Education bills advance as special legislative session continues
Legislators passed four bills Thursday, Jan. 21, during the third day of a special education session amid protests from Democrats, education advocates and at least one Republican.
Ian Round is The Daily Memphian’s state government reporter based in Nashville. He came to Tennessee from Maryland, where he reported on local politics for Baltimore Brew. He earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland in December 2019.
There are 432 articles by Ian Round :
Legislators passed four bills Thursday, Jan. 21, during the third day of a special education session amid protests from Democrats, education advocates and at least one Republican.
Tennessee legislators began a special session on education Wednesday, Jan. 20, by advancing three bills to Senate committee and five others to subcommittees, including two bills that would raise teacher pay.
Kicking off a special legislative session focused on education, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Tuesday, Jan. 19, outlined his plans to address the learning loss many students have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The coronavirus is spreading faster in Tennessee than just about anywhere, but the state is also vaccinating residents faster than the national average. Locally, however, officials are awaiting smoother and more consistent distribution from the state to improve the situation.
Memphis-area legislators say Medicaid expansion, school funding and criminal justice reform will be among the biggest issues that face when the General Assembly convenes Jan. 12.
Tennessee is using its initial 975 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as a backup supply, but 74 hospitals are expected to receive more than 56,000 other doses Thursday.
As parents of students attending Shelby County Schools grapple with how to handle in-person learning once it resumes, larger school districts elsewhere in Tennessee are making plans as well. Related article: Lopsided teacher/student ratio fuel differing decisions