Lee Names New Health Commissioner

 Gov. Bill Lee has named a Kentucky State Senator to be Tennessee's next Commissioner of Health.

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A Kentucky doctor and state Senator will become Tennessee's next Commissioner of Health, Gov. Bill Lee has announced.

Dr. Ralph Alvarado will take on the role effective January 16th, as Lee begins his second term in office.

Lee noted Alvarado's combination of experience in medicine and public service as strong qualifications for the role.

“Dr. Alvarado’s significant clinical and hospital management experience make him well-positioned to lead the Department of Health, and I appreciate his service to Tennesseans," Lee said.

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County Commissioners Interview Law Director Candidates

 The Sumner County Commission is hiring for a Law Director and four local attorneys have emerged as candidates.

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A special committee of the Sumner County Commission recently held interviews for the position of County Law Director. The Committee was established to conduct a search for a new law director following the August 2022 elections.

Four area attorneys interviewed for the role. They include Russ Edwards, Eric Sitler, Jason Coleman, and Jim Cochran.

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SCORE Releases State Policy Priorities

 A statewide education advocacy nonprofit founded by former U.S. Senator Bill Frist has released a list of education policy priorities for Tennessee.

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The Statewide Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) - a nonprofit issue advocacy group chaired by former U.S. Senator Bill Frist - today released a list of key education priorities they believe the Tennessee General Assembly should focus on when they return to session in January.

The group focused on three key areas they say merit policy attention. These include advancing high-quality instruction for every student, addressing the decline in the state's college-going rate, and ensuring Tennessee schools prepare students for work.

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Free Reading Resources Available for Families of Kids in K-2

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The Tennessee Department of Education (TNDOE) has announced that in partnership with the Governor's Early Literacy Foundation (GELF), free reading resources are now available to Tennessee families with children in grades K-2.

“We know early literacy is incredibly important and sets the foundation for a child’s education and life after graduation,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “Thanks to partners like GELF, Tennessee families can easily order free books and resources to make reading fun this winter break and help their children become excellent readers.”

All Tennessee families can order one booklet pack for each of their kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students using this site. 

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Shoaf Takes on "Filth" in Schools

 Sumner County Commissioner Matt Shoaf says he and his fellow County Commissioners are taking on "filth" in schools.

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"We won't stand for filth that has made its way into our schools. We're not going to get stuck on process - we want it fixed, because that's what our children deserve."

In reference to "filth" making its way into schools, Shoaf appears to be referencing a recent County Commission resolution calling for the School Board to ban two books from Sumner County school libraries.

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Book Battle in Sumner County

 A pair of stories from NewsBreak detail a battle between the Sumner County Commission and Sumner County School Board over books:

The County Commission last week passed a resolution raising objections to two books:

The resolution specifically mentions the books A Place Inside of Me by Zetta Elliott and Dragonwings by Laurence Yep.

The resolution states "text found in the books has examples of racism, underage drinking, foul language, violence, drugs, prostitution, alcohol, hatred of police, overthrow of the government, destruction of the nuclear family, and communism."

Meanwhile the Sumner County School Board held a hearing and retained "A Place Inside of Me."

The Sumner County School Board last night voted in favor of keeping "A Place Inside of Me" on the bookshelves in the school system's library. The move comes following a complaint that the book violates a new state law around objectionable content. Seven members (out of 11) voted in favor of keeping the book.

The vote on the library book - an award-winning illustrated book by Zetta Elliott - took place after a public hearing featuring speakers both for and against the text.

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Liberty Creek Names Baseball Coach

 Liberty Creek High School has announced that Eli Carlisle will be the school's Head Baseball Coach.

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