Five education issues to watch as state legislators convene this week
Likely to lead the 2020 agenda will be proposals to improve students’ reading skills and increase teacher compensation, two needs that most every lawmaker can agree on.
Topic: Gov. Bill Lee
RSSThere are 328 article(s) tagged Gov. Bill Lee:
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January 2020
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Shelby County makes it official: It’s a refuge for refugees
In a letter to the U.S. Department of State, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris notified federal officials that the county will continue to welcome refugees.
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December 2019
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Opponents seek to erase education voucher law
Reps. Bo Mitchell of Nashville and Joe Towns of Memphis have drafted separate proposals that would rescind Tennessee’s education savings account law.
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Governor expected to announce 300-400 new jobs in Memphis appearance Friday
Gov. Bill Lee is set to announce Friday, Dec. 13, that a new company is coming to Memphis and creating hundreds of jobs in Shelby County.
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Casada says ‘nothing secret’ about grant fund, but some not convinced
Former House Speaker Glen Casada says he reached out to Gov. Bill Lee’s office to request creation of a $4 million rural grants fund that received wide support by the Legislature, noting there was “nothing secret” about the money. But some Republican leaders didn't know the grant fund existed, including state Rep. Ron Gant of Fayette County.
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Lee says no final decisions yet on how to use $732M buildup of funds for needy
During a visit to Memphis Sunday for a Rosa Parks Day proclamation, Gov. Bill Lee said he is willing to work with legislators on the best use of federal TANF funding that will likely include some kind of reserve funding level.
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November 2019
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Abrupt reversal: Tennessee families won’t be taxed for using voucher money
The Department of Education released a statement Wednesday aimed at settling questions about the tax implications of receiving an education savings account under a new law championed by Gov. Bill Lee.
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June 2019
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As funding shrinks reading program, Gov. Lee says literacy is a priority
Tennessee used discretionary funds to ensure the Read to be Ready camps continue this summer, but there was no reprieve for a major component of the reading initiative: a statewide network of coaches created three years ago to help teachers improve their literacy instruction.
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Tennessee’s literacy initiative in jeopardy as funding dries up
“I’m really struggling to see how equity is in the equation when 114 districts suffer” as Read to be Ready collapses. – Superintendent Joey Hassell of Haywood County Schools, a rural district near Memphis.
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May 2019
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Conaway: Surely our governor has something better to do
Whether or not the voucher program becomes law, it’s bad law, and a self-inflicted wound to our new governor. He used his honeymoon period to shove school vouchers down the throats of just two districts already strangled for cash.
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April 2019
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Governor huddles with school leaders in cities affected by voucher proposal
'We hope the governor reconsiders,' said Joris Ray, Shelby County Schools’ interim superintendent, about the education savings account proposal. 'I think the governor’s heart is in the right place. But on this particular issue, I think he needs to listen and have an open heart.'
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Voucher proposal is ‘step backwards,’ says civil rights, education coalition
The statement — released as the governor’s bill is slated for key legislative committee votes this week — marks the first time that the 3-year-old coalition has taken a stand against a major proposal.
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Voucher proposal open to legal challenge for excluding undocumented students
The Tennessee Senate bill retains House language requiring applicants to provide government-issued documents like birth certificates, driver’s licenses, or passports. That provision could be in conflict with a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that requires states to offer public education to all children, regardless of their immigration status.
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Conaway: Pray for the Constitution
I don’t want my kids taught your religion on my nickel anymore than you want them taught mine on yours. Neither of us has the right to send them to that private school with the other’s money.
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Lawmakers lower income limit for school voucher eligibility
Gov. Bill Lee had campaigned on giving more educational choices to low-income families in districts with failing schools. But the original income cap was criticized for being well above what’s considered low-income in Tennessee.
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March 2019
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Will Tennessee vouchers help black families go where they were once shunned?
Black Memphians make up a large portion of the people who will qualify for the governor’s proposal, but they are hesitant to trust predominately white private schools.
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Governor says plans would help low-income students, but they cast a much wider net
Gov. Bill Lee's proposed voucher program could provide an average of $7,300 annually to families that make double the annual income under federal eligibility requirements for receiving free and reduced-price lunches.
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Tennesseans consider Gov. Lee’s voucher plan – and wonder who benefits most
Some Tennesseans say the income threshold makes vouchers appealing to families for which private school is within reach, compared to students from low-income families who may be looking to escape low-performing schools.
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Gov. Lee reveals details about his ‘parent choice’ proposal
The Republican governor plans to pay for the program’s first year by stockpiling $25 million annually in discretionary funds for the next three years — but he’s not specifying where the money would come after that.
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Let’s strengthen public ‘school choice’ in Tennessee
Instead of trying a new, unproven program with dubious accountability to the taxpayers who are funding it, why don’t we double down on the initiatives that are already working across the state?
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Voucher program won’t harm public schools, Tennessee governor says
Gov. Bill Lee said his proposed education savings accounts would not siphon money from public schools: “For every dollar that goes with a child that leaves a school or a district, that district will receive a fill-in-the-gap amount of equal amount.”
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Education voucher plan by Tennessee’s governor generates more questions than answers
Supporters and opponents of Lee's proposal for education savings accounts are mobilizing for likely the biggest battle of the legislative session.
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Tennessee charter school facility funding would double under governor’s plan
Charter schools were the only education topic addressed when the governor’s office released advance excerpts of Lee’s State of the State address.
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Teacher pay, school vouchers among possibilities when Gov. Bill Lee rolls out spending plan
Lee’s spending plan will provide Tennesseans with their first detailed look at the first-year policies and priorities of the new governor. He offered few specifics on the campaign trail as he promised education improvements, better jobs, and safer neighborhoods.
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February 2019
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Extended tax freeze, reimbursable grant sought for FedEx Logistics’ Downtown Memphis HQ
The first of what is expected to be a multifaceted incentive package for FedEx Logistics' planned Downtown Memphis headquarters is a $2 million reimbursable grant.
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