News

This week, November 13 – 17, the Tennessee Department of Education is celebrating the 9th Annual National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), highlighting how apprenticeship programs build a stronger workforce and address labor market challenges through a combination of on-the-job training and high-quality curriculum and instruction. Across the state, there are now 45 certified pre-apprenticeship programs to support high school students in transitioning to one of seven different registered apprenticeship programs across 15 different areas of coursework. 

Tennessee is a national leader in promoting apprenticeship opportunities as high school students have access to apprenticeship programs in machining, welding, maintenance, culinary arts, mechatronics, and information technology, being one of only seven states awarded the Pathways to STEM Apprenticeships. 

To spotlight the nationwide celebration of NAW, Governor Bill Lee issued a proclamation, highlighting the vital role apprenticeships play in expanding workforce opportunities for Tennesseans. Throughout the week, the department will spotlight innovative apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship opportunities on social media using #NAW2023 and #ApprenticeshipTN.

“This week, we are proud to highlight apprenticeship opportunities in Tennessee, as they provide students with practical learning experiences and enable them to gain valuable skills in various industries, increasing their chances of future success in the workforce,” said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education.

Registered apprenticeship programs combine paid coursework and on-the-job training from Tennessee employers to provide enriching and valuable learning opportunities for students. Certified pre-apprenticeship programs can be paid or unpaid opportunities, but like apprenticeships, can be done in a district’s work-based learning courses.

To learn more about apprenticeships in Tennessee, visit the ApprenticeshipTN webpage here.

A variety of upgrades have been announced for the Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency’s (UCHRA) transit services in the coming weeks.

Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 14, UCHRA Public Transportation will begin charging a flat rate of $2 each way for in-county travel. Special discounts, for seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans, are also available for eligible passengers.

In another move to improve overall efficiency, a new trip management software will go live next week; allowing UCHRA Public Transportation to be more efficient without requiring passengers to schedule trips on specific days and providing a more user-friendly experience for passengers.

“Our old fare system was designed to encourage passengers from outlying areas of the county to coordinate their trips on certain days to improve efficiency,” said Holly Montooth, UCHRA Public Transportation Director. “We can introduce a more straightforward fare structure as a result.

“We’re very excited to bring these technological innovations to our rural public transportation users in the Upper Cumberland region,” Montooth added. “We’re also thrilled to announce the launch of the UCHRA Transportation app.”

In the coming weeks, a new app, UCHRA Transportation, will also launch. The UCHRA Transportation app is designed to better serve the agency’s existing PickUp Upper Cumberland passengers who currently access this popular on-demand service through the Uber app. This new app, UCHRA Transportation, is available for download via the Apple App Store and the Google Play store.

For more information about UCHRA’s Public Transportation services, visit www.ucpublictransit.com or call 833-828-7477 to connect with the department’s call center.

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) announced today a record-breaking number of students applied for Tennessee Promise program in the most recent application cycle that closed on November 1, 2023.

Preliminary data for the High School Class of 2024 show that over 66,000 high school seniors applied for Tennessee Promise, an increase of 3.6% over the Class of 2023. Surpassing last year’s record, the Class of 2024 now holds the highest number of applicants since the inception of the Tennessee program in 2015.

“This is an exciting moment as record numbers of Tennessee students took the first step in their pursuit of a postsecondary credential,” said Tennessee Promise Program Director James Snider. “We are thankful for the efforts of our college access partners and professional school counselors in highlighting the program and encouraging students to pursue a brighter future. This news, along with increases in fall 2023 enrollment at postsecondary institutions across Tennessee, paints a compelling picture of the future for Tennessee students.”

The Tennessee Promise program includes a last-dollar scholarship that provides recent high school graduates the opportunity to complete an associate degree, certificate, or diploma program free of tuition and mandatory fees at a public community college, a Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT), or a public or private university with an eligible associate degree program. As a last-dollar scholarship, Tennessee Promise funds the remaining balance of tuition and mandatory fees after all other gift aid has been applied. The program pairs Tennessee Promise students with a mentor and support through the state’s partnering organizations, tnAchieves and The Ayers Foundation.

Each year, THEC produces a report outlining the impact of Tennessee Promise. The annual report presents descriptive data on Tennessee Promise applicants and students, student outcomes, student transfer behavior, and program finances. Today, THEC released the Tennessee Promise Annual Report for 2023 with several key findings:

• From the inception of Tennessee Promise in 2015 through spring 2023, over 126,000 students have been served by Tennessee Promise at public institutions.
• More Tennessee Promise students are enrolling at Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) than in any previous cohort. In 2022-23 cohort, 16.6% of Tennessee Promise students first enrolled at a TCAT.
• As of fall 2022, nearly 19,000 Tennessee Promise students have transferred to a Tennessee public university to continue their education. Over 41,000 Tennessee Promise students have earned a credential since the program began.

Nashville, TN—The Tennessee Department of Education has released the calculation to generate A-F letter grades for schools, in alignment with state law.

School Letter Grades will measure how the state’s K-12 schools are serving students and helping them succeed academically.

In 2016, T.C.A. § 49-1-228 was established and required the department to develop a school letter grading system beginning in the 2017-18 school year in order to provide parents and families with a rating system for school performance. Following passage of the legislation, testing administration issues and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic delayed a roll-out of school letter grades as part of Tennessee’s state accountability system; however, the law will be implemented for the first time this year. 

Over the past several months, the department has invited Tennesseans across the state to engage on this topic via public town halls, a working group of stakeholders, and a public comment opportunity to discuss legal requirements for the calculation. 

The calculation to generate A-F letter grades for schools, presented today to the State Board of Education, includes up to four separate indicators—overall success rate for achievement, overall growth, growth for the lowest performing 25% of students in the school, and a college and career readiness indicator—and will differentiate between elementary and middle schools, and high schools. Schools will receive a sub-score for each indicator, ranging from levels 1-5, and each sub-score will be multiplied by assigned weights to generate an aggregate score then will be cross walked to determine the school’s letter grade. 

“School letter grades will be a powerful communication mechanism for our parents and families, which is why it is so important to ensure the calculation of the letter grade is clear and easy-to-understand, and I deeply appreciate all the stakeholders across the state who have engaged with us during this process,” said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. “While we cannot satisfy all priorities and perspectives that were shared, we believe we have developed a calculation for school letter grades that aligned with the spirit of the law and will more meaningfully differentiate school performance to parents, and I look forward to continuing to work with our stakeholders to focus on continuous improvement and deliver the best for all our students.”

During August and September, nearly 300 public comments were submitted from Tennesseans on their top priorities for measuring a school’s academic success, and how the state should measure progress towards those priorities. Public comments were submitted via e-mail, written, and also during the 10 town halls hosted in each region of the state.

In October, the department held five working group meetings to review the public comment submitted and make recommendations on the new calculations for each letter grade. Working group members represented district and school leaders, elected officials, parents, and education stakeholders.

Learn more about these school letter grades here. For media inquiries, contact Edu.MediaInquiries@tn.gov.  

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) is encouraging all Tennesseans to look at the prescription medications in their homes and prepare to participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. local time.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is organized by the Drug Enforcement Administration to encourage the safe and secure disposal of potentially addictive and otherwise harmful prescription medications.  In Tennessee, community groups including the state’s Substance Use Prevention Coalitions team up with local law enforcement and other partners to host Take Back Day events.  The events serve to collect thousands of pounds of medications while also providing opportunities to start conversations about preventing substance misuse and addiction.

Find a National Prescription Drug Take Back Day event near you at TNtogether.com/takebackday

In the last National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in April of this year, agencies collected more than 8,200 pounds of medications at more than 120 locations across Tennessee.  Since the start of Take Back Day, Tennesseans have safely and securely disposed of more than 350,000 pounds of medications.

Tennesseans who miss out on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day can still safely and securely dispose their medications at one of 383 permanent drug drop boxes across the state.  These drop boxes are located in many pharmacies, police precincts, and sheriff’s offices.  Find a permanent drug drop box near you at this link: tdeconline.tn.gov/rxtakeback

Members of the Cannon County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition will be accepting unused and outdated prescription drugs. You can drop off those items at Woodbury Drug Center 604 West Main Street between 10 A.M. AND 2 P.M.

Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands. It’s dangerous and often tragic. Everyone is encouraged to clean out their medicine cabinets and turn in safely and anonymously any prescription drugs. The members of the Cannon County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition ask you to not be an unintended dealer.

The Cannon County Health Departmentwill participate in the statewide Fight Flu ’23 effort on Nov. 1, 2023, and provide free flu shots to all Tennesseans who are eligible, six-months and older.

‘’We want to protect as many people as we can in our communities from the flu,” County Director, Michael Railling, MPH, CPH said. “Getting an annual flu shot is the best way to protect yourself and everyone around you.”

Cannon County Health Department will provide free flu shots on Nov. 1, 2023, at the Cannon County Health Department located at 106 Alexander Drive, Woodbury. The hours of operation will be from8:00 AM – 3:30 PM.

An appointment is not needed to receive a free flu vaccine at the Cannon County Health Department’s Fight Flu ’23 event.

Also, the flu vaccine will remain free to anyone eligible to receive it at all local health departments across the state throughout flu season.

The flu vaccine is safe and effective and can protect individuals against the most common types of flu, and the virus’s worst symptoms and outcomes.

The flu virus is very contagious. Pregnant women, infants, the elderly, and people with certain medical conditions are at the highest risk of severe complications from the flu. Annually, more than 7.5 million illnesses, 400,000 hospitalizations, and 22,000 deaths could be prevented in the U.S. if more people chose to get the flu vaccine.

To prevent spreading the flu virus to others, follow precautions such as proper hygiene and handwashing, cover your coughs or sneezes with a tissue or your elbow, and stay home if you are sick.

For more information about the flu virus and Fight Flu ‘23, visit tn.gov/health/fightflu. For information about getting a free flu shot, contact the Cannon County Health Department at 615-563-4243.

Cannon County Schools holds the safety of our students, faculty, and staff as a top priority. With this in mind, Safety Director Bill West would like to announce that the school system will be holding a Safety Drill Week at each campus the week of Oct. 23rd. The school district already holds drills of different types throughout the school year mandated by the state and allows the students and staff to practice procedures for many situations. This particular awareness week is of importance to not only practice our procedures but also is a reminder to families to please have conversations with their children about school safety and personal safety in general. Mr. West stated, “Our school system can’t be successful without the support of parents, and we believe that this particular week is important for your children to see what this means to you. Also, be aware that if you arrive at your child’s campus and find the doors locked and are informed of a drill in progress, please be patient with us and know the drill will not take very long.” 

By the fall of 2024, Motlow-McMinnville will have an additional building to house its first cohort of students for the new Electric Vehicle Program. The groundbreaking ceremony will take place soon, and Motlow is happy to host a group of leaders who are working to advance Middle Tennessee’s cyber and electric vehicle interests.

An electric vehicle is a car that runs on a battery-powered electric motor rather than traditional gasoline. Students who enroll in Motlow’s new program can work for companies who build and/or service such vehicles as well as their charging stations.

The construction of the Mechatronics and Electronic Vehicles Instructional Facility will begin by the end of the month. Motlow thanks Gilbert McLaughlin Casella Architects for agreeing to the one-year project that will add 60 percent more space to the current Automation and Robotics Training Center (ARTC). The new facility will house the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Electric Vehicle Technology and the AAS in Mechatronics with a concentration in Electric Vehicle Technology. Students can either move directly into the workforce or transfer to a four-year institution and obtain a Bachelor of Science in Electric Vehicle Technology.

According to Executive Director of Automation and Robotics Training Center Larry Flatt, “A concentration or degree in Electric Vehicle Technology will teach students how to build and service an electric vehicle, build and recycle an electric battery, and install or maintain a service station. The new building’s equipment will allow the repair of a vehicle up to the size of a half-ton pickup. We will also have the power to charge and discharge batteries and other specialized tools to work on electric vehicles.”

Motlow is proud to be a key leader in the Tennessee Board of Regent’s (TBR) initiative to make Electric Vehicle Technology accessible to our surrounding communities as the need for electric vehicle technicians rises. This is a new learning opportunity for students and certifies them to work for reputable vehicle manufacturers throughout the state that promise high wages and job security.

Motlow hopes to gain electric vehicles from multiple companies so that students can practice their new skills on a variety of cars. The first 2024-2025 class of electric vehicle technicians will accommodate 18 students.

Special agents assigned to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Medicaid Fraud Control Division, with the assistant of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, have obtained indictments charging a Lebanon nurse accused of unlawfully prescribing controlled substances.

As part of an ongoing investigation, agents became aware of allegations involving Alton Birmingham, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) at a physician’s office in Lebanon. Further investigation revealed that, on several occasions in 2020, while the doctor wasn’t in the office, Birmingham continued to see patients and called in prescriptions using the doctor’s Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number. The practice is no longer in operation.

On Friday, the Wilson County Grand Jury returned indictments for Birmingham, charging the Lebanon man with seven counts of Unlawful Distribution of Controlled Substance. Birmingham surrendered to authorities Tuesday and was subsequently booked into the Wilson County Jail on $10,000 bond.

As Tennessee heads into fall fire season, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Division of Forestry (TDF) is observing National Fire Prevention Week October 8 – 14, 2023. Due to the drier conditions and leaf litter that accompany autumn in our state, a debris burn permit is required for leaf and brush pile fires beginning October 15 and residents are urged to take appropriate fire safety measures.

“There is a heightened risk of wildland fire this month in Tennessee,” State Forester David Arnold said. “Risks associated with careless debris burning are high, particularly during fire season when conditions are dry and natural fuel is abundant. If you plan to burn, you must obtain a permit where local governments don’t have established outdoor burning ordinances. Remember to stay with your fire, establish a safe perimeter, and keep tools on hand to control the burn.”

Debris Burn Permits for leaf and brush piles are available at no charge via the MyTN mobile app or online at www.BurnSafeTN.org. Apply the same day you plan to burn. Online permits may be obtained daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. in Eastern and Central time zones (based on your location) for any size leaf and/or brush burn pile, as well as prescribed fires and broadcast burning, such as for forestry, agricultural, or land clearing applications. Each fire should be completely extinguished by the permit expiration.

Residents with limited internet access may call the Division of Forestry burn permit phone number at 877-350-BURN (2876) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Central. This phone line will open October 13 to issue permits in advance for Sunday, October 15 as long as forecasted conditions are favorable for safe debris burning. Callers may experience lengthy wait times when call volume is high, so online applications are encouraged.

The online permitting system is a streamlined and efficient process for residents to obtain burn permits. This year, there are fewer application steps, easier navigation, and applicants may save their information for future burn permit applications.

Permits are issued only when conditions are conducive to safe burning. If you live inside city limits, check with your municipality for additional restrictions before you burn.

A list of materials that are not allowed to be burned can be found from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation at www.tn.gov/environment/program-areas/apc-air-pollution-control-home/apc/open-burning.html. Call 1-888-891-TDEC to report illegal burning.

Burning without a permit is a class C misdemeanor and punishable by up to 30 days in jail and/or a fine. Individuals are legally required to stay with their fire until extinguished.

The following tips should be followed when it is safe to conduct a debris burn:

• Check with local authorities to make sure there are no local restrictions on burning currently in place, especially in cities and towns that have their own outdoor burning ordinance.
• GET A PERMIT. A permit is required from the Tennessee Division of Forestry from October 15 to May 15 where local restrictions do not supersede.
• Notify your local fire department and neighbors to let them know your plans to burn.
• Do not burn on windy days.
• Stay abreast of changing weather conditions.
• Establish wide control lines down to bare mineral soil at least five feet wide around burn piles.
• Keep fire containment equipment on hand during the fire (e.g. rake, shovel, water).
• Stay with the fire until it is completely out.

Visit www.BurnSafeTN.org for additional tips to burn safely and to protect your community.

To get updates on wildfire news and fire risk in Tennessee, follow @TNWildlandFire on Facebook, Instagram, X, and Threads.