schools Archives - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

18 May, 2019

Hamilton County School Board, Tennessee Risk Management Trust miss point on confidentiality agreement

By Deborah Fisher|2019-05-19T10:07:30-05:00May 18, 2019|Categories: Public Records, schools|Tags: confidentiality agreements, Hamilton County Board of Education, Office of Open Records Counsel, settlement agreements, Tennessee Risk Management Trust|0 Comments

The Hamilton County School Board's attorney on Wednesday finally revealed to school board members the settlement payout amount of $750,000 to a student sexually assaulted during a basketball tournament trip. Board attorney Scott Bennett has indicated that this amount was previously confidential because its insurer had entered into a confidentiality agreement with the student and his family. There is still another student with whom the school board's insurer reached a settlement payout. Bennett has not released that amount. The explanation is that the settlement is under seal in federal court. The Tennessee Attorney General and the Office of Open Records Counsel have both weighed in on the matter — and [...]

7 Mar, 2019

Mom fights for law to allow parents to view school bus video

By Deborah Fisher|2019-03-07T18:36:17-06:00March 7, 2019|Categories: Legislature, schools|Tags: Brooke Wilkerson, FERPA, school bus video, State Rep. Rick Tillis, State Sen. Shane Reeves|3 Comments

Lawmakers will consider a bill next week to allow parents to view school bus video after reports of physical harm, harassment, intimidation or bullying involving their child. Sen. Shane Reeves, R-Murfreesboro, is sponsoring SB 182, after hearing from a Lewisburg mother who faced roadblocks in finding out what happened to her kindergartener on the bus. Brooke Wilkerson, a Lewisburg mom who faced roadblocks in trying to see school bus video after her kindergartener told of her of a "secret tickling game" with a 12-year-old that took place on the bus. Brooke Wilkerson said she was concerned when her young daughter told her about a "secret tickling game" on the [...]

21 Oct, 2017

Chalkbeat: State is suing Nashville schools to turn over student directory information; Memphis takes a different path

By Deborah Fisher|2017-10-21T10:24:59-05:00October 21, 2017|Categories: schools|Tags: FERPA, Metro Nashville school board, Shelby County School Board, State Department of Education, student directory information|0 Comments

Chalkbeat has provided in-depth coverage of the escalating fight over release of student directory information to charter school operators who want to use it for recruitment. The state this past week filed a lawsuit against the Nashville school district to force the production of the student directory information, which includes student's addresses, phone numbers and other information, after the school district refused the state's order earlier this year. Chalkbeat explains in its most recent report a different tack taken by Memphis schools, which is notifying parents of their rights to have their student's information not released if they "opt out." The Nashville school district's refusal to turn over the information [...]

30 Aug, 2017

Memphis, Nashville school boards resist giving student names to charter schools

By Deborah Fisher|2017-08-30T17:52:17-05:00August 30, 2017|Categories: schools|Tags: Candice McQueen, charter schools, Metro Nashville school board, Shelby County School Board, student information|0 Comments

Chalkbeat reports today that the school boards of Memphis and Nashville are resisting an order from state Education Commissioner Candice McQueen to give charter school operators a list of student names, ages and addresses. The school boards think that the charter schools will use the lists to recruit students, which they think is not consistent with a new law governing charter schools. But the new law appears to require the school districts to turn over the lists at no cost to the charter schools. From Chalkbeat's story "Tennessee’s two largest districts defy state order to share student info with charters": Candice McQueen, Tennessee Education Commissioner At issue is [...]

5 May, 2016

AG: Search firm records are open in school director search, Open Meetings Act may apply

By Deborah Fisher|2017-01-06T15:25:27-06:00May 5, 2016|Categories: Attorney General Opinions, schools|Tags: AG opinion, Cleveland, Herbert Slatery, State Sen. Mike Bell, Tennessee School Boards Association|0 Comments

The Attorney General in a new opinion says that records in a school director search are open for public inspection, even if the records were obtained by a third party hired by a school board to conduct the search. The entity might also be subject to the Open Meetings Act, depending on factors such as the circumstances of its involvement with the government body, its authority and its structure, the AG said. State Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville State Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville, said he requested the opinion because some constituents were concerned about the transparency of the search to fill the Cleveland City School's director position. The school board hired the [...]