Sign-up opens for voucher program

Hello and welcome to School Zone. This is education reporter Meghan Mangrum, writing my last edition of School Zone.

With your help, we launched this newsletter almost a year ago. Since then, it's brought you news about school closures, mask mandates, raucous debates at the statehouse and changes to how the state funds public schools.

This newsletter isn't going anywhere, but I am.

My last day at The Tennessean is Friday.

Your support, especially that of our subscribers, has made my work here possible. It's been a privilege to serve Nashville and Tennessee. Please, keep reading.

Voucher program to launch for this upcoming school year

Eligible families interested in signing up for Tennessee's new Education Savings Account program can now take the first step in the application process.

The state relaunched its school voucher website Tuesday and included an "intent to enroll" form.

Last week, Gov. Bill Lee announced the state intends to launch the program in time for the upcoming 2022-23 school year, following a court order that lifted an injunction blocking the program.

The controversial program would allow some Tennessee students in Davidson and Shelby counties to use public dollars to attend private schools.

Find out who is eligible to participate in the program and how much a voucher is worth here.

It is unclear how many schools might accept vouchers this year — when the state relaunched the website it removed a previous list of more than 60 participating private schools.

Private schools must apply to the Tennessee Department of Education to participate in the program. A new form where independent schools can express interest in participating in the program is also now available.

Keep reading for more about the voucher program. Visit the state's website at www.esa.tnedu.gov.

What can Tennessee schools teach about abortion, sex?

How to access and properly use condoms and other contraceptives, preventing sexually transmitted diseases, how a person gets pregnant, consent.

These are all topics that even adults can find uncomfortable to talk about. But research shows discussing them through comprehensive sex education programs can often cut down on unintentional pregnancies and help people live healthier lives.

And in the wake of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, as teenagers look toward their future, some believe learning about sex and reproductive health is more important now than ever.

But state law requires students to be taught that the best way to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections is to not have sex at all.

And public schools are not required to teach sex education, though high school students are required to take a wellness class to graduate that touches on topics like the reproductive system, contraception, healthy and unhealthy relationships, and the "potential outcomes of engaging in sexual behaviors" such as pregnancy and STIs.

Meet the Tennessee teens who are pushing for comprehensive sex education and hear why they think it is so important.

Also, find out what state law and academic standards actually say schools can — and can't — teach about sex here.

Increased resignations could lead to teacher shortages

Middle Tennessee school districts are grappling with more than 1,000 teacher vacancies with less than a month to go until students return to the classroom, News Channel 5 reported last week.

Increased resignations and retirements are one of the things contributing to the number of vacancies. Nearly 550 Metro Nashville Public Schools teachers resigned by the end of the school year — a 15% increase from the year before.

But why are teachers leaving the classroom?

Low wages, the COVID-19 pandemic, increased standardized testing and even the governor's reluctance to rebuke an ally's recent comments disparaging public school teachers could all be factors, some say.

But that's not all.

"It is not just heavy workload, poor salaries or pointless legislation," said J.C. Bowman, executive director of Professional Educators of Tennessee, a nonpartisan teacher association headquartered in Nashville. "Educators do not feel welcome in their own careers. They do not feel like they are being listened to by parents or policymakers. They do not feel respected. It is a morale issue."

Keep reading to find out more about why teachers are leaving the classroom and whether Metro Schools officials are worried.

Support local journalism 

With that, thank you for reading! Our coverage of education and children's issues wouldn't be possible without Tennessean subscribers. If you aren't already one, please consider becoming a subscriber today.

We want to hear from you

Please follow some of our other education and children's issues reporters across the state: Anika Exum, Laura Testino and Becca Wright.

If you were forwarded this email, subscribe to this free newsletter here. School Zone will hit your inbox every Tuesday, jam-packed with some of the top education news from The Tennessean and across the state.

Extra credit

► Superintendent Joris Ray of Memphis-Shelby County Schools, the state's largest school district, was placed on paid leave last week amid an external investigation, reporter Laura Testino of The Commercial Appeal reports. Find out who is leading the investigation and who is taking over for Ray for the time being.

► The Metro Nashville Board of Education will meet for a special meeting at 12:30 p.m. Monday to potentially decide the fate of the proposed charter school Tennessee Nature Academy. Find out more about the debate over the school.

► All Metro Nashville Public Schools students will be able to continue to receive free lunch this upcoming school year. Though Congress failed to renew a pandemic-era federal waiver allowing schools to provide free lunch to all students regardless of proof of need, Metro Schools has decided to use $7.5 million a year in federal coronavirus relief funds for the next two years to keep free breakfast and free lunch available to all students at every school. Find out more from rock star intern Kenya Anderson.

► 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: Families can now enroll in voucher program