House Education Chair Mark White, R-Memphis, discusses new legislation that will create a ten-member advisory committee appointed by state leaders to study the state’s testing and teacher evaluation systems, the academic requirements for career and technical education (CTE) students, whether schools should have a minimum number of required instruct…

A bill that prevents Tennessee counties from switching from a primary to a caucus or convention for local partisan elections passed the State House last week and now heads to Governor Bill Lee's desk, despite opposition from Republican Party leaders. We take a closer look at the debate, with comments from both supporters and opponents.…

Students for Education is a student-led organization that started here in Tennessee in 2021 to help ensure Tennessee's youth have a voice in education policy. Organization president and founder University School of Nashville Senior Brendan West joins us this week to talk about his organization and the bill it's advocating for that's on the path to …

This week two key committees will vote on Representative Mark White's legislation enabling state leaders to create a board of managers that would essentially have full authority over Memphis-Shelby County Schools. Both sides made made their case last week in Nashville and at a Memphis-Shelby County School Board meeting.…

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs has known newly confirmed Education Secretary Linda McMahon for decades from his days as the professional wrestler Kane. He talked with the Tennessee Firefly shortly before her confirmation about why the former wrestling executive is the right person to lead the U.S. Department of education and tells the story of the …

Cookeville High School English teacher Heather Gates (second from the right in photo) and Martin Middle School science teacher Jody Hatler (far right in photo) are two members of this year's Teachers for Student Success cohort. The annual advocacy and policy leadership development program is designed by Tennesseans for Student Success to empower ed…

This week LEAD Public Schools is scheduled to see its legal challenge of a controversial school rezoning plan heard in a Nashville courtroom. LEAD operates LEAD Cameron Middle School, one of the rare public charter schools in Tennessee that students are zoned to attend. The rezoning plan approved last year by the Metro Nashville Public Schools Boar…

Memphis State Representative Mark White chairs the House Education Committee. Firefly contributor Steven Bergman sat down with him earlier this month to talk about Tennessee's education history and his thoughts on how to address the teacher shortage problem. Chairman White also discussed his plans to push for state intervention in Memphis-Shelby Co…

Tennessee Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally named a former teacher, Senator Dawn White, to head up the Senate Education Committee Thursday morning. Tennessee Firefly Contributor Steven Bergman sat down to talk with White about her goals for the new legislative session.By The Tennessee Firefly