Racism at Ravenwood High
Hello and welcome to School Zone. This is education reporter Meghan Mangrum, coming to you ahead of today's special-called Metro Nashville school board meeting.
Last week, board members had a heated discussion about Mayor John Cooper's proposed budget, which includes nearly $92 million in additional funding for the district. Some board members worry the funding allocated for staff pay increases isn't enough.
Check out last week's story here and follow along on Twitter for updates this afternoon. The meeting starts at 4 p.m. Now, on to the rest of the news!
Calling out racism at Ravenwood
Last Friday, students at Ravenwood High School in Brentwood donned all Black and circled up to protest racism and racial harassment.
Student Jadon Moore helped lead the protest after an incident earlier this month where he found a racial slur typed into the username prompt of his computer, strategically placed so he would see it.
A white student had typed the word into the computer, Williamson County Schools officials confirmed.
The incident has led to a bigger conversation about racism at the school, something parent advocates with the grassroots advocacy network OneWilCo are happy to see.
But Williamson County has often struggled with conversations on race, diversity and inclusion and the district has remained one of the epicenters of Tennessee's education culture wars.
The conversation also comes as white supremacy and racism are again in the national spotlight after a gunman’s racist attack that killed 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, this weekend.
Tennessean reporter Anika Exum has more from Ravenwood High School, and Education Week provides tips for how teachers and families can talk to students about the tragedy in Buffalo.
'Growing' teachers in Tennessee
Tennessee continues to work to combat the ongoing national teacher shortage. Yesterday, the Tennessee Department of Education and the University of Tennessee System announced a $20 million partnership and the launch of the "Tennessee Grow Your Own Center."
The center will be managed by the university, and the three-year pilot program aims to recruit more future teachers.
One of the biggest barriers keeping first-generation college students, students from rural communities and students of color from becoming teachers is money, Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said Monday during the announcement in Knoxville. A lot of students simply can't afford to take on unpaid teaching assistantships.
The no-cost pathway aims to change that. The state has been championing "Grow Your Own" initiatives, like the creation of a first-of-its-kind apprenticeship program to encourage individuals to train to become teachers and serve their own community.
Stay tuned for the full story from Knoxville News Sentinel reporter Becca Wright.
Readers riled over book bans, op-eds
An op-ed from Laurie Cardoza-Moore, a longtime activist and member of the state Textbook Commission, made a splash online when it was published by The Tennessean last week.
Cardoza-Moore is the founder and president of the Franklin-based nonprofit Proclaiming Justice to the Nations, which has previously been deemed a hate group by The Southern Poverty Law Center. She has been accused of being "anti-Muslim" and "divisive," but even so was appointed to the commission, which oversees recommendations and approval of state textbooks and curriculum, by House Speaker Cameron Sexton in 2020.
Now, lawmakers have given the commission the authority to hear appeals from students, families and school staff and potentially implement statewide book bans.
In the op-ed, Cardoza-Moore argued this was the right move for Tennesseans and levied inaccurate accusations at Kent Oliver, director of the Nashville Public Library.
Oliver weighed in through his own op-ed celebrating the library's new "Freedom to Read" campaign.
Keep reading to find out more!
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Extra credit
► Graduation season kicks off in Nashville tomorrow with Metro Nashville Public Schools' first commencement ceremonies for the class of 2022. Students from Harris-Hillman and Early Middle College High School will be the first to receive their diplomas. For a full list of MNPS graduation ceremonies, complete with dates, time and location, visit: www.mnps.org/students-families/student-resources/seniors.
► Professional Educators of Tennessee, a nonpartisan teacher association with more than 8,200 members statewide, honored former Nashville school board member and longtime educator Jill Speering with a 2022 Friend of the Educator Award on Tuesday. Speering was highlighted for her "tireless advocacy for children" and "servant's heart." She will be honored alongside Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Adrienne Battle, who was named 2022 Superintendent of the Year, at the organization's annual conference, Leader U, in June.
► Despite keeping schools open amid the delta and omicron variant surges, nearly 1 in 4 students were chronically absent in Memphis this school year, according to a new report from Memphis-Shelby County Schools. This means more than 25% of students missed 10% or more days of class. Commercial Appeal reporter Laura Testino has the full story.
► Nearby Rutherford County Schools recently named three finalists for superintendent after embroiled Superintendent Bill Spurlock announced he would leave when his contract expires in June. The finalists are district insiders Andrea Anthony, assistant superintendent of human resources and support services; John Ash, principal of Central Magnet School; and James Sullivan, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. Scott Broden of The Daily News Journal has more on what to expect during the district's superintendent search.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Calling out racism at Ravenwood High
