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Less Well Rounded

TN’s State Board of Education is suggesting reducing the foreign language requirement for high school graduation from 2 credits to 1.

The Nashville Banner reports:

Several months earlier, Board Chair Robert Eby had requested a review of the world language graduation requirement. Tennessee public school students are currently required to take two credits of the same world language as part of the 22 minimum credits needed to graduate. Eby has suggested rolling back that requirement, in order to offer students more flexibility to take elective courses. 

Eby’s intention to revise graduation requirements has instilled fear and anxiety among some teachers and students across the state who have mobilized over the past several months — hoping to persuade the board that world language courses are not dispensable, but rather a crucial piece of a well-rounded education. 

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How Big Will TN’s Voucher Program Get in 2026?

Tennessee’s private school coupon scheme already has 20,000 takers. It will grow to 25,000 in 2026-27 unless the legislature intervenes to expand the program further.

And, that’s just what Gov. Bill Lee and House Speaker Cameron Sexton plan to do – with some suggesting a doubling of the program to 40,000 students next year.

Chalkbeat reports:

A mechanism in the state law will allow lawmakers to easily expand the program for 5,000 new students since the state received more than 40,000 applications, well above the expansion threshold set by state law. But Gov. Bill Lee and other Republican lawmakers say they want to expand the program even further.

But it’s unlikely the number of new seats will be decided on by the time applications close on Jan. 30, just days into the 2026 legislative session.

At least one issue advocacy group is calling for the state to rapidly expand the voucher program and other school privatization efforts – calling for 200,000 students to be using vouchers by 2031.

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Chattanooga Private Schools Reap Voucher Rewards

NewsChannel9 reports on the Chattanooga-area private schools getting taxpayer dollars from Gov. Bill Lee’s school voucher scheme:

New data shows that just over 600 Hamilton County students are enrolled in private schools this school year through Tennessee’s Education Savings Account (ESA) program, also known as school vouchers.

Here’s the list of Hamilton County students using Education Savings Accounts (ESA) for the 2025–26 school year:

  • Annoor Academy of Chattanooga – 47
  • Avondale SDA School – 29
  • Beacon Academy – 26
  • Belvoir Christian Academy – 42
  • Berean Academy – 31
  • Bethel Christian Academy – (number not listed)
  • Brainerd Baptist School – 20
  • Chattanooga Christian School – 95
  • Dolphin STEM Academy – (number not listed)
  • Enlightium Academy – 10
  • Grace Baptist Academy – 95
  • Hamilton Heights Christian Academy – (number not listed)
  • Hickory Valley Christian School – (number not listed)
  • Imagine Learning Excellence Academy – (number not listed)
  • Notre Dame High School – 81
  • Our Lady of Perpetual Help School – 49
  • Silverdale Baptist Academy – 23
  • Skyuka Hall School – 15St. Jude School – 16
  • St. Nicholas School – (number not listed)
  • The Montessori School – (number not listed)
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The School District as ICE Agent

If some Tennessee lawmakers get their way, Tennessee schools could be on the frontlines of the Trump Administrations aggressive and inhumane immigration crackdown.

A piece in the Knoxville News-Sentinel explains:

Earlier this year, the Tennessee Senate passed SB836, a bill that would allow public schools to deny undocumented children access to public K-12 education. This legislation directly challenges the landmark 1982 Supreme Court decision Plyler v Doe, which held that all children in the United States are entitled to a free public education, regardless of immigration and citizenship status. 

The companion bill, HB793, stalled in the House, but it is expected to return for consideration in January.

One provision in the bill would require all public schools to collect the immigration and citizenship status of every child who enrolls, regardless of whether the district intends to exclude undocumented children.

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Not Showing Up

NewsChannel9 reports on chronic absenteeism at some Hamilton County Schools:

The 3 Hamilton County Schools High Schools with the highest chronic absentee rates are Howard Academy, Brainerd High School, and East Ridge High School, according to 2023-24 statistics from the state of Tennessee.

Meredith Benton, CEO of Communities In Schools In Tennessee, a school support organization partnering with Hamilton County Schools, identified common causes of chronic absenteeism as a lack of supplies, transportation, and access to healthcare.

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Upheld

Judge declines to intervene in book banning

State lawmakers created a monster with legislation that limits the books on school library shelves – under the guise of protecting schoolchildren from “obscene” materials.

Now, as districts struggle to comply, books are being pulled from library shelves – and some students are suing.

Chalkbeat reports on the most recent legal wrangling:

A federal judge has declined to block ongoing book bans at one of Tennessee’s largest school districts before a full trial next year.

In April, after months of heated school board meetings and district schools pulling more than 140 books from library shelves, three high school students sued the Rutherford County Board of Education. The students, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, argued in initial filings the book bans violated their First Amendment rights and disadvantaged students by blocking them from accessing “crucial, acclaimed, and historical works.”

Judge Eli Richardson denied a preliminary injunction this week, declining to block the district from limiting access to books until the full trial plays out and indicating that the defendants have an uphill battle in the case.

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EdCo Teacher Spotlight: November

The latest Educators’ Cooperative newsletter includes a teacher spotlight:

Meet Cohort 3 EdCo Member Natalie Elliott, a cross-sector and interdisciplinary collaboration all-star! This year, she used our “EdCo in the Classroom” Member Services, to enrich her Gifted and Talented (GATE) classroom at Waverly-Belmont Elementary.
As part of their “Physics of Toys” unit, Natalie requested an EdCo Exchange collaboration with Built Technologies engineer (and EdCo Board Member) Thomas Schlegel. He visited her 5th graders for a career talk, case study, and to help Natalie with her teacher-led project: an in-class toy design activity.Natalie knew exactly what her students would want to talk about (Labubus) and exactly what they would need to successfully design toys (small groups, lots of engagement, and many chances to debrief with their peers).In classic EdCo fashion, Natalie even extended the learning beyond her own classroom and invited another teacher’s class to join the talk and plan their own toy designs for the project ahead alongside her students.

READ MORE>

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Chattanooga Mom Takes on Lee’s School Voucher Scheme

NewsChannel9 in Chattanooga reports that a local mom is part of a group of Tennessee parents challenging Gov. Bill Lee’s private school discount coupon scheme.

Crystal Boehm, who has children in Hamilton County Schools, is one of several parents suing the state.

They argue the program drains money from public schools at a time when districts are already cutting staff, trimming transportation and reworking special education services.

Boehm says the impact is already felt locally. She points to recent cuts in Hamilton County, including the elimination of magnet school transportation and staff reductions across multiple campuses.

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What Happens When Republicans Stand Up for Schools?

Just ask State Rep. Jody Barrett

A Tennessee Republican who stood up for public education in the state legislature paid the price, as a conservative political action group backing Matt Van Epps attacked him with millions of dollars in advertising.

NewsChannel5 reports:

Barrett was attacked because he voted against Governor Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Act – also called vouchers.

State Representative Jody Barrett (R-Dickson) ran for the open congressional seat in Tennessee’s recent special election, but he finished second to Matt Van Epps in the Republican primary.

After the primary, the head of the conservative PAC, Club for Growth, took credit for Barrett’s loss and called it a warning to other candidates.

After the primary, the head of Club for Growth wrote, “I made it clear that any republican lawmaker who failed to support Governor Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Act … should expect to lose an expensive primary funded by Club for Growth.”

Lee’s so-called “Education Freedom Act” essentially provides discount coupons to private schools for use by wealthy families.

The plan is now in court, as a group of Tennessee parents is saying the voucher scheme threatens funding for local public schools.

On a related note, a new dark money group with ties to the state’s top Republicans has formed and announced plans to push for a rapid expansion of the voucher scheme – costing the state billions and taking nearly 500,000 students out of public schools.

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Seemingly Uncertain

A Clarksville School Board member who resigned just hours after being sworn-in now says she doesn’t want to resign and will serve on the board anyway.

Since the County Commission had not “accepted” the resignation, it has been ruled that she may remain on the Board.

Clarksville Now has more:

After new Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board member Teresa Crosslin withdrew her resignation from the board, the big question has been whether her resignation could be withdrawn, or if she would be allowed to remain a School Board member.

Crosslin had been sworn in the day before on Monday, and she resigned Monday evening, stating, “I, Teresa Crosslin, upon further consideration, am immediately resigning my position with the CMCSS School Board, District 3,” according to CMCSS

County Attorney says Crosslin can stay:

In his opinion letter, Harvey explained that under state law, the resignation must be filed with and accepted by the body that appointed Crosslin, which was the County Commission. Since the County Commission hasn’t met since her swearing-in, the commission hasn’t been able to accept the resignation. With the resignation being withdrawn, effectively nothing has happened.

The whole ordeal – joining the school board, being sworn in, resigning, missing the first meeting, then deciding to stay on – all took place in the course of a week.

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