The Memphis Center for Urban and Theological Studies will gain new advantages for its students when it merges with Union University this summer.

The district’s new analysis on where charter schools are most needed was based on the number of students in various Memphis neighborhoods and the school seats available for them.

Meanwhile, both the Senate and House are expected to pass Gov. Bill Lee’s $30 million school security initiative. The governor wants to prioritize hiring more school resource officers, although the amount falls short of funding an SRO in every Tennessee school.

Tennessee already has walked back its transition to online testing two times since 2016 when a wholesale switch failed miserably, prompting then-Education Commissioner Candice McQueen to cancel most of that year’s tests and fire Measurement Inc.

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.

Seven Tennessee Board of Education members have unanimously upheld the Shelby County Schools board’s decision to close Gateway University Charter School at the end of this academic year, meaning 150 students will need to find a new high school for this fall.

Shelby County's suburban school superintendents worry about the potential effects of vouchers on public education. While Gov. Bill Lee's proposal affects Shelby County Schools locally, suburban superintendents worry it could expand to affect them as well.

The Tennessee Board of Education staff found that Gateway hired an educator who did not pass a background check, gave grades to students in a geometry class that did not exist, and relied on uncertified teachers in classes.

In the past, critics of vouchers have had more time to mount spirited public opposition, often in the form of rallies in Nashville and Memphis, the city that would likely be most affected.

Germantown's Exceptional Students are serving meals at Houston High's Mustang Café. The goal is to help the students with special needs gain skills for employment.

Fourth- and fifth-graders from several area schools got a look at college life Friday during "Visit Day" at the University of Memphis, sponsored by the university and Shelby County Schools.

ServiceMaster employees fanned out to four area schools Thursday to help beautify the campuses as part of Spring Clean '19.

Tennessee education leaders can now track glitches with the revamped TNReady testing system in real time. But the state education commissioner says she still must decide whether to throw the switch or wait another year to resume online achievement tests.

Amid concerns over declining enrollment and aging campuses, the changes are the first step in former superintendent Dorsey Hopson’s facilities footprint plan that could consolidate 28 old facilities into 10 new ones.

School board members in Shelby County have consistently opposed using state funds for private school tuition, and the latest proposal, which expands eligible expenses to tutoring and online courses, is no different, they said.

Nashville is the latest city to copy pieces of the Memphis Lift model. Memphis Lift leader Sarah Carpenter said she’s also been meeting with parents in Oakland and Atlanta to help get their programs started.

Even though the Shelby County Schools board is about to hire a national search firm to look for a new superintendent, Joris Ray has not been shy about pushing through initiatives that he believes will improve academic performance in Memphis schools.

Shelby County Schools will honor five notable alumni for their contributions to the community at the 2019 Alumni Hall of Fame Gala Saturday.

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.

The biggest difference – and most costly for parents – is that traditional vouchers would have covered all tuition costs. Education savings accounts would not necessarily cover all of a student’s private-school tuition.

In a presentation to Memphis parents this week, Griffin said: “The life of the ASD is at stake. We either fix it and show improvement or it’s not going to exist….”

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.

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.

Plans to house a University of Memphis-operated middle school at St. Anne Catholic Church have fallen through, but the university says it still hopes to open the school this fall.

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.