More than 70% of Black female respondents in general math classes had 鈥渁 negative math identity鈥� compared to 14% of Black boys. And 86% of Black girls in general math did not see the connection between their desired careers and mastery of advanced mathematics 鈥� even when they wished to enter STEM fields. That is compared to 67% of Black boys. 

鈥淲hat students believe about math 鈥� and their ability to learn math, to be good at math 鈥� is really important, both in the moment and in the long term,鈥� said Ashli-Ann Douglas, a research associate at , a San-Francisco based national nonprofit. 鈥淎nd those beliefs are related to the quality of math instruction that they receive.鈥� 

Douglas was the lead researcher on the report when she was a graduate student at Vanderbilt University. The 251 students in her study 鈥� 83% were in the 11th grade and 17% had been retained at some point and were in 10th grade 鈥� participated in fall 2019. One child had skipped a grade and was a high school senior. 

More than 80% of respondents were Black: 78% lived in a home with an annual household income of less than $50,000 while more than a quarter lived in a home with a household income of less than $20,000.

Pamela Seda, president of the , which works to empower Black children by boosting their access and success in mathematics, said there are two stereotypes at work here: that Black people are not gifted in mathematics and that girls in general struggle with the subject. 

鈥淲hen you put those stereotypes together it compounds the negative effects,鈥� she said.

Shelly M. Jones, a mathematics education professor at Central Connecticut State University and member of the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics board of directors, said math curriculum is often not culturally relevant. 

Jones, in teaching graduate students, highlights the work of trailblazer , an expert in ethnomathematics, the study of how math is used in different cultures. 

One of s papers examined the math behind African-American hairstyles. It was, Jones said, a transformative lesson: One of her Black female students told her 骋颈濒尘别谤鈥檚 work made her feel recognized in the topic for the first time.

鈥淏lack girls don’t see themselves in mathematics,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淭he things that they like, they don鈥檛 see in math.鈥�

Douglas, the researcher, found that 99% of respondents considered basic math 鈥� number and operations skills 鈥� to be useful while only 58% said the same of higher level math, including algebra and statistics. The study, published earlier this month in the American Educational Research Journal, helps explain why the nation is missing out on the talents of many underserved students, she said.

鈥淭his is one of the ways we lose out on the genius of young people,鈥� Douglas said. 鈥淢ath is a gatekeeper in a lot of ways: When students do not have the math skills they need to access different careers, that is a barrier. And when they don鈥檛 have the beliefs about the utility of math, the value of math, they are less likely to persist and advocate for improved quality of instruction.鈥�

Douglas鈥檚 paper also revealed that 29% of Black boys said their teachers鈥� recognition or acknowledgment of their performance in class was an indicator of their math proficiency. 

None of the Black girls said they received such positive feedback. 

Black students also did not believe their teachers were adequately prepared to teach the subject, regardless of their credentials, the study notes. And Black girls were more likely to cite their own poor understanding of math as a sign that they were not good at the subject. 

Students鈥� personal testimony was powerfully revealing, researchers said. 

鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 know how to teach in a way that people understand,鈥� said one student in a focus group. 鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 know how to teach right.鈥� 

The result was devastating.

鈥淚鈥檓 failing now,鈥� the student said. 鈥淚 never failed last year. I鈥檓 failing this year.鈥�

Researchers noted that several students described that same teacher as 鈥渘ice,鈥� indicating the issue was not about personality, but effectiveness. 

Douglas said her findings emphasize the need for more inclusive and equitable math teaching methods to help marginalized students 鈥� particularly Black girls. 

Even with the required credentials to work in the field, teachers need ongoing coaching to help them work with students and relay the importance of the subject in their lives, she said. 

She and others from her research team spent a few hours leading a districtwide training shortly after the study was conducted, providing hands-on lessons for educators in the summer of 2021. In addition, 10 educators, including teachers and their advisors, subsequently completed a semester-long coaching program led by Douglas and her team. 

Douglas鈥檚 report is part of a larger longitudinal study of math knowledge development that started when the students were in preschool: The children were recruited in 2006 from 57 pre-kindergarten classes at 20 public schools and four Head Start sites and were followed through high school. 

Kelley L. Durkin, research assistant professor in the department of teaching and learning at Vanderbilt, and Bethany Rittle-Johnson, a professor of psychology and human development at the university, oversaw the last phase of the project, which wrapped up in 2022.

Rittle-Johnson said she was surprised when some students said their math teachers refused to help them or shamed them for not paying attention. 

鈥淎ll the students in our focus groups valued their education, but they did not all receive the quality of math instruction and support that every student deserves,鈥� she said. 鈥淚nequitable access to resources for both students and teachers have serious consequences for students鈥� learning opportunities, and it is not fair nor just.鈥�

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Overdeck Foundation provide financial support to WestEd and 社区黑料.

That鈥檚 why, in 2009, I created a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization called the , with a mission to catalyze transformative change in Tennessee education. There’s still more work to do, but since SCORE’s founding we have seen rapid growth and achievement gains statewide. From 2011 to 2017, Tennessee made some of the fastest gains on the , and show that Tennessee鈥檚 recovery from pandemic learning loss was among the most robust of any state.

Today, however, Tennessee faces another wakeup call: the youth mental health crisis. Worsened by the pandemic and exacerbated by social media, this demands urgent attention. 

In this, Tennessee is not alone. The from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found more than 4 in 10 (42%) high school students reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless and nearly one-third (29%) experienced poor mental health. More than 1 in 5 students (22%) seriously considered suicide in 2021. 

Often overlooked and untreated, poor mental health has a ripple effect that impacts learning and overall development inside and outside the classroom. Physical, mental and emotional health are intrinsically tied to the ability for young people to realize their full potential. As a former physician, I see a need to examine areas where education and health intersect and to facilitate meaningful discussions that seek solutions to related challenges. That鈥檚 why I established a collaborative health movement called .

Recently, SCORE and NashvilleHealth held a to begin the hard work of addressing the student mental health crisis. Alongside national, state and local leaders, we held meaningful conversations, backed by data and focused on solutions, to spark collective learning and action. Here are five takeaways that we believe can strengthen student mental health and further the discussion.

Increase Access to Data 

Despite a wealth of research, there are clear gaps that limit the ability of Tennessee leaders to assess the mental well-being of youth in our state. In response, the Belmont Data Collaborative released a in April that included a looking at all 95 counties in the state.

Drawing on publicly available datasets, the index makes clear which areas have the highest mental health vulnerabilities, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of risk factors at the county and local levels.

By analyzing community data alongside broader research and external influences like education and economic indicators, education leaders and policymakers can better assess our strategies and move forward in a positive way. 

Develop Local Solutions for Local Needs

Encouraging localized initiatives is key, as positive adult relationships and supportive environments have a significant impact on student outcomes. For example, during the symposium, Superintendent Selina Sparkman of rural Bledsoe County Schools highlighted the effectiveness of its grant, part of a program that helps state and local education agencies deliver school-based mental health programs and services. She shared the of a student who had not been able to eat with his peers in the school cafeteria since starting elementary school but began to thrive after receiving support through Project AWARE.

With mental health challenges continuing to rise in higher education, Dr. Zainab Okolo from The JED Foundation elaborated on the foundation鈥檚 efforts to help colleges address this crisis. Through the foundation鈥檚 technical assistance program, JED Campus, schools achieve in student mental health. Colleges completing the program reported that students were 25% less likely to report a suicide attempt, 13% less likely to report suicide planning and 10% less likely to report suicidal ideation.

Streamline and Share Best Practices 

Through the developed by the CDC, have been able to connect physical, emotional and social health with learning. Other states have done the same: Across the country, similarly effective initiatives are extending across college campuses, schools and communities. Examples include Sandy Hook Promise鈥檚 prevention programs, a learning community of working to develop policy recommendations through the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association and The Jed Foundation, the and Communities In Schools. A Governor鈥檚 Playbook: Strengthening Youth Mental Health, developed by the National Governors鈥� Association, contains examples of successful policies and programs that states can emulate.

Elevate Student Voices

Importantly, students must be included in discussions impacting their mental health. Among Generation Z (11- to 27-year-olds in 2024), greater school engagement is related to more positive life outlooks. For this, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Students come from diverse backgrounds with diverse experiences and needs. Initiatives that seek to implement solutions for their mental health must take a diverse range of perspectives into account. These can be much more powerful and accessible when they come from students and peers.

Collaborate to Create Meaningful Change

There are no easy answers or quick fixes to this crisis. By connecting the dots between education and mental health, leaders in Tennessee and across the nation can build more resilient and supportive systems that empower all children to reach their full potential. While schools can play an important role in supporting student mental well-being, the crisis is too big for one group or policymaker to solve. The challenge should not rest solely on the shoulders of schools, educators or health care providers. It demands collective action from all of us, working together, to better understand data, explore research, share best practices and engage in deep discussions. As a member of the Aspen Health Strategy Group, I will be delving deeper into the topic of youth mental health.

In Tennessee and beyond, important conversations connecting mental health and education are gaining momentum. As Tennessee leaders heed the urgent call to support our students, there is a need to better understand the extent of the crisis, continue exploring connections and innovations across health and education systems, and spark collective recognition and action. 

This crisis affects all of us 鈥� our children, our families and our communities. By leveraging data, research and a shared commitment to student well-being, education leaders, policymakers and advocates must continue to collaborate and illuminate the path forward to build a brighter, healthier future for generations to come.

Small is scalable.

In addition to their small size, microschools are also usually low-cost, highly personalized learning programs, often with a creative curriculum and supple scheduling. They were gaining momentum pre-pandemic and took off following COVID school closures and prolonged remote learning. As someone who has been following alternative education trends for years, I suspected microschooling 鈥� and its cousin, homeschooling 鈥� would remain above pre-pandemic levels even after schools returned to normal. But I have been pleasantly surprised to see a continued acceleration of these programs in many areas of the country.

Tennessee is a case in point. I recently visited five microschools and related learning models around Nashville and Chattanooga. All of them have launched in the past four years and most opened within the past two years. Their enrollment is quickly rising, and some have already hit capacity with long waitlists. Demand for these start-up schools shows no signs of slowing.

The oldest of the programs I visited opened in August 2020. Located on an organic farm in Smyrna, Tennessee, about 20 miles outside of Nashville, began with one teacher and five homeschooled children, including farmer Lauren Palmer鈥檚 own five-year-old. By January 2021, the program had 30 children and two teachers. Today, it is a Reggio Emilia-inspired K-5 farm school, with additional parent-child programming for littler ones, that serves 86 children. 

Blending core academics and interest-driven learning, along with abundant outside time and opportunities to help with farm duties, the farm school is currently at maximum enrollment, with dozens of children on a waitlist. All of the children are recognized homeschoolers, with most attending two to three days a week. The full-time, five-day option costs $900/month. 鈥淔or the majority of our families, COVID was the catalyst to them beginning their homeschooling journey,鈥� said Kaiti Dewhirst, Bloomsbury Farm鈥檚 Director of Education. She says now these families don鈥檛 want their children in a conventional classroom. 鈥淭hey see the farm school as an opportunity to preserve childhood wonder.鈥� Dewhirst and her team are in the planning stages of determining how to extend their program to middle school and beyond, as well as serve more families on the waitlist.

In Franklin, another Nashville suburb, opened its doors as a recognized private school in fall 2021 with over 40 learners, including toddlers to fifth graders. Today, it has nearly 100 students and 16 staff members. Founders Greg and Jennifer Biorkman never expected to own a school. Both have backgrounds in business and sales and were working full-time jobs when COVID hit and disrupted the education of their two young boys. They decided to create their ideal learning environment with trained Montessori teachers and a focus on child-centered learning. 

鈥淲e truly could not find a school we wanted to send our children to,鈥� said Jennifer. 鈥淚t was simple supply and demand.鈥� Last year, Greg left his corporate job to oversee Harpeth Montessori full time, and is planning to expand the program to middle schoolers in the fall while managing a growing waitlist. 

鈥淭his community is very open to alternatives to conventional education but there are not a lot of options,鈥� he said, acknowledging that there is a lot of opportunity for other entrepreneurial parents and teachers to launch small schools.

Further south, the Chattanooga area has some of the newest microschools and related learning models in the state. In fall 2022, Rebecca Ellis opened in Chattanooga with 32 K-6 students. A Charlotte Mason-inspired hybrid homeschool program, Canyon Creek learners attend full-time classes three days a week focused on core academics and deep nature study, while working through curriculum at home on the remaining two days. Today, Canyon Creek Christian Academy has more than 50 learners with five full-time teachers and additional part-time instructors. 

The Academy recently leased additional church space next door to continue to accommodate its growing enrollment. 鈥淲e are getting more kids trying to pull out of the public school system,鈥� said Ellis, who says her program鈥檚 low-stress, child-focused environment is appealing to parents 鈥� especially those whose children are growing anxious in test-heavy conventional schools. Canyon Creek鈥檚 low annual tuition, currently set at $3,750, is also attractive, costing significantly less than other local private schools.

Just a few miles down the road in Chattanooga, also opened in fall 2022. Founded by Rachel Good, who worked as a public school teacher in Washington and Tennessee for over eight years, Discovery Learners鈥� Academy, is a state-recognized private school with a personalized educational approach that opened with 21 learners and today has 50 鈥� about 15 of whom attend part-time as homeschoolers. Half of all the school鈥檚 students are neurodiverse, a population that Good caters to as a former special education teacher. Indeed, her inability to fully serve special needs students in the conventional school system was one of the reasons she left the public schools. 鈥淚 was always trying to advocate for these kids and was always hitting a brick wall,鈥� said Good.

At $7,000 a year, Discovery Learners鈥� Academy is about half the cost of most traditional private schools in the area, and less than the $10,850 a year that the local Hamilton County public schools per student. Even so, tuition is still financially out-of-reach for many families, and the school currently doesn鈥檛 qualify for the state鈥檚 small education choice program. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so heartbreaking when a parent asks if they can use their voucher here and I have to say no,鈥� said Good, who is supportive of current efforts by Tennessee lawmakers to expand school choice policies.

The newest microschool I visited in the Volunteer State opened in August in Cleveland, just outside of Chattanooga. is a home-based learning pod for homeschoolers that is part of the fast-growing Acton Academy network that includes more than 300 independently-operated, learner-driven microschools, serving thousands of students. 

In spring 2023, Alexis and JT Rubatsky listened to a podcast with Acton Academy co-founder, Jeff Sandefer, explaining the philosophy of learner-driven education where young people are empowered to pursue their passions while mastering core curriculum content. They were hooked, and knew immediately that it was the type of education they wanted for their two boys, ages six and 11. 鈥淥ur kids weren鈥檛 thriving in school, and as a teacher, I saw that there was so much focus on the tests, on shoving information down their throats,鈥� said Alexis, who quit her job teaching high school biology in the local public schools to open Triumph. The year started with five learners, including the Rubatskys鈥� two boys. Half-way through their first year, enrollment has more than doubled to 11 learners and the founders know it won鈥檛 be long before they outgrow their home-based classroom for a larger space.

鈥淚 would love for there to be lots of options,鈥� said Alexis, who is encouraged by the growth of microschools and related models in Tennessee and across the U.S. She is already connecting with local founders like Rachel Good, who is working to build community among the entrepreneurial parents and teachers who are creating these new options. Working collaboratively, these small schools can have an even greater impact.

鈥淚 want to support these innovative educators,鈥� said Good. 鈥淲e need to have that variety of options.鈥�

As another school year defined by mass shootings ends in America, Republican-led state legislatures passed measures this session to fortify schools, create guidelines for active shooter drills and safety officer responses, and allow teachers to be armed.

Firearm restrictions, however, were a nonstarter in red states trying to curb school shootings.

The legislation pushed by GOP lawmakers in states such as Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Utah this year often ran contrary to the advice of gun safety advocates and national education experts, who remain concerned that having more guns in schools only further endangers children and educators.

But the Republican lawmakers interviewed by Stateline say the solution to preventing school shootings is not banning certain weapons or taking away guns from potentially dangerous people, but rather empowering schools to more quickly respond to an active shooter.

A little over a week after three children and three adults were killed in a Nashville elementary school in late March, the Republican-controlled Tennessee legislature passed a wide-reaching school safety bill that did not include firearm restrictions.

The requires schools to keep exterior doors locked when students are present, mandates newly built public schools to install classroom door locks and requires private schools also to conduct active shooter drills, among other elements. (The Nashville shooter, who attacked a private school, shattered a pair of locked glass doors to get inside.)

The bill passed with bipartisan support in April, with only a handful of Democrats voting against it. Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed the measure. In May, he signed that includes $230 million for all schools to have a school resource officer and allows schools to make security upgrades.

With armed personnel and properly secured school buildings, children in Tennessee will be safer, said Republican state Rep. Mark White, one of the bill鈥檚 sponsors and a former elementary school principal.

鈥淚 take it very seriously,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e in the building with kids all day long, you fall in love with them, and you want to protect them.鈥�

Hoping for a deterrent

Ensuring schools have armed personnel has been a common thread in the Republican-backed school safety laws this year.

Last month, a little over a year after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, Republicans there passed that requires an armed security guard at every school and compels school districts to adopt active shooter plans.

In Mississippi, teachers can now, with extensive training, carry guns in schools after the legislature passed a in March.

Republican state Sen. Jeff Tate, the legislation鈥檚 sponsor, argued that assailants target schools because there often is not armed security. He hopes his bill makes potential school shooters think twice.

鈥淲e need to make these people realize that, hey, look, there鈥檚 going to be a weapon if you go to the school,鈥� Tate said. 鈥淭hat would deter these school shootings.鈥�

Democratic state Sen. Rod Hickman, who voted against the measure because he thought it would make schools less safe, nonetheless wants to now focus on ensuring the state enforces robust training, not only for handling firearms but also to account for 鈥渋mplicit biases鈥� that might prompt armed school personnel to view people of color as a greater threat.

鈥淚 hope that the proper steps are taken to create this program,鈥� Hickman said, 鈥渂ut I ultimately don鈥檛 think this is the answer to protecting our students.鈥�

Schools in the vast rural areas of Missouri wouldn鈥檛 have time to wait for law enforcement to respond to an active shooter, said Republican state Rep. Christina Dinkins. School officials need to react immediately to save lives, she said.

While teachers and administrators already are allowed to carry firearms if they are a school鈥檚 designated school protection officer 鈥� a position earned through a permit and state-mandated training 鈥� Dinkins, after being approached by a school district administrator, offered legislation to expand that role to any school personnel. That could include janitors, she said, who have keys to all the doors and know the ins and outs of the buildings.

鈥淲e鈥檙e just providing them with other avenues to make sure our children are safe, which is the ultimate goal,鈥� Dinkins said. 鈥淵ou want the person who is most trained, most confident, most comfortable in that type of situation.鈥�

The state House passed her bill in March; the legislative session has since ended.

More firearms in schools

Julie Hutchinson, a social worker for the Clark County, Nevada, school district, responded to the October 2017 mass shooting on the Las Vegas strip, helping people who were looking for loved ones and information after a gunman opened fire. Sixty people died and 413 others were wounded.

Hutchinson has continued to deal with gun issues, whether it鈥檚 helping the school district confront students who bring weapons to school or talking with her own children concerning the increased violence.

Having more guns in schools won鈥檛 help, she said.

鈥淚t would give a false sense of security,鈥� Hutchinson said. 鈥淚s it really going to matter when it comes down to the actual moment?鈥�

Many experts agree with her.

Two decades of association between having school resource officers or security professionals in the building and the prevention of school violence, said Justin Heinze, co-director of the National Center for School Safety, a training and technical assistance hub for implementing evidence-based safety programs in schools.

鈥淭here is very, very little to next to no data that supports having firearms within schools are going to make those buildings safer,鈥� said Heinze, who also is an associate professor of public health at the University of Michigan.

He continued, 鈥淚 do have concerns about introducing even more firearms in the building because there is almost certainly going to be an increase in firearm-related injury.鈥�

As more students are exposed to school shootings and the overall number of shootings grows, there鈥檚 been a more urgent need for research regarding guns in schools, Heinze added.

Despite the high-profile nature of school shootings, schools are generally safe havens from gun violence, said Allison Anderman, senior counsel and director of local policy for the Giffords Law Center, a nonpartisan gun safety organization. This is largely because guns are mostly prohibited at schools, she said.

Arming teachers does not work, Anderman said.

鈥淭he idea that someone who鈥檚 protecting students and trying to keep them safe and calm is going to go and rush out and shoot an active shooter is just, it鈥檚 so absurd,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very difficult to stop a homicidal person with an AR-15 and several high-capacity magazines.鈥�

There are policies that can prevent school shootings, she said, including banning high-capacity magazines, implementing waiting periods of firearm purchases and expanding so-called red flag laws that take away firearms from people who may be a harm to themselves or others.

But that is a tough sell in some states.

Teachers need to be able to defend themselves and others in an active shooter situation, said Utah Republican state Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, who sponsored successful this session that will waive the permitting fee for school employees to carry a concealed weapon in schools.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really important that we maintain the availability for individuals who are the good guys who are trying to protect and defend their lives and the lives of others to be able to carry,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 helpful to take guns away from everybody or to try to implement extreme gun control measures.鈥�

She also sponsored this session that empowered school resource officers to refer students to judges for violence and weapons offenses on campus. She supported another that created a state position in charge of setting standards for school resource officers. Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed all three measures into law in March.

In Tennessee, the legislature is not done with addressing gun violence.

Lee, the GOP governor, called for a special session in August in hopes of implementing a red flag law. Gun safety experts argued the Nashville shooting may have been prevented if the state had a law that allowed a court to seize firearms from people who may harm themselves or others.

White and other Republican legislators will meet with the governor over the coming months to draft a bill that would prevent 鈥渋nnocent people鈥� from having their firearms confiscated under a red flag law, he said.

Gun rights advocates often argue red flag laws violate gun owners鈥� due process privileges, since judges in some states can temporarily sign off on an extreme risk protection order without hearing from the targeted individual in emergency situations. Gun safety advocates counter that those individuals can eventually present evidence in their defense.

鈥淲e can do what鈥檚 right for all people,鈥� White said. 鈥淣ot only protect our children and law-abiding gun owners, but also address those who have mental issues, or those who are just outright criminals. That鈥檚 the needle we have to thread right now.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott Greenberger for questions: info@stateline.org. Follow Stateline on and .

Emotions and tempers have been raw throughout Nashville all week after six people 鈥� including three kids 鈥� were killed in the Covenant School shooting.

For all the city鈥檚 status as an 鈥淚t City,鈥� the community still feels small, linked by a web of family, church, school and professional connections. Few I talked to didn鈥檛 know someone affected by the tragedy.

Last Monday as I covered the shooting, I ran on adrenaline. By Tuesday, I was filled with rage 鈥� so much rage that had nowhere to go. I felt like I might explode, like I might come apart.

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Kids and teens 鈥� who today participate in active-shooter drills and live with the threat of shooters as part of their academic experience 鈥� know the feeling.

Thursday, in an outpouring of grief, fear and anger, hundreds of them got permission from their school or parents to show up at the Tennessee Capitol and call on lawmakers to take up gun safety laws.

The protesters walked into the Capitol single file, through security checkpoints manned by troopers with the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

They chanted and sang. Some carried signs made on 8.5- by 11-inch sheets of paper 鈥� the largest sign allowed in the building. It was a powerful statement from lawmakers鈥� future constituents.

Yes, they were loud. Yes, a few young men linked arms to block a bathroom, and state troopers shoved them out of the way, grabbing one by the neck, in order to escort Rep. Paul Sherrell, R-Sparta, through the crowd and back to his seat in House Chambers.

And three Democratic lawmakers 鈥� Reps. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, Justin Jones of Nashville, and Justin Pearson of Memphis 鈥� took to the House floor mid-session, acknowledging protesters.

There was no insurrection, as House Speaker Cameron Sexton implied on right-wing airwaves, including on Fox News.

Sexton is a liar.

And he鈥檚 lobbing diversionary media tactics instead of facing the reality of what hundreds of schoolchildren are asking him to do.

Sexton has dialed back his original comments, clarifying he didn鈥檛 mean the teen protesters caused an insurrection, but rather, his three Democratic colleagues. And he鈥檚 mentioned that expulsion from the House is a possible punishment for them.

As the Lookout鈥檚 Adam Friedman reported, Sexton told a Knoxville talk radio host of the Democratic lawmakers, 鈥淭wo of the members, Reps. (Justin) Jones and (Gloria) Johnson, have been very vocal about Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C., about what that was. What they did today was at least equivalent, maybe worse, depending on how you look at it, of doing an insurrection in the capitol.鈥�

That is also false.

There are literally thousands of still photos and videos from members of the media, other lawmakers and protesters that depict nothing like Sexton conveys. The Lookout鈥檚 John Partipilo photographed Jones with a bullhorn, while Pearson and Johnson stand feet away.

It would be ludicrous, were it not so dangerous, for Sexton to publicly accuse his colleagues of insurrection.

The actual insurrection included the construction of a noose in front of the U.S. Capitol, armed protesters chanting to 鈥淗ang Mike Pence鈥� and overrunning Capitol Hill police, property destruction and the defiling of congressional offices. And pro-Donald Trump members of Congress still persisted in voting to deny the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Sexton has had a particular burr under his saddle for Johnson, the lone House member who did not vote to reelect him House Speaker in 2021. That year, Sexton assigned Johnson, a 60-year-old woman who uses a scooter to navigate the Capitol and legislative halls, to use as an office.

Jones is no more liked than Johnson by legislative Republicans, after he led protests in Nashville following the 2020 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Pearson incurred the wrath of his colleagues for wearing a dashiki into the House chambers, which apparently violated Republican lawmakers鈥� senses of decorum, although it violated no House rules.

Tennessee Republicans are all about decorum when it benefits them. Their decorum wasn鈥檛 violated when former Rep. David Byrd of sexual assault by girls he coached in high school basketball, standing by him until he declined to run for reelection in 2022.

They didn鈥檛 worry about decorum when three Republican legislators 鈥� former Speaker of the House Glen Casada, former Rep. Robin Smith and sitting Rep. Todd Warner 鈥� had their homes and offices raided by the FBI in Jan. 2021, and continued to support Smith and Casada until they were indicted of federal charges of fraud and money laundering.

They didn鈥檛 seem to care when former Sen. Brian Kelsey was indicted on five counts of federal campaign finance violations in Oct. 2021. Kelsey resigned from his seat as Senate Judiciary Chair, but there was no mention of expulsion.

But walk into the well of the House after, as Jones said, your microphone has been repeatedly cut by House staff? And pull out a bullhorn after Sexton gavels the body into recess? Expel them!

Sexton and other Republican lawmakers are guilty of what they have accused others of: politicizing the death of six people in Nashville鈥檚 third mass shooting within the last seven years.

They鈥檝e succeeded in turning the discourse away from the righteous anger of many Tennesseans, including the thousands of students who again flocked to the Capitol on Monday to press lawmakers for to do something, any damn thing to fund mental health or restrict access to powerful weapons. They鈥檝e made the conversation about their fear of two young Black lawmakers and one white one with a bullhorn.

The use of coded language like 鈥渄ecorum鈥� and 鈥渃ivility鈥� has been used at other times of massive social unrest to control the changemakers. Women working to secure the right to vote were criticized similarly, as were Black civil rights leaders in the 1960s.

Now, Tennessee鈥檚 Republicans are using the language in an attempt to discredit anyone who disagrees with their policies 鈥� or, in the case of firearms, their lack of policies.

Kids who are hoping to be able to graduate from high school without surviving a school shooting and a handful of lawmakers acknowledging them, are being criticized for decorum and accused of insurrection. These are lies, and Sexton, as the leader of the Tennessee House of Representatives, knows it.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com. Follow Tennessee Lookout on and .

A day after an armed shooter stalked the hallways of The Covenant School in Nashville, killing three children and three adults, the investigation continues.

Among the victims were three 9-year-old children: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney. The adults were Cynthia Peak, 61, a substitute teacher; Mike Hill, age 61, a custodian; and Covenant Head of Schools Katherine Koonce, 60.

The shooter was identified as a former student Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, killed by two of the Metro Nashville Police Officers who responded to the scene. Hale was armed with at least two assault rifles and a handgun, police said.

People gathered Monday night in vigils across the city to mourn the tragic losses, and more public gatherings are planned this week. President Joe Biden ordered U.S. flags at half staff until sunset on Friday.

The Tennessee Legislature paused floor debates after the shooting and reconvened Tuesday morning.

The Metro Nashville Police Department began releasing new details of the events, with more to come.

Police: Shooter legally bought seven weapons; had 鈥檈motional disorder鈥�

The shooter who killed three children and three adults at The Covenant School was 鈥渦nder a doctor鈥檚 care for an emotional disorder,鈥� Nashville Police Chief John Drake said in a news conference Tuesday morning.

Drake said that 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale nevertheless purchased seven firearms legally from five different local gun stores; three of those weapons were used in the mass shooting Monday.

Drake said that Hale鈥檚 parents were 鈥渦nder the impression鈥� Hale owned a single firearm but sold it.

Hale鈥檚 parents felt 鈥渟he should not own a weapon,鈥� Drake said. 鈥淎s it turns out, she had been hiding several weapons in the house.鈥�

And on Monday, when Hale left the family鈥檚 home carrying a red bag, Hale鈥檚 mother asked 鈥渨hat was in the bag,鈥� Drake said. Hale dismissed the question, and Hale鈥檚 mother did not pursue it further. She didn鈥檛 know Hale had any weapons at the time, he said.

鈥淎gain, she lost a child, so this is very traumatic,鈥� he said.

Drake said there is no known motive for the shooting yet. The students shot 鈥渨ere randomly targeted,鈥� according to police.

Drake also revealed more details about the shooting.

One of the victims, Covenant Head of Schools Katherine Koonce, 60, was found dead in a hallway, Drake said. Mike Hill, a 61-year-old custodian, is believed to have been shot through a door, Drake said.

Law enforcement officials were unaware of Hale before yesterday鈥檚 shooting, he said.

鈥淎s it stands, we had absolutely no idea who this person was or that she even existed,鈥� Drake said.

Citywide vigil announced for Wednesday

Nashville Mayor John Cooper and Council Member Russ Pulley have announced plans for a candlelight vigil on Wednesday to honor victims and support survivors of The Covenant School shooting.

The citywide vigil will take place Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. outside City Hall at One Public Square Park.

Nashville Police release body cam footage

On Tuesday, Metro Police released body camera footage from officers Rex Engelbert and Michael Collazo, who killed the shooter inside Covenant School. We advise caution when viewing.

Monday marks Nashville鈥檚 third mass shooting in six years

The violence wrought Monday inside an elementary school is Nashville鈥檚 third mass shooting in six years.

In 2018, four people were killed when an armed gunman entered a south Nashville Waffle House restaurant in the early hours of a Sunday morning.

The victims were Joe Perez Jr., Taurean Sanderlin, Akilah Dasilva and DeEbony Groves.

Travis Reinking, the shooter, was sentenced to life in prison for the murders last year.

In 2017, an armed gunman opened fire at the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Nashville, killing one person and injuring six others who had gathered their for Sunday services.

The shooter, Emanuel Kidega Samson, was sentenced to life in prison in 2019.

On Monday, the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ posted a message of sorrow on Facebook.

Police release surveillance video

Police on Monday night released a portion of school surveillance video showing Hale driving a Honda Fit through the school鈥檚 parking, past a playground of children on swing sets, before parking, shooting down a double door into the schools and roaming empty hallways.

Police reported that Hall fired through a window at arriving police officers. Two members of an officer team fired on Hale in a second-floor common area. Those officers were identified as Officer Rex Englebert, a four-year Metro Nashville Police Department veteran, and Officer Michael Collazo, a nine-year-veteran.

Police said they have also found writings from Hale, including a manifesto and detailed maps of the building housing the school, in searches of a home and car connected to Hale.

鈥極ur community is heartbroken鈥�

Late Monday, the school also released a statement expressing heartbreak and asking for privacy:

Report: Shooter texted friend shortly before shooting

Channel 5 also reported late on Monday that the shooter had texted a former basketball teammate in the minutes before the shooting.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com. Follow Tennessee Lookout on and .

In the years leading up to the pandemic, dual language immersion was . Dual language programs teach academic content in two languages, and 鈥� optimally 鈥� balance their enrollment roughly equally between native speakers of each language.聽

In those 鈥渢wo-way鈥� dual language immersion classes, native English speakers and (for example) native Spanish speakers learn both languages together 鈥� and learn academic content in both languages.聽

These programs don鈥檛 just facilitate integration. They are also to support the linguistic and academic development of English learners. But the of these programs with , English-dominant, often white families (including my own) means that the reality often falls short of that ideal.聽

In August, a new dual language school in Nashville, Tennessee will aim to bring that ideal to their community. To learn more about Aventura Community School, the first local charter school to be approved in more than five years, I recently spoke to two of its co-founders, executive director Natalie Morosi and family engagement director Diana Aguilar. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.聽

社区黑料: How did you come to education? How did you come to Nashville? How did you get excited about bilingual education? What’s the story that brought you to this room here?

Natalie Morosi: I grew up here in middle Tennessee, in an English-speaking family. I started to study languages in high school鈥攎y counselor told me that learning a second language would open doors and open the world to you, and she was right! 

Through opportunities to travel and study and things, I just really saw the value of being bilingual or multilingual; also because it helped me build meaningful relationships and enjoy art in different ways. So when I began my career in education, there was an existing bilingual school here in Nashville, so I signed up to teach at that school. 

I was there for nine years, but it serves mostly English-speaking families. I really saw potential, with the success of the school and the interest in the school, it seemed that our district would likely add a second bilingual option, ideally in the part of town that has diverse families that have diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

And then, after a while, seeing that the district hadn’t done that, we kind of decided, maybe it was time to start our own bilingual charter school. So we navigated that application process over the 2020-2021 school year, and here we are ready to open in August.

Diana Aguilar: I’m originally from Ecuador. I spent 18 years of my life there and then I moved here. So definitely bilingualism is very important for me, because you know, it was my lifeline.

All through elementary and high school, English classes are taught in Ecuador, because people are aware that kids need it to become successful adults. But I never went to an actual bilingual school. So when I got here, it was a little bit terrifying taking the SAT.

But it worked out and I got into education. I majored in Spanish 鈥� my goal was to teach Spanish.

But then my mentality kind of changed, as I noticed all of the English learners who needed to see somebody who looked like me, that understood where they were coming from. I decided to get my degree in EL instruction.

I worked as a translator for a few years, and then I went to teach kindergarten for three years, and then I taught third grade with Natalie, which is where we met. I still remember her then: her creative mind and her ideas and passion for education, equity and justice.

It’s been a nice journey to see all of those come to life in this school. I showed up at a session Natalie was doing for prospective Aventura parents 鈥� I didn鈥檛 even tell her I was coming, I was just there 鈥� and then I kind of lingered at the end and I told her, just sign me up to help for whatever. I wanted to jump on board. Because I just feel there’s such a need for people to open their minds and see all the benefits that come with being bilingual and being able to communicate with another person and to connect with that person at a deeper level. 

Also, I have kids of my own now, and it is so important for them to keep that connection to our language and culture. Most of my family speaks Spanish. How else are they going to talk to each other?

You鈥檝e both mentioned equitable access to bilingual education as a part of why you鈥檙e starting the school. Tell me about the community where Aventura鈥檚 going to be located. Tell me about the students there. 

Morosi: Yeah! We鈥檙e opening in Southeast Nashville, which is the most diverse area of Nashville. Our goal is for Aventura to be reflective of the community. 

For our dual language model, we will hopefully have around 40 to 50 percent of students who speak Spanish at home and around 40 to 50 percent of students who speak English at home. And then there are families who speak other languages. In Nashville, the most common of other global languages would be Arabic or Kurdish.

Families see the value in developing literacy in English and Spanish: both from an economic perspective, and also a 鈥榖eing able to interact authentically with my neighbors鈥� perspective. We focus on global competence, and bilingual education is a big piece of that, but we’re also bringing a really purposeful approach to project-based learning. We’ve developed collaborative partnerships with many, many community organizations even prior to opening. Students will be working on projects in Spanish and English each quarter and creating some sort of a product, to the benefit of their community.

With more than a decade of education experience here, as well as abroad, this is the education I want for my own kids. Even better, so many other families tell us they are also excited about this opportunity.

You’re both sending your children to Aventura, no?

Morosi: That’s right! I can’t wait for the first day of school in August. My daughter will be in first grade and my son will be in kindergarten. 

Aguilar: My son didn’t make the cut 鈥� he鈥檚 already in second grade and we鈥檙e just launching with kindergarten and first鈥攂ut he鈥檚 been volunteering since day one. And I have a 3-year-old 鈥� she鈥檚 already talking about when she gets to go to “Commuty School”鈥� that’s how she says it.

Morosi: And then our third co-founder, Katie Castellon, her son is going to be joining for kindergarten next year. So we’re all very, very invested in this model.

Tell me about the model鈥攊t鈥檚 a two-way dual language immersion school, right? 

Morosi: Yes. In kindergarten we’re going to start with 80 percent of the day in Spanish and 20 percent of the day in English. They’ll always have English literacy in English, of course, and then one of our enrichment classes also 鈥� P.E. or music or something like that 鈥� and then everything else will be in Spanish.

And then we’re going to kind of stair step more English each year, so it’ll be 70 percent in Spanish in first grade, 60 percent in Spanish in second grade and then from third grade through eighth grade, instruction will be half of the day in each language 鈥� always focused on developing literacy in both languages at every level.

Why take the charter route? 

Morosi: It’s really important for us that we have the freedom to implement all the details of our model in the way that the research suggests is best for both our native English- speaking students and our global language speakers. We also really believe in project-based learning, so we wanted to be able to select our own instructional materials. 

So, we adopted a curriculum that really supports this model and that we’re able to implement in both languages. We picked an assessment system that helps us track the literacy development of our students in both languages and provide support. 

Being a charter school gives us so much more freedom and independence in selecting the tools that best serve our program.

I鈥檝e heard this sort of thing a lot from dual language charter schools. 

Morosi: It also speaks to the professional piece: staff recruitment and development. The freedom and independence as a charter school is just going to allow us to find, hire and support teachers who are prepared to execute our precise, wonderful, complicated school model.

How are you finding teachers? I know that dual language schools can be tough to staff. 

Morosi: Sure. All of our classroom teachers need to be bilingual and we’re aiming for at least one of those classroom teachers to be a native speaker. But I think our unique program has drawn people to us. We hear lots of 鈥淣ashville has needed something like this for a long time, how can I get involved?鈥欌�� type of things. 

So, ha, obviously it鈥檚 hard to launch a new school, and, ahem, it鈥檚 probably more than a little harder to start one in a pandemic. So, um, how鈥檚 that going? 

Morosi: Well, Aventura had been a dream for a long time, and informal conversations with educator friends and parent friends and many conversations with my husband, but we were living in Madrid, we had been there for three years. When the pandemic hit, after about two weeks we realized, 鈥楾his is going to take a while. We have to move home to Nashville.鈥� 

And then, we had to figure out what the heck we were going to do for work when we moved back, and thought, 鈥楢h, that school that Nashville has needed for so long, maybe now’s the time to learn how to submit a charter application and test it.鈥�

So I connected with the which has a fellowship to support leaders who want to open new intentionally diverse charter schools. So we started writing the charter application in summer of 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic. 

I would say it’s been challenging from a student recruitment standpoint. We haven’t been able to reach larger numbers of families and hold the types of events that we would have liked to, but we were lucky to be able to host some fall events and collaborate with some of our community partners, especially during .

You鈥檝e both talked about this a little already, but 鈥� how is Nashville responding as you get closer to launch? 

Morosi: I was nervous about the politics, because we had both been public school teachers and so we know that charter schools can be political for one reason or another. So we worked really hard to communicate with the grass-tops and the grassroots in the community, so to speak, because this is a school model we really believe in. And we were the first charter school to be approved locally in more than five years.

People are excited about this school, even those who might not be inclined to support charter schools. I think it鈥檚 because this is a school that is really serving populations intentionally in a new and needed way.

Aguilar: One mom called me and she said, 鈥業 was so excited you guys are going to open. I was planning on taking my kid to Mexico in second grade for a year, so that he will learn the language.鈥� And I was like, 鈥榊ou don’t have to move your family! You can stay!鈥�

It鈥檚 bilingual education, but it鈥檚 also the community focus, the global competence. We鈥檙e really bringing things that are innovative into the school system. I鈥檓 an educator and that鈥檚 what I want to see for my own kids and all kids. 

As I think about them, I think about so many immigrant families who have been here for a long time who have not seen these kinds of opportunities for themselves and their kids. 

Morosi: Yeah. I love that quote that 鈥楨ducation is not preparation for life, education is life itself.鈥� That really speaks to the intentionality in our model and that鈥檚 our political perspective. This model of education is going to prepare the students to be the types of leaders that we need.

That鈥檚 John Dewey, right? 

Morosi: Yeah. 

Tell me about the partnerships you mentioned. How are you collaborating with community organizations? 

Morosi: We want to have these very tight relationships with local organizations that can support our families. For example, we鈥檒l be able to connect families with health or legal services, whatever they need. We want partnerships that help us connect with and build on the strengths that are already in our communities. 

So what’s the 10-year dream? It鈥檚 2032 and we’re talking again. How are you describing how the school鈥檚 going? What鈥檚 it doing?

Morosi: So exciting! We will have been at scale for three years by then, so I hope that we’re making an impact on our city by then. We believe that Aventura students are going to be sought after by Nashville鈥檚 secondary schools. They’re going to bring intellectual curiosity and a demonstrated record of engaging, impactful, multilingual community projects. 

Aguilar: Well, my 3-year-old is gonna be a 13-year-old by then, and I’m just looking forward to seeing all the opportunities available for her. Hopefully, there will be a bilingual high school by then that I can send her to! 

As far as our students 鈥� I just feel like they鈥檒l have so many years of this amazing opportunity to be around other people who may not look like them 鈥� but they will still be able to communicate with them in two languages. They won鈥檛 have to wait until they grow up for that. Sometimes, for one reason or another, students’ natural curiosity gets dismissed or pushed to the side, but if you give them access to opportunities to grow, they can step up to the plate. So my hope is that people will look at our program and say, ‘What are they doing at that school? We want that too.鈥�

Morosi: Right. Our students will have the knowledge that their ideas are important, that they make an impact. And that will serve as an inspiration, not only for our community, but for surrounding communities, to have this more respectful, integrated approach to educating children. 

We think a lot about wellness in our organizational culture, for our students, our staff and our families. We believe that the academic measures that are traditionally valued will naturally result when you have a really supportive community that also has high expectations.