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Good morning — it’s Melissa with Chalkbeat Tennessee.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools leaders on Tuesday proposed a mid-year purchase of 25,000 laptops for high schoolers after parents complained that a sudden change in district technology policy this year left teachers and families scrambling.

The Memphis board is expected to vote on the purchase next week. The elected school board will control the district — and major purchasing decisions — until at least December, a local judge decided on Tuesday as the fight over the state takeover drags on in two court systems.

Finally, I wanted to share a tribute to a beloved colleague, Chalkbeat story editor Mónica Rhor. Mónica died on Nov. 1 after a brief battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer on Nov. 1. She was a kind coworker and a talented journalist who is deeply missed by the Chalkbeat team.

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‘We hear you:’ Tennessee Senate Republicans reckon with blue wave in leadership elections, WPLN

Classroom AI use concerns Tennessee educators following Google announcement, WATE

5 reports, 5 different conclusions about fairness in school funding, Hechinger Report

More communities are closing schools. The cuts may not be enough, Hechinger Report

Memphis educator fights to close literacy gap in TN, WREG