021 reading law.
At least 75% of an opportunity charter school’s students would have to be classified as at risk, and the school also could include a residential setting.
Legislation to let some public school teachers carry handguns gained momentum as the GOP-controlled legislature quashed new attempts to tighten the state’s lax firearm laws following last year’s mass school shooting in Nashville.
State lawmakers advanced legislation Tuesday that would put fewer fourth graders at risk of being held back this year under Tennessee’s 2021 reading law.
The University of Memphis, which operates three high-performing schools for K-12 students on its campus, could become its own school district under new legislation from two Republican lawmakers from Memphis.
Gov. Bill Lee’s proposal to create a statewide school voucher program easily cleared its first Senate hurdle Wednesday, but took a split vote and five-plus hours of often contentious debate to pass out of a House committee.
In a rare action, the state Board of Education passed a resolution questioning whether the 2021 law targets the right age group.
“Our city is begging for change when it comes to education, and I want to know that this school board has a plan,” said Rep. Mark White, who chairs a House education committee.
The 2021 law that vexed third-grade families last year offers fewer promotion pathways this year.
Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) cited prolonged frustration with the board’s locally elected leadership when explaining his plans to Chalkbeat on Tuesday.
Six months after Tennessee hired its first leader to manage school improvement work statewide, the position is now vacant.