Hillsdale College 'media frenzy' over teacher insults continues

Hello and welcome to School Zone. This is education reporter Meghan Mangrum.

Between test score data dumps, lawsuits and the ongoing controversy surrounding Gov. Bill Lee's appearance on a panel with Hillsdale President Larry Arnn, we've got a lot of news for you this week — so let's get right to it.

Gov. Bill Lee faces fallout after Hillsdale president's comments on teachers

The fallout has continued for Gov. Bill Lee since video leaked of his friend and ally, Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn, making insulting comments about teachers at an event in Williamson County last week.

Since last week — when Lee was already under fire from public school teachers, education advocates and even his fellow Republicans — outcry has only grown.

Multiple colleges and universities across the state condemned the comments, and a Chattanooga-area charter school even cut ties with the conservative Michigan college.

The school, Ivy's Academy Skillern Elementary, was the only current school affiliated with the college and its controversial curriculum, though at least three other proposed charter schools across the state have ties to Hillsdale.

"We do not wish to participate in media frenzies, because the job of educating students is too important for us to give attention to anything else," Angie Markum, CEO of Skillern Elementary, said in a news release last weekend. "We support our teachers and recognize that excellent teachers are ultimately the reason that any school succeeds."

On Monday, one of Tennessee's most influential lawmakers when it comes to education also weighed in. House Education Administration Chairman Mark White, R-Memphis, wrote during an exchange with teachers and others on Facebook that "any hope" that Hillsdale College had to operate more charter schools in the state — an effort first championed by Lee earlier this year — has "been shattered."

White's comments came after a Memphis-area school board for Collierville Schools unanimously approved a resolution in support of its teachers, coming as a critique of Lee and the possibility of charter schools in the suburban district.

Lee has continued to shy away from any criticism of the controversial remarks though, failing to condemn or denounce them.

The Tennessean Editorial Board even weighed in on the controversy, calling for the governor to denounce Arnn's remarks. You can read the editorial here.

Whether this saga will have larger ramifications for Lee's reelection bid is yet to be known, but keep an eye out for an upcoming story from Tennessean reporters Melissa Brown and Adam Friedman taking a look at the political implications of the controversy.

Nashville student progress outpacing the state, but statewide achievement gaps also increasing

Metro Nashville Public Schools students made greater progress on last year's statewide assessment than the state average, new data out last week showed.

But as some Tennessee students are testing closer to pre-pandemic achievement levels, Metro Schools students still lag.

Only about 24.9% of Metro Schools students in grades 3-8 scored "on track" or "mastered" in English language arts this school year, compared to 17.8% in 2021 in the midst of the pandemic — an increase by 7.1 percentage points.

Statewide 34.8% of Tennessee students are scoring on track in ELA compared to 28.1% in 2021 — an increase of about 6.7 percentage points.

And even as some students statewide are making progress, the number of students scoring among the lowest-performing is also increasing.

Keep reading to find out where achievement gaps are the greatest.

Also, find out how students in your Middle Tennessee school district performed on this year's standardized assessments here.

The Wit & Wisdom debate returns

The latest chapter in a monthslong controversy over what is taught in local schools is heading to a courtroom.

Parents' Choice Tennessee, a Williamson County advocacy group, recently filed a lawsuit claiming Williamson County Schools' adoption, implementation and enforcement of the Wit & Wisdom curriculum violates Tennessee law.

Two of the plaintiffs — parents Trisha and James Lucente — believe state laws concerning the teaching of critical race theory and Common Core were violated, as well as policies concerning curriculum review and adoption processes at the state and county levels.

Williamson County Schools Superintendent Jason Golden and Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn are among those named as defendants in the lawsuit filed in Williamson County Chancery Court.

Tennessean reporter Anika Exum has the full story.

On the agenda for MNPS

There's a lot on the agenda for the Metro Nashville Board of Education's only meeting this month.

Some high-interest items include:

• Updates around elementary school security.

• A vote on how to divvy up one-time bonuses to support staff.

• Votes on four amended charter school applications.

• An update on student performance on this year's TNReady tests from Director Adrienne Battle.

• A vote on the district's new paid family medical leave policy.

• A discussion of the district's current facilities leases with existing charter schools.

Follow me on Twitter @memangrum for updates out of today's school board meetings, starting at 3:30 p.m. Follow along via the Metro Nashville Network.

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We want to hear from you

Is there anything The Tennessean might have missed? I'd love to hear from you. You can reach me at mmangrum@tennessean.com or on Twitter @memangrum.

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Extra credit

► Despite two years of pay increases amid Nashville's rising cost of living, some educators are finding themselves priced out of the very communities they serve. The Nashville Scene's Kelsey Beyeler reports on this important issue.

► Memphis-Shelby County Schools, the state's largest school district, has launched an external investigation into Superintendent Joris Ray following allegations of adultery, possibly with district employees, in divorce proceedings between Ray and his wife. Reporter Laura Testino of The Commercial Appeal has the full story.

► The Tennessee State Board of Education is collecting public feedback on the state's existing social studies standards for grades K-12. The effort is part of a yearlong process of reviewing the existing academic standards for potential revision. Keep reading to find out more about the process. Submit your feedback online via the state board's website.

► Members of the public are invited to respond to the Tennessee Department of Education's proposed rules for the state's new school funding formula, the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) at a hearing later this month. Last month, the department released proposed rules — the next step in the process of enacting the new law.

• The hearing will take place July 28 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Ellington Agricultural Center at 416 Hogan Road in Nashville. For more information about the hearing and the proposed rules, visit: www.tn.gov.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Hillsdale College 'media frenzy' continues