NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee Board of Education has changed its stance on rules effecting the licensing of teachers.
In August, the board voted for the policy brought by the state Education Department to use student growth measured through standardized test scores, or value-added data, to determine renewing teaching licenses.
The board voted at the time to delay implementation of the new rules until 2015.
But The Tennessean (https://tnne.ws/1eJwP8u) reports the board voted last week to step away from the new policy. The vote was on first reading and the board is scheduled to take up the issue again in April.
Many teachers opposed the changes because they were concerned that flawed scores could cause qualified teachers to mistakenly lose their licenses.
Despite the board’s new position, the Tennessee Education Association, the state’s largest teachers’ union, says it will still push a measure this legislative session that would prevent the state from taking teachers’ licenses based on “any statistical estimate utilizing standardized test scores.”
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - The National Weather Service in Memphis has issued a winter weather advisory for most of West Tennessee.
Meteorologist Zach Maye said Sunday that rain is expected to freeze as some counties see temperatures drop into the 20s. He says there could be snow accumulation of about an inch in some areas.
The advisory is expected to last until 6 a.m. Monday. Forecasters are calling for highs in the mid-30s later in the day.
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MARYVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Blount Partnership recently launched two free apps for visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
According to The Daily Times (https://bit.ly/1fNPlyB), the driving tour mobile app provides a history of the Smokies’ most visited spot, Cades Cove, as well as GPS mapping, voice narration and historical photos to add to visitors’ experience as they explore the cove.
The hiking and biking app features trails in and around the national park, including the Cades Cove Loop and the Maryville-Alcoa Trails.
Tami Vater is director of tourism for the Blount Partnership. She says that while they still provide hundreds of thousands of copies of paper brochures and vacation guides to travelers, more and more people are asking about tools like apps.
“Smart phones and tablets play such a pivotal role in our daily lives now, so it’s a great way to give visitors a way to navigate our area, learn about our history and make their experience more complete,” she said.
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