Inspirational Stories: A Culture of Belief
Hamilton County professionals believe in schools prioritizing their children's needs for a better education. "We want to welcome families back into our buildings," said Dr. Sonja Stewart, deputy superintendent.
HB1170
As introduced, the (POST) training bill adopts guidelines and materials to instruct law enforcement officers to recognize and respond to a medical crisis involving a person under arrest or under the care or supervision of the law enforcement officer. It was signed by the Senate Speaker this week, making it possible for this initiative to succeed.
HB2450
HB 2450 requires a nonpublic school that accepts publicly funded vouchers for student tuition to comply with the exact requirements for student testing applicable to public schools, subject to certain exemptions; requires a nonpublic school that accepts a publicly funded voucher to pay back a prorated amount of the scholarship if the student leaves school before the end of the school year. Rep. Hakeem aims for this legislation to be heard on March 5th in the K-12 Education Subcommittee.
HB2264
As introduced, it allows certain schools in need of intervention to exit the school turnaround pilot program before the 2024-2025 school year. The legislation was heard on the Education Instruction Committee on Feb. 28.
The TN website for constituents resources had a recent update to request help.
The State of Tennessee is committed to helping all children get off to a healthy start. To support this goal, the Tennessee Department of Health is offering water lead testing to schools, Head Start/Early Head Start facilities and Tennessee Department of Human Services licensed child care centers at no cost. This opportunity is completely voluntary for any School Head Start/Early Head Start facilities and TDHS-licensed child care centers who would like to have their water tested.
Why should you participate in this opportunity?
Infants and young children are especially sensitive to lead exposure. Water can be a source of lead exposure, especially in buildings with older plumbing. Lead can enter drinking water through plumbing materials that contain lead. Testing water in schools and child care facilities is important because children spend a significant portion of their days in these facilities and likely consume water while there. The State of Tennessee strongly encourages schools, Head Start/Early Head Start facilities and TDHS-licensed child care facilities to take advantage of this free opportunity to test the water for lead – particularly if food, drinks, and/or formula are prepared on-site. How do you get started? To request a lead testing kit, contact the Tennessee Department of Health Laboratory Services staff by phone at (615) 262-6300 or by email at Lead_Testing.Support@tn.gov.