Last-minute student laptop change leaves Memphis parents, teachers scrambling
MSCS has quietly ended a yearslong policy of giving every student their own personal laptop or tablet.
Topic: Chalkbeat Tennessee
RSSThere are 87 article(s) tagged Chalkbeat Tennessee:
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September 2026
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Should Tennessee fully fund special education pre-K programs?
A top committee of Tennessee educators wants lawmakers to include special education prekindergarten students in the state’s public school funding formula.
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August 2026
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Where the 2026 Tennessee gubernatorial candidates stand on education issues
Tennessee governor candidates outline their education platforms and positions on policies such as the state’s third grade reading retention law.
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July 2026
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State takeover, an audit and more school closures: 5 Memphis stories to watch as classes begin
With district leadership still up in the air, Memphis-Shelby County Schools is diving into chronic absenteeism solutions and math-curriculum changes. And more school closures are likely this year.
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Facing state scrutiny, Memphis schools intensify efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism
MSCS enrollment has suffered in the past decade. But the district doesn’t just struggle to get students in the door, it also has trouble keeping them in their seats day after day.
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This Memphis charter school cut chronic absenteeism to only 3 students. Here’s how.
MSCS leaders ramped up chronic absenteeism interventions this past year, aiming to reduce chronic absenteeism rates for the first time since 2017.
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June 2026
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Memphis charter students are bucking district math trends. Here’s what’s guiding their growth.
In examining post-pandemic learning loss, officials at Leadership Preparatory Charter School came to a realization: Teachers were following scripted math curriculum a bit too closely.
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April 2026
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Can the GOP Memphis schools takeover be stopped? Local leaders weigh the district’s options.
Since Tennessee Republicans passed the takeover bill last week, community response has been muted. Some say that’s because there’s no recourse, but a district lawsuit could be on the horizon.
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Tennessee Republicans push for significant last-minute ESA voucher expansion
Voucher-friendly Tennessee Republicans are pushing a last-minute amendment that would drop all enrollment caps on the state’s original voucher program.
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Memphis school board election 2026: Who are the candidates in District 1?
Two Memphis educators and one longtime board member are vying for the District 1 school board seat this spring. The May 5 Democratic primary will determine who wins the spot.
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Meet the 5 people running for the Memphis school board election in District 9
The candidates vying for Memphis’ District 9 board seat range from a former board chair to the lone pro-state takeover candidate. The May 5 Democratic primary will determine who wins the spot.
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Voter guide: Here are the Democratic Memphis school board candidates running in District 6
Five candidates are vying for the District 6 school board seat in the May 5 Democratic primary. The winner will face a sixth candidate, a longtime local pastor running as an independent, in August’s general election.
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Meet the 2 Democrats running for Memphis’ school board election in District 8
A former Memphis teacher and longtime local lawyer are vying for the District 8 school board seat in the May 5 Democratic primary. The winner will face a third candidate, a school librarian running as an independent, in August’s general election.
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Will TN voucher program expand by 15,000 or 20,000 seats? House and Senate are at odds on details.
House Republicans dropped the immigrant tracking provision of the expansion bill, which is poised for final votes within days.
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Tennessee elementary schools might limit classroom digital device use under pending law
Tennessee schools could limit digital access to K-5 students under pending law.
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House Republicans tie immigrant student tracking to Tennessee voucher expansion bill
Tennessee House Republicans have inserted a student immigration tracking requirement into a pending voucher program expansion bill, linking two of the most controversial policies affecting state public schools in recent years.
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March 2026
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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.
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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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