Tennessee’s top education official is stepping down from her post. Penny Schwinn has served as education commissioner since 2019, implementing major logistical and academic changes.
Tennessee education leader outlines next steps to overhaul K-12 funding formula
Tennessee is planning to switch its current public education funding formula to a more widely used per-pupil plan, a model currently used in 39 states.
Tennessee Says Camps Made Up Education Losses From Pandemic, Especially For Disadvantaged Students
New test results indicate that Tennessee public school students saw improvements in math and reading through the state’s summer learning program, state officials say.
Tennessee Lawmaker Wants Legislature To Cast No Confidence Vote On Education Chief
A Republican lawmaker wants the legislature to cast a vote of “no confidence” on Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn. Paris Rep. Bruce Griffey, who is partly known for sponsoring unsuccessful anti-immigration measures, is the sponsor of the resolution (HR3).
Tennessee Won’t Judge Teachers Or Schools On This Year’s Test Scores
Gov. Bill Lee and Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn are calling for the tests to be administered as usual but that the results not be used to judge the education system.
After Delay, Tennessee Releases School COVID Outbreak Dashboard
The Tennessee Department of Education released on Wednesday its school outbreak dashboard, a day after missing a deadline to make the data public on Tuesday. In a news release, Commissioner Penny Schwinn says the platform protects the health and privacy of students and school community members.
After Weeks Of Resistance And Citing Privacy Laws, Tennessee Will Release School Outbreak Data
After weeks of pushback from parents, Tennessee will now make some data on school outbreaks public. The Tennessee Department of Education says it will soon launch a new dashboard with district-submitted data.
Tennessee Governor Flips Again, Says State Will Keep Schools With COVID-19 Outbreaks Secret
For the second time, Gov. Bill Lee has changed his position on whether the state should release information regarding cases of COVID-19 in schools. At a press conference Tuesday, Lee told reporters the state is erring on the side of privacy.
Gov. Lee Defends School Voucher No-Bid Contract, Says He ‘Cares More About Kids’ Than About ‘Process’
Gov. Bill Lee defended Thursday the state’s decision to award a no-bid, over-the-budget contract to an outside vendor for the implementation of school vouchers. The controversy comes after the Tennessee Department of Education awarded Florida-based ClassWallet a $1.2 million deal to manage the early rollout of the program and track expenses. Earlier this week, Republican […]
Tennessee Lawmakers Say They See ‘Real Problems’ With School Voucher Rollout
Tennessee lawmakers grilled the state Department of Education on Wednesday over a recently signed contract for the implementation of school vouchers. Republican lawmakers hinted that Gov. Bill Lee’s administration’s plans to roll out the program early could be in jeopardy.
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