Tennessee unveils plan to move struggling schools out of its failed program to rescue them
The options could include entering new charter school agreements, closing schools, or moving some of its 9,000 students to higher-performing schools.
Marta W. Aldrich
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 177 articles by Marta W. Aldrich :
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December 2020
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Education -
Education Legislator wants to ensure Tennessee won’t cut millions of dollars from schools during pandemic
Rep. Scott Cepicky’s bill would stabilize state funding in the 2021-22 school year at this year’s levels, even though a statewide decline in student enrollment this fall would normally decrease the allocation by at least $320 million.
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Education Proposals to weaken Tennessee child immunization law could affect COVID vaccine
Gov. Bill Lee declared Pfizer’s vaccine “safe” as Tennessee gave its first doses to health care workers while recording some of the nation’s highest rates of virus spread. The Republican governor reiterated that the shots will be optional for people in public schools.
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Education Gov. Lee calls for special session focused on education
The Republican governor wants the newly elected 112th General Assembly to convene on Jan. 19 to look specifically at education challenges during the pandemic.
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Education Tennessee moves up teachers on priority list for COVID-19 vaccine
They’ll be able to get their shots during the same phase as Tennesseans ages 75 and above — and before those in the 65-74 age bracket.
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January 2021
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Education Tennessee unveils $100M plan to improve reading of youngest students
Calling it an “exciting moment,” Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn on Monday unveiled Reading 360, an array of programs to train teachers on reading instruction and provide resources to school districts.
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Education Tennessee pauses teacher vaccinations for COVID as older adults get priority
As of Wednesday, 40% of Tennessee’s 95 counties had moved into the priority group that includes teachers. Those areas have smaller populations and fewer health care workers to inoculate after years of rural hospital closures.
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Education School districts look ahead to Tennessee legislative session
SCS Superintendent Joris Ray and his counterparts in Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga appeared virtually for an hourlong panel discussion with members of the House Democratic Caucus ahead of this year’s legislative session.
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Education Tennessee again delays hiring school turnaround superintendent
Victoria Robinson, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Education, said the job won’t be filled “at this time due to budget and other uncertainties.”
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Education Tennessee to consider summer school, tutoring to help students catch up
The 112th Tennessee General Assembly convened on Tuesday and is gearing up for a Jan. 19 special session to focus on pandemic-related challenges for students, educators, and schools.
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Education Gov. Lee proposes tutoring, summer school; promises teacher pay hike
In addition to new summer school and tutoring programs to catch students up from learning disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Bill Lee promised a pay hike for teachers, but did not specify an amount.
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Education Tennessee teachers would get immediate 2% pay hike under governor’s proposal
Teacher pay is one of the key issues that lawmakers are expected to take up beginning Jan. 19 during a special legislative session on education.
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Education New bill aimed at urban school districts: Give students 70 days of in-person education or else
If it passes, Tennessee’s two largest school systems would have to reopen quickly to meet that threshold.
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Education Tennessee legislature passes teacher pay bump
The move wrapped up the legislature’s four-day special session on education, called by Gov. Bill Lee to address learning disruptions for students during the coronavirus pandemic, plus perennial challenges with teacher pay and literacy.
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Education Education equity alliance launches in Tennessee
The Tennessee Alliance for Equity in Education is organized by The Education Trust, which last year opened a state office in Tennessee.
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Education Tennessee recruits districts, school nurses to vaccinate teachers and staff
Education commissioner Penny Schwinn says the Tennessee Department of Health is recruiting schools as vaccination sites and school nurses to give the shots “wherever feasible.”
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February 2021
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Education Race, politics and power loom large in dispute over reopening schools
Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray has stood firm with all-remote learning, and accuses state leaders of being out of touch with the needs of Memphis students, who are mostly Black and disproportionately affected by the deadly virus.
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Education Tennessee Supreme Court agrees to hear state’s school voucher appeal
The order keeps alive Tennessee’s quest to create an education savings account program that would provide taxpayer money to eligible families in Memphis and Nashville to pay toward private school tuition.
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Education State sets teacher diversity goals for school districts
The policy aims to address the growing mismatch between Tennessee’s increasingly diverse student population and the educators who teach them.
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Education ‘It’s time!’ says Kelsey as bill advances to get SCS students back in class
After a tense exchange between two Memphis-area lawmakers, the Senate Education Committee voted 8-1 for a measure that would ensure Gov. Bill Lee could legally force Shelby County Schools to offer in-person learning.
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Education Tennessee Democrats seek to address ‘broken’ education funding with flurry of bills
‘We are in a crisis situation,’ said Sen. Raumesh Akbari of Memphis, who chairs the Senate Democratic caucus. A GOP spokeswoman responded that the Republican Party is proud of its record on education since taking control of the legislature in 2010.
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Education ‘Let’s test': Tennessee pushes ahead with in-person testing during pandemic
While some states seek to cancel student testing this spring as the pandemic grinds on, Tennessee isn’t wavering in its plan to give tests in person to most of its nearly 1 million students.
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Education Tennessee bill would empower teachers to remove problem students
The Teacher’s Discipline Act would create a uniform referral process allowing teachers to petition for removal of a student who repeatedly or substantially interferes with classroom learning.
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October 2023
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Education Tennessee charter panel leader backs 5 school appeals, including two in Memphis
Tennessee Public Charter School Commission recommends the state overturn five local school board decisions denying charter school applications, including two in Memphis and another linked to Hillsdale College.
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Education Tennessee rushes to revamp its A-F letter grades for schools. Educators cry foul.
As the state prepares to finally issue its first grades in November, the education department and its new leader are revamping the grading formula.
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