Tagged: Education

MURFREESBORO, Tenn (WMOT)  --  State legislators recently wrapped up the work of the 107th Tennessee General Assembly and WMOT is asking newsmakers from across the political spectrum to share their impressions of the session.

Today we hear the views of Gera Summerford, president of the state’s largest teacher’s union, the Tennessee Education Association.

Summerford says that, compared to last year when the legislature enacted a number of measures the TEA opposed, this most recent session was far less confrontational.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT)  --  Six of the 18 Tennessee schools honored this week for academic gains are located here in the Mid-State. Two are located in Rutherford County.

Principal Barbara Sales of Murfreesboro’s Hobgood Elementary and Principal Andra Helton of Rutherford County’s Thurman Francis Elementary picked up “Value-Added Achievement Awards” for their schools on Monday.

The awards are based on data tracked by the Tennessee Department of Education and indicate schools that show significant improvement in test scores year-over-year.

Hobgood Principal Barbara Sales said a dedicated staff and faculty is the key to her school’s success.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn (WMOT)  --  The Tennessee chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union says it’s already talking to potential plaintiffs about challenging Tennessee’s so-called "monkey law."

The measure became law Tuesday without Governor Haslam’s signature. The governor complained that the bill would likely cause confusion, but also noted that it passed with comfortable margins in both chambers of the Tennessee legislature.

Tennessee ACLU Director Hedy Weinberg says the new law is essentially a permission slip for the state’s teachers to introduce their own personal beliefs on the origins of life into the classroom. Weinberg calls that a violation of the First Amendment, and says she’s already talking to parents about challenging the law in court.

NASHVILLE, Tenn (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers appear determined to legislate parent involvement in the education of their children and that has the head of the state Parent Teacher Association fired up.

Legislators are considering one measure that would have parents rate themselves on their level of involvement. A second proposal would ask school districts to develop a parental involvement contract .

Karen Davis, President of the Tennessee PTA is opposed to both measures.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The 46 institutions of higher learning governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents have nothing to fear from President Barack Obama’s latest education initiative, according to TBR Chancellor John Morgan. 

The Associated Press says in a story released Monday that the Obama administration is concerned about rising student debt, which now averages over $25,000. The president is also reportedly concerned by the apparent disconnect between what students learn at the nation's universities and the skills employers say they're looking for.