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Good morning! It’s Melissa with Chalkbeat Tennessee, here with your Wednesday roundup of our top news.
What’s next in the Memphis schools takeover? Though lawmakers passed the legislation last week, it still hasn’t been signed into law. And there’s been relatively muted reaction on the ground in Memphis, though leaders are mulling their legal options.
Local News
Can the GOP Memphis schools takeover be stopped? Local leaders weigh the district’s options.
Some argue state control of Memphis-Shelby County Schools is inevitable. Others say a district lawsuit could thwart the Republican-backed bill Gov. Bill Lee is expected to sign.
Federal judge orders immediate release of Memphis high school student detained by ICE
Yasser Jose Lopez Soza, a junior at Memphis Business Academy, has been held without bond at the West Tennessee Detention Center since his Feb. 20 arrest by immigration officials.
Tennessee rolls back testing requirements in early voucher program
Students in Tennessee’s Education Savings Account program will no longer have to take state standardized tests. The tests previously showed public students outperforming their private school peers.
Around Chalkbeat
Colorado pays generously for homeschool enrichment. Funding cuts and stricter rules may be coming.
State lawmakers are planning legislation that would halve funding for many homeschool enrichment programs. New guardrails could be on the way, too.
Trump administration improperly canceled $36 million in school grants over trans policies, judge rules
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to reconsider its plan to cancel $36 million in grant funding for NYC schools over the city’s trans student policy.
Trump termination of civil rights agreements could chill student complaints and confuse schools
Conservatives say Title IX is finally being interpreted correctly. Other observers say the unprecedented move could intimidate students considering civil rights complaints.
What We’re Reading
MNPS School Board District 4 Primary: Dr. Berthena Nabaa-McKinney and Jennifer Bell, Nashville Banner
Larry McCormack for Chalkbeat




