Education

In Knoxville, Tennessee, one school climbed from the state’s failing list to a top ten list in three years. The Southern Education Desk reports, as a new principal, Elisa Luna had inherited a violent inner-city school.

A lot of different ideas are being tried out to improve schools in north Baton Rouge. The civic group Better Baton Rouge brought together some of the major players Monday night to discuss the path to educational excellence.

Three years ago, a group of the lowest-performing schools in Georgia began receiving millions of dollars in federal money to fund an ambitious attempt to improve dramatically. As those schools enter their final school year receiving that money, the Southern Education Desk reports on one school’s progress.

The state school board has authorized 45 organizations to offer courses to public school students starting next year. Most of the courses would be taught fully or partially online.

BESE made its decision even though a judge ruled Friday that paying for the program through the public school funding formula as planned is unconstitutional. Gov. Bobby Jindal said he will appeal that ruling, which was also blow to his private school voucher program.