British-based Pearson took over the student testing program July 1. The contract runs through June 30, 2021, and the state has the option to renew terms annually for up to three years through 2024. The five-year cost would be $93.1 million.

School districts will have to follow (or be aware of) many new laws that didn’t grab headlines. Here are 10 such measures that become effective with the new fiscal year.

Jamiyah Brown, an 11-year-old rising sixth-grader and rugby team captain at Believe Memphis Academy, will deliver the game ball when the U.S. takes on France in a Rugby World Cup match Oct. 2 in Japan. 

Shelby County School's $1.4 billion budget was approved Thursday by the County Commission. The district had asked for a $7.5 million funding increase, but the commission did not increase its maintenance of effort funding to the schools.

“The state has pretty clear criteria for what an academic plan should look like, what an operational plan should look like and what a financial plan should look like. None of those schools really met that criteria,” said Bradley Leon, Shelby County Schools chief of strategy and performance management. 

Of the 10 cabinet members who remain from the previous administration, six received raises since the beginning of the calendar year — increases ranging from about 4% to 31%, according to district data. The other four did not receive raises.

Ray was interim superintendent for about three months before the school board abandoned a national search and unanimously voted to give him the permanent position in late April.

The pre-K funding will come from the county’s reserves and are expected to be replenished once a court case has been resolved, said commission chairman Van Turner, who did not say what case he was referencing.

Inside the homey classrooms at Libertas, there are no desks lined up in neat rows. Instead, students and teachers sit at scattered chairs and tables — or on the floor if they prefer. 

DeAnna McClendon oversaw the expansion of preschool classrooms as Shelby County seeks to make early childhood education available to all low-income families.

Parents and teachers at Winchester Elementary were largely critical of the Memphis Teacher Residency partnership — saying the teachers would be less experienced, the model hasn’t been tested, and the school had recently undergone a lot of leadership changes.

University of Memphis Recreational Center staff taught five swim classes as a part of The World's Largest Swimming Lesson, an annual water safety initiative.

County commissioners approved a recommendation to add $10 million more than Mayor Lee Harris’ budget for school building projects in all seven county districts. That still leaves Shelby County Schools short of the $64 million it requested by about 37%.

Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt spoke at the University of Memphis Wednesday afternoon about the research behind her book, “Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think and Do.”

Sharon Griffin was the fourth ASD leader in seven years. Katie Poulos, the state’s new chief of schools overseeing turnaround efforts, said there will be a national search for a permanent replacement.

LeMoyne-Owen College hosted a high tea at Bridges USA for first ladies of local black churches. The event benefitted the college's student activities, as well as the United Negro College Fund.

LeMoyne-Owen College's board of trustees has voted to release Andrea Lewis Miller as president at the close of her contract Sept. 1.

The State Collaborative on Reforming Education, which launched in 2009 to advocate for policies intended to boost student achievement, will combine forces with Complete Tennessee, which formed in 2016 to try to help more students finish college or other educational training after high school.

Sharon Griffin’s resignation as chief of the Achievement School District reflects growing tension between the state and Griffin on how to improve the turnaround district.

As Memphis responds to Brandon Webber's death, some have wondered what else could have been done while he was in school to prevent it.

University of Memphis workers, alumni and living wage advocates gathered on campus Thursday, chanting, "We work, we sweat, put $15 on our checks."

Young chess players from Memphis and beyond came gathered for the 18th annual Mid-South Chess Camp this week, where children ages 4-16 study under the direction of big-name grandmasters, masters and experts.

University officials said the location change would not disqualify some currently enrolled University Middle students from attending this fall, which was a concern because the school's contract requires one third of its students to reside within two miles of the school.

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.

“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.