Away from the Spotlight
The new officials sworn in this week and the under-the-radar ways they affect your life and work.
Mental Health Concerns at MSCS
Memphis-Shelby County Schools is suffering a critical lack of school psychologists to help address the mental health struggles of students. With four in ten Tennessee high school students reporting feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness and two in ten reporting having seriously considered attempting suicide, it’s clear that youth need more support, and current services aren’t cutting it.
How many mental health providers currently work at MSCS? And why are we at risk of losing access to youth mental health data?
Tennessee Changed Its Higher Education Funding Formula
A student can complete a certificate or degree and still struggle to find stable employment. A credential doesn’t lead to strong wages, continued career advancement, or growing employment opportunities just because it is connected to an industry described as “high need.”
In July, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission approved recommendations for the state’s 2026–2030 outcomes-based funding formula. The most consequential workforce change revises the formula’s Workforce Investment Premium. What can we expect this change to do for state residents looking for work?
Shelby County has a Jail Problem.
This week, an update from our guest columnist, Laramie Wheeler, Communications & Advocacy Manager at Just City:
“Since 2018, 68 people have died in custody in the Shelby County jail, surpassing the infamous Rikers Island in the percentage of inmates who died in custody. These were pre-trial detainees, some of whom were at 201 Poplar for misdemeanor offenses or mental health crises. Many died as a result of pre-existing conditions that were likely exacerbated by the conditions of the jail or, as some families’ lawsuits allege, abuse and/or neglect by jail staff and the medical provider.”
Seeding Success Receives 2026 Future Forward Innovation Grant
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) today announced the 2026 recipients of the Future Forward Innovation Grant, a $725,000 investment in nine innovative partnerships that will create new education-to-work pathways leading to high-wage, in-demand jobs for students across Tennessee.