Metro Schools hosting events to increase diversity education
Teachers in Metro Nashville Public Schools had another opportunity on Wednesday to join the school system’s push for diversity education.
As part of Black History Month, the Equity and Diversity Department is hosting a series of events that are open to anyone who wants to increase their capacity to engage with students and families effectively and equitably.
“As we look at discipline disparities and achievement gap data, we realize that a lot of the young people that are suffering, that are being left behind, are students of color, students who grew up in poverty,” said workshop advocate Tasha Fletcher. “And, I think, if we find ways to bridge those gaps, humble ourselves, find ways to connect across differences, then we can really start to make a difference in our young people’s lives.”… [read more on WSMV TV]
Read MoreGov. Bill Haslam convened a ‘power meeting’ between Tennessee’s charter school and district leaders. Here’s why.
There isn’t a charter school within 100 miles of Rep. John Forgety’s district, but the East Tennessee lawmaker has become the mediator in a lingering dispute between the state’s charter sector and its two largest school districts, in Memphis and Nashville.
As chairman of a House education committee that green-lighted last year’s sweeping update of Tennessee’s charter school law, Forgety said he felt partly responsible for one provision that’s created confusion, anger, and even litigation over whether local districts must share student contact information with charter operators.
And while his own legislative proposal to clean up the ambiguity has been sidelined, Forgety managed to get all parties at the table last week with Gov. Bill Haslam — no small feat given that two of them already are in court over the issue… [read more on Chalkbeat]
Read MoreI am eager to see the impact that the next cohort of dedicated educators has in lifting Tennessee students to greater academic achievement.
Dear Friends,
Whenever I spend time with the Tennessee Educator Fellows, their passion and commitment to achieve great things for their students always impresses me. Each cohort of educators astounds me with their thoughtful reflections and drive to become the advocates their students need.
Right now the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) is accepting applications from outstanding K-12 educators for the next cohort of the Tennessee Educator Fellowship. Teachers, librarians, school counselors, and interventionists who work in K-12 public schools in Tennessee have the opportunity through the fellowship to create high-level impact beyond the classroom.
One dynamic example is the work Dr. Diarese George started as a 2016-17 fellow. During his fellowship, Diarese selected improving teaching diversity as his key issue, and he founded the Tennessee Educators of Color Alliance to elevate the voice, presence, and support for educators of color… [read more on SCORE]
Read MoreTennessee bill would use Sunday wine sales tax money to fund pre-K scholarships for low-income students
A Memphis lawmaker is proposing to use tax money from a proposed law that would allow Sunday wine sales to fund the expansion of pre-kindergarten.
Sen. Lee Harris, D-Memphis, is sponsoring the bill that he says would fund increased access statewide for children from low-income families.
Senate Bill 1968 proposes requiring the Tennessee Department of Education to use money in a fund set up through the passage of the bill to establish a scholarship program to provide access to pre-K for children from low-income families… [read more on Tennesseean]
Read MoreWhat Educators Gain From The Tennessee Educator Fellowship: Strength, Confidence, And Impact
Lifting Tennessee students to be among the best in the nation cannot occur without empowering Tennessee educators to be advocates for their students and profession. The Tennessee Educator Fellowship is an opportunity for passionate educators to find and use their voice on behalf of their students.
Three fellows in this year’s cohort share what they have learned over the past year and why this fellowship has been instrumental to their development as teacher-leaders… [read more on SCORE]
Read MoreClimate and culture survey to help Nashville public schools address expectations, academics
The majority of Nashville schools teachers view the district as having a favorable work climate.
But Metro Nashville Public Schools teacher opinion lags in how they view the effectiveness of school leadership and the resources they are allotted within the classroom, according to the survey.
The results are part of a Metro Nashville Public Schools push to better understand just what teachers, students and families think about its schools. Experts say by tracking that information, the district can place accountability on school climate and culture for the district.
The survey effort isn’t the first of its kind, but the new, ongoing report is more robust than in previous years, school officials said.
Special attention is being paid to how the district can better classroom environments to eventually impact academic outcomes. For instance, students across the district don’t often feel engaged in lessons, the survey shows.
“We noticed student engagement was one of the things that we see in our walkthroughs that is lower than we would like it to be,” said Tina Stenson, Metro Schools director of research. “We are talking about how to infuse opportunities for true engagement with students.”
The district has tallied teacher perception in past years
The hiring of Panorama Education for the survey cost the district $90,000, and the company and district are tailoring the survey to tell the district more about school perceptions.
Previous climate surveys were tallied by the district, but it didn’t include students and family perception, Stenson said.
Also, through Panorama, the district can look at how other teachers around the nation feel about their schools versus in Metro Schools. And the district can comparatively view the feelings of teachers at clusters of Nashville schools or within individual buildings.
Stenson said the district is working on understanding what works best within the district and nation to help inspire school changes. Nashville schools officials are also looking for disparities in opinions across the district.
“For example, even though there are areas that might be largely favorable in some schools when compared to other schools, it (might not be favorable),” she said. [Read More at Tennessean]
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