The Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) will hold its Annual Public Schools Hall of Fame luncheon on August 27th at 11:30 AM at the Music City Center.
The event will honor outstanding Nashville educators, leaders, and community members.
The Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) announced its 2026 Public Schools Hall of Fame honorees:
The Nashville Public Education Foundation is proud to share the five inspiring honorees for the 22nd Public Schools Hall of Fame Luncheon. Categorized by Inspiring Educator, Inspiring Leader, and Inspiring Innovation, the honorees are Quanita Adams, Kevin Stevens, Dr. Michael Pratt, DYMON in the Rough (Dynamic Young Minorities of Nashville), and Girls Write Nashville.
“As bold supporters of Nashville’s public education system, it is essential to recognize the courageous individuals who champion students, enhance academic settings, strengthen our communities, and cultivate a better future for generations to come,” expressed Wanda Lyle, NPEF Board Chair. “We are thrilled to welcome attendees to the Hall of Fame in August and share in an afternoon of inspiration.”
A word from the Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) on how the meaning of words makes a difference for public school kids.
Earlier this year, Tennessee lawmakers introduced a bill that would change the state’s definition of students who are economically disadvantaged. The bill proposed adding TennCare (Medicaid) participation as a factor in determining which students are designated as “economically disadvantaged.” Tennessee’s definition of this demographic, which was changed in 2016, is one of the most restrictive in the country: it currently counts students whose families are actively enrolled in SNAP and TANF in addition to other categorical factors, such as students experiencing homelessness or part of the foster care system. A major reason this definition is considered so strict is due to the low income threshold for qualifying for SNAP compared to other states – Tennessee’s income limit is 130% of the federal poverty guidelines, while many other states have enacted policies that effectively increase this threshold, with some states up to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines.
Adding in TennCare enrollment data, as the bill proposed, would result in a state definition of “economically disadvantaged” that much more accurately captured the socioeconomic reality and lived experiences of students and families. The implications of this definition became prominent when the number of students considered economically disadvantaged became directly tied to public school funding with the passage of TISA in 2022.
Despite bipartisan support, the state did not allocate funding for the costs associated with the definition change if the bill had passed. However, the bill was amended to task the TISA review committee to study Tennessee’s definition of economically disadvantaged, analyze how the state’s definition compares to that of other states, assess the impact on public schools, and make recommendations by November 2027. While not a full realization of the original bill, the amended version, which passed nearly unanimously in the state House of Representatives and Senate, demonstrates positive forward momentum and a shared commitment to addressing this issue.
The Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) offers some insight into vouchers.
Short version: The don’t work to improve academic outcomes, they eat state budgets, and they provide private school discount coupons to wealthy families.
MORE about the impacts of the bill that expands vouchers to 35,000 seats and is expected to cost taxpayers $262 million:
The amended House bill would have three main effects on public school districts. First, as part of the process to recoup funding due to disenrollment, districts would be required to collect and share the social security numbers of students at the time of public school enrollment. Critics of the bill argue that this is a measure intended to begin tracking the citizenship and immigration status of students by public school districts. Second, while the state’s funding formula factors in regular increases to offset funding losses, the amended House bill’s requirements place a significant administrative burden on districts that has the potential to require districts to spend more money to recoup funding than the money they would recoup in the first place. Third, the amended House bill also significantly increases the household income threshold built into the program, making more vouchers available for higher-income families than previous legislation allowed.
From the Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF):
This week, the Teacherpreneur 2026 cohort members will pitch their challenge-facing, solution-bringing ideas before a panel of judges on Pitch Night. Three of the 12 cohort members will claim first, second, and third place, based on their pitches. And one cohort member will receive the Community Favorite Award–that’s where you come in!
Voting is now open for the Community Favorite Award! Based on your votes, this winner will receive a cash prize of $2,500 to reward their dedication to addressing challenges and increasing opportunities for student success.
How to Vote:
Voting is open for a limited time. Cast your vote by Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at 5 p.m.
An email from the Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) offers the following information about the 2026 Public Schools Hall of Fame:
The Nashville Public Education Foundation invites you to save the date for the 22nd Public Schools Hall of Famecelebration on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at the Music City Center!
Chaired by Gini-Pupo-Walker and Hal Cato, the signature event recognizes Metro Nashville Public School educators and alumni who exemplify the best of public education through their personal and professional endeavors. This chairing duo embodies the values of the celebration in their respective personal and professional accomplishments and contributions to Nashville.
Pupo-Walker is the Director of National Education Strategy for the Raikes Foundation, where she leads the development and implementation of their grantmaking strategy for their K-12 and higher education portfolios. She was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award at the 2020 Public Schools Hall of Fame.
Cato is the CEO of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, the region’s leader in philanthropic activity and civic connection that cultivate strong communities. He received the Nelson C. Andrews Distinguished Service Award at the 2023 Public Schools Hall of Fame.
The Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) announced via newsletter that public voting for the 2026 Teacherpreneur awards will be March 2-3.
Teacherpreneur harnesses educator innovation to remove barriers to success, enabling all students to thrive. The cohort-based learning opportunity helps teachers identify an issue, research its root causes, and create innovative solutions.
The program culminates with cohort members pitching their ideas to a panel of judges. This will result in the chance to win up to $10,000 in cash prizes and access to seed funding to implement their idea as a pilot program.
Public voting for the Community Favorite Award will take place online March 2-3, 2026, and during the March 4, 2026, Pitch Night. The winner will receive a $2,500 prize.
A media release from the Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) announces the 2026 class of Nashville Teacherpreneurs and explains more about the program:
The Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) announced the latest cohort of the Teacherpreneur program, marking its fifth year and continuing its partnership with founding supporter Amazon. Since 2021, the Teacherpreneur program has supported over 40 educators to develop their innovative solutions for removing barriers to student success, with winners receiving cash prizes and access to seed funding for implementation.
Some of the issues being considered by cohort members include creating employment certification pathways for multilingual students, increasing resources for family engagement programs, building support for first year teachers, and facilitating stronger connections to magnet school opportunities. The cohort experience will culminate in a pitch event in March 2026, where educators will present their ideas to a panel of community judges for a chance to win a share of $25,000, as well as funding to support the implementation of their ideas. The fifth Teacherpreneur cohort includes:
The Nashville Public Education Foundation’s (NPEF) Teacherpreneur applications close soon – from an email:
Teacherpreneur is a professional learning experience for Nashville public school educators designed to harness teacher expertise and innovation. Teacherpreneurs participate in 5 sessions over January and February to build out ideas that help advance positive outcomes for students.
Teacherpreneurs will identify an issue they want to address, research root causes of the issue, learn about change management theory, and use design thinking strategies to create solutions that help students thrive. In March, Teacherpreneurs will pitch their ideas for a chance to win cash prizes and seed funding to pilot their idea.
A press release from the Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) highlights Nashville’s 2025 Blue Ribbon Teachers:
Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) designated 25 educators as new Blue Ribbon Teachers at a ceremony hosted by Vanderbilt University on October 30. Each Blue Ribbon teacher received a $2,000 cash prize, professional headshots, a trophy, media mentions and two round-trip airline tickets, courtesy of Southwest Airlines. Since 2014, the Blue Ribbon Teacher awards have recognized and celebrated more than 475 of Nashville’s top teachers.
The 2025 winners are:
“Teaching is an admirably tough profession that requires creativity, patience and unwavering commitment. We are so proud to honor the top teaching talent in our city each year and show Nashville how educational excellence can help students thrive, said Dr. Diarese George, NPEF President & CEO. “The Blue Ribbon Teacher designation recognizes the hard work of these teachers and shines a spotlight on the innovation and leadership that happens daily in MNPS classrooms.”
