The Tennessee Department of Education is revising its teacher licensing standards. Education board representatives and review teams of teachers will announce details later today in Nashville. The department said revisions made will be in partnership with the state board, the Educational Testing Service and review teams consisting of teachers, district administrators and higher education faculty. The department said it recognizes the need to set rigorous expectations for teacher preparation and licensing.
The McCracken County Library is offering free legal clinics for low-income individuals, thanks in part to a $10,000 grant from the Kentucky Bar Association. Kentucky Legal Aid Attorney Natalie Bash told the Paducah Sun anyone who meets the federal poverty guidelines by 100 to 120 percent is eligible to participate. Local attorneys will provide advice and answer questions about any family law issue that can be handled on a brief service basis. This includes simple divorces, child support and child custody cases.
School nurses in Tennessee are urging parents to have their children vaccinated against meningitis before the school year starts. Half of the state’s teens aren't vaccinated. Meningitis can be spread through contact such as sharing water bottles and drinking glasses. Ten percent of people who contract the disease die, sometimes within 24 hours. State Department of Health immunization program director Dr. Kelly Moore said the shots are not required in Tennessee, but are recommended.
The Kentucky Department of Education has launched a new app allowing iPhone, iPad and iPod users easy access to agency information.The KDE News app is available as a free download. It features department news releases, articles from Kentucky Teacher magazine, Education Commissioner Terry Holliday's blog, weekly messages to superintendents and teachers, as well as photos and videos. The department said it is developing a Windows Mobile version of the app.
U.S. News and World Report magazine ranks Murray State University at the top among universities granting merit scholarships. They report nearly 77 percent of Murray State undergraduates win non-need-based scholarships and grants. Those scholarships total more than one-point-six million dollars a year.
