Tennessee GOP advances bill to relax voucher testing rules for private schools
Schools that participate in the voucher program could choose to give students a different test than the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP.
Topic: Chalkbeat Tennessee
RSSThere are 71 article(s) tagged Chalkbeat Tennessee:
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March 2026
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Tennessee House passes bill to track undocumented students in public schools
Tennessee educators and immigration advocates oppose the student immigration bill, criticizing the additional logistical burden schools could face and data privacy concerns in a state pushing increasingly hardline immigration policies.
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GOP push to expand Tennessee voucher program to 40K students clears first hurdle
Tennessee would spend around $303 million next school year to fund private school tuition costs for 40,000 students if Gov. Bill Lee’s proposal is successful.
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Tennessee would be required to use federal funding to feed low-income students under new bill
Gov. Bill Lee has declined federal funding to help feed low-income students over the summer. A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to change that.
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Tennessee GOP effort to track K-12 student immigration status advances
Tennessee Republicans continue to advance legislation that would require public schools track and report the immigration status of their students despite heated pushback from local educators.
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Memphis families grapple with where to send students after approved school closures
The MSCS school board voted last week to shutter five schools by the end of this year. That leaves over 1,200 students to find a new place to go next fall, with the district extending its priority transfer deadline to accommodate last-minute changes.
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February 2026
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Chronic absenteeism is down in Memphis schools, but high schoolers still struggle to show up
That means around 12,000 high schoolers would miss more than 10% or 18 school days in a year. That’s significantly higher than the statewide average.
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Tennessee private school teachers without a degree could get emergency teaching permits under new bill
A new bill would allow some Tennessee private school teachers to get an emergency teaching waiver to teach at a public school without a bachelor’s degree.
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Trigger bill would require Tennessee schools to track, report student immigration status
House Bill 1711 is the second piece of legislation currently in the Tennessee General Assembly that could require educators to report the legal status of public school students.
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Tennessee House passes bill allowing Ten Commandments displays in schools
Tennessee House Republicans on Thursday approved a bill allowing, though not requiring, public schools to display the Ten Commandments.
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Memphis students won’t have to make up snow days
The district received a waiver from the Tennessee Department of Education after taking two full weeks off of class. That exceeded MSCS’ built-in snow days by two, prompting the need for state assistance.
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Tennessee GOP says ongoing Memphis schools audit is ‘concerning’
The district says state auditors haven’t presented any evidence of fraud or abuse to constitute further investment. Republican lawmakers didn’t name specifics either.
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January 2026
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MSCS rehires custodial company after monthlong gap
For the past three weeks, nearly 35 MSCS schools have been without janitorial services because of the stalled contract.
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Tennessee GOP wants to make K-12 students verify their immigration status
Republican leadership did not say whether local schools or the Tennessee Department of Education would be responsible for verifying immigration status or where such data would be held.
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Memphis parents say district shouldn’t close school with strong academic growth, low enrollment
Only 84 students attend Ida B. Wells Academy this year, leaving more than 400 available spots unfilled.
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Most Tennessee students don’t use vouchers to exit low-performing public schools: comptroller
The Education Savings Account voucher program was a signature issue for Gov. Bill Lee, who has supported additional school choice policies as a way for parents to choose higher-achieving schools.
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Is Tennessee’s ban on religious charter schools unconstitutional? Attorney General says likely.
The state law banning religious charters has not yet been legally challenged, nor has any lawmaker proposed legislation to amend the current law.
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December 2025
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House GOP to push forward Memphis school takeover plan with ‘teeth’
If lawmakers can agree this year, change could come quickly to Memphis-Shelby County schools, which is already primed for major upheaval in 2026.
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Memphis leaders lay out reasons for second school closure proposal in Frayser neighborhood
Memphis parent Chajuana Williams said she would miss the family history embedded at Georgian Hills Elementary if district leaders decide to close the school in June.
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Top GOP lawmaker wants to drop income, enrollment caps in Tennessee’s early voucher program
House Speaker Cameron Sexton has already said he wants to at least double the capacity of the Education Freedom Scholarships program, which launched this year with 20,000 seats.
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Tennessee House speaker wants to fund student teacher stipend amid teacher shortage
Educator advocates say unpaid student teaching requirements can be a barrier for aspiring teachers. The Tennessee House speaker wants to start providing state-funded stipends for those internships.
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Over 30 Memphis schools could lose cleaning services in January after board rejects custodian contract
Board members said the company recommended by MSCS leaders has a history of poor service. It’s not the first time custodian contracts have caused issues.
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November 2025
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Which students are eligible for Tennessee’s 2026 voucher program?
Students currently enrolled in the program can renew beginning on Dec. 9.
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First Memphis school closure meeting raises concerns about displaced teachers, students
The MSCS board is expected to vote on the suggested closures in February.
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Memphis schools will give out free food boxes next Monday and Saturday
Memphis-Shelby County Schools will offer free food boxes next week to families in need during the holiday season.
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